Staying safe and getting help

Find what you need for your situation

• Not sure who to contact or how to call for help: sections 1–3. If your phone cannot get through, see the end of section 3.
• Sudden illness or poisoning, health card, fire or gas leak, electric shock or a car crash: sections 4–6.
• Violence or stalking, a missing person, or someone who lives alone or far away and cannot be reached: section 7.
• Earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and storms or power outages: section 8.
• Scams, police non-emergency numbers and other help lines: sections 9–11.
• Injured deer, squirrels, dead animals and pets: section 12. Trouble on the water and getting lost outdoors: section 13.
• Family contacts, emergency supplies and a card to carry: section 14 and the matching blank forms.

1. First check the danger in front of you, then act

First check whether the place you are in is safe. Is there smoke or fire, a smell of gas, traffic, a fallen power line, rising water, or a person who is threatening you? If you can leave safely, move to a safe place first. Do not rush into a dangerous area to save belongings, and do not go back to the scene to take more photos. If moving would be more dangerous, for example if there is a live power line outside your car, follow the matching section below and the call-taker's instructions.

Next, ask yourself: could someone's life be in danger? Do police, fire or ambulance need to come right away? Is the danger happening now? If yes, call 911. You do not need to prove first that "a crime really happened." You also do not need to decide for the call-taker how serious an injury is. Say the facts you saw and heard. If you do not know something, say you do not know.

If it is already over, there is no immediate danger, and police do not need to come right away, you can call the non-emergency line of the police where it happened. For example, you find out later that things were stolen and the suspect has left. If you are not sure whether it is an emergency and you are worried about safety, E-Comm's advice is to call 911 and let the call-taker assess it.

2. When 911 answers, first say clearly where the person is

911 is the emergency number for police, fire and ambulance. When the call connects, answer the question by saying whether you need Police, Fire or Ambulance. If there is more than one danger, for example a car crash with a fire and someone hurt, say both. You do not need to find three separate numbers yourself.

Then give the location as early as you can. First say the city, the street address and the unit number where it is happening, then explain what happened. If you are calling from a different place than where help is needed, make this clear. For example: "I am outside right now. The emergency is in unit 305 on the third floor." Do not just say "my home," "the mall nearby" or "such-and-such bridge." Different cities may have places with the same name.

Give the following information as the call-taker asks for it:

• Location: city, house number, street name, apartment unit and floor. If there is no address, give the nearest intersection, a clear landmark, the road name and the direction of travel.
• Callback number: if the call drops, the call-taker can reach you again.
• What is happening: a fire, someone has collapsed, someone has broken in, someone is being threatened, and so on. Try to stick to the facts in front of you.
• How many people need help: whether they are awake, whether they are breathing normally, and whether there is obvious bleeding or anyone is trapped.
• Other dangers: smoke or fire, gas, power lines, weapons, and whether the suspect is still there. Do not go near danger to check these things.

The phone system may give some location information, but that does not mean it knows your exact address, floor or unit. Your phone's location does not replace you saying your address. Even if you check your location on a map, make sure you are safe first, then tell the call-taker what you can read.

Not confident in English? Say the location first, then ask for a Chinese interpreter

First use the words you know to say the city, the address and what kind of help you need. Then say: "Mandarin interpreter, please." If you need Cantonese, say: "Cantonese interpreter, please." Do not hang up because you are worried about your accent or grammar.

Below are short phrases you can practise. Practise by role-playing with your family. Do not actually call 911 to test. When you mention the location and phone number, use your real details.

• "Ambulance, please." Then start with "My address is" and read out your real address, city and unit number. "Unit" means your apartment or room number.
• "A person is unconscious."
• "There is a fire."
• "Someone is threatening me."
• "I speak Mandarin. I need an interpreter."
• "My callback number is" and then read out your real phone number right away.
• "I don't know. Please tell me what to do."

You can also prepare one sentence in Chinese ahead of time, like this: "This is [city], [street], number [ ], unit [ ]. Someone has collapsed. I need an ambulance. I speak Mandarin. My phone number is ..." Put the address first. Then answer each question the call-taker asks, one at a time.

For a doctor's visit that is not urgent, you can also ask for an interpreter: when you book, say “I need a Mandarin interpreter.”; at Island Health, you can ask for one for any appointment, either when you book or when you arrive; when you call 811, first say “Mandarin, please.” When discussing your condition or your medicines, or signing a consent form, it is best to use a professional interpreter rather than relying only on machine translation or help from family on the spot. See section 6 of Guide No. 41.

→ No. 41 · Preparing for a doctor's visit

Do not rush to end the call; keep helping while you wait

The call-taker asks questions to confirm the location, send the right help, and learn how things are changing at the scene. Do not think "no one is dealing with this yet" just because there are many questions. Stay on the line as instructed. If the person's condition, the fire or where people are changes, tell the call-taker right away. How long help takes depends on the location and the situation. No one can promise it will arrive within a set number of minutes.

At a medical emergency, if it is safe, have others open the door, clear a path, meet the paramedics, and put pets away. If the patient is not in immediate danger such as fire or traffic, do not move them. If there is a gas leak, do not copy steps like "turn on the lights to help responders."

3. Unable to speak, calling 911 by mistake, and texting: know the difference

You are afraid to speak because someone is threatening you

If you can leave safely, go to a safe place first. If you cannot speak safely, you can still call 911. Keep the line open if you can and listen to the call-taker's instructions. When you have a safe chance, first say your actual location and "I can't speak safely." Do not believe that "if you stay silent after the call connects, they will always find you automatically and send police." Do not press random numbers or use code words passed around online. The location from your phone may not be accurate. A dropped call or a quick hang-up does not mean you have finished reporting.

You called 911 by mistake

Do not panic and hang up. Stay on the line, tell the call-taker it was a mistake and there is no emergency right now, and answer the questions they ask to check that you are safe. If you already hung up and get a callback from 911, answer it and explain. Not answering the callback does not cancel the call. Do not count on an unanswered automatic callback to get you help.

In places where E-Comm answers 911 (including Greater Victoria), if you dial 911 and hang up right away, you will get a recorded callback in English from a number starting with 604: press 1 if you need help or do not understand, or 3 if it was a mistake; calling the 604 number back does not help, so if you need help, dial 911 again. See section 3 of Guide No. 40.

→ No. 40 · B.C. 911 upgrade and 604 callbacks

You cannot use 911 as a regular text number from an ordinary phone

As of the date this guide was checked, Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) in B.C. is a special service for people who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment. You must register with your mobile phone provider in advance and confirm that your phone and your location support it. To use it, first make a 911 voice call from the registered phone, stay on the call, and wait for the call-taker to send you a text, then reply. It does not mean sending a regular text message to "911."

Next Generation 911 (NG9-1-1) is being rolled out in stages. This does not mean the general public can now send texts or video to 911, or that an exact location is guaranteed. People who need accessible ways to call for help should check the official T9-1-1 information and their provider's conditions in advance. Do not wait until an emergency to register for the first time.

What to do if your phone cannot reach 911

No signal, or an outage at a cell tower or your provider, can stop a call from going through. First make sure the place you are in is safe, then try calling again. If you can safely ask someone nearby, a neighbour or a business that is open for help, ask them to call for you on a phone that works. Say clearly where help is really needed. Do not let the caller's location be mistaken for the scene.

Ahead of time, ask your mobile provider whether Wi-Fi Calling (making calls over a wireless network) is supported, how to set it up, and whether your emergency address is correct. In an emergency, this can only help if your device, the service and the network are all working. Being "connected to Wi-Fi" does not mean you can always reach 911. Once connected, you still need to say your actual address. Do not switch to sending a regular text to 911 and hope it works.

If calling still does not work, and moving is safe and suits your physical condition, you can ask someone to go for help at a nearby staffed police station, fire hall, ambulance station or hospital. Not every station has staff around the clock. Do not let a person who is suddenly ill drive themselves to find help. Ahead of time, find local places where you can get help, keep paper directions and have backup contacts. At the time, choose what to do based on the risk. Do not go into a fire, a flood or near a cliff edge to find a signal. People who live alone, and families who rely on medical equipment that uses power, especially need to plan other ways to get in touch ahead of time.

4. Someone has collapsed, sudden illness or suspected poisoning

The person will not wake up, is breathing abnormally or has other serious symptoms

First make sure there are no dangers nearby, such as traffic, power lines, smoke or fire, or a gas leak. If a person has collapsed and does not respond, has trouble breathing, has chest pain, is bleeding heavily, or has a severe allergic reaction, call 911 right away. Do not wait until you have figured out the cause, and do not first wait in line for general health advice.

Tell the call-taker the location and the person's condition. Answer their questions about whether the person is awake and breathing normally. If it is safe, you can use speakerphone and follow the call-taker's first aid instructions. Do not use this page to guess a diagnosis, decide on medicine doses, or move the injured person on your own.

A child drank a cleaning product, an adult took the wrong medicine, or someone touched a suspicious substance

BC Drug and Poison Information Centre: 1-800-567-8911 (free within B.C.); 604-682-5050 (Metro Vancouver). Both lines are open 24 hours a day. If you suspect poisoning, call right away for advice, even if there are no obvious symptoms yet. For a specific case, do not send an email and wait for a reply. You can ask for an interpreter.

If the person is unconscious, having a seizure, having trouble breathing or has chest pain, call 911 first. Do not make the person vomit, and do not try to "detox" them yourself with activated charcoal or other methods. If the package or label is close by and you can get it safely, keep it for the professionals to identify. Try to give the substance, the estimated amount, when it happened, how the person was exposed, their age and weight, and their symptoms. If you do not know, say so honestly. Do not delay the call to gather all the details.

No urgent emergency, but you do not know where to get care

HealthLink BC in B.C.: 811. Navigators and registered nurses give non-emergency health advice and help finding services 24 hours a day. Other professionals have their own service hours, so do not assume every service is available around the clock. If you need Chinese, say Mandarin or Cantonese and ask for an interpreter.

811 does not replace 911, and it does not send police or fire. People who use a TTY (text telephone) device can call 711 and ask the relay operator to connect them to 811. 711 is not a regular text number for reporting emergencies from a mobile phone. If your provider does not support 811, or you use an internet phone, call 604-215-8110 to reach HealthLink BC. For other accessible ways to connect, see the official contact pages below.

Carry your health card every day, but if it is an emergency, get help first even without it

It is a good idea to carry your valid BC Services Card with you every day. When people talk about the "MSP card," they usually mean this card. Strictly speaking, MSP (Medical Services Plan) is B.C.'s health insurance plan. The BC Services Card is the card you show when you get health care, to help confirm your identity and your Personal Health Number. The provincial government clearly recommends carrying it, so you can show it when you need health services.

If you do not have your card in an emergency, do not delay getting help by going home to look for it or for other ID. The provincial government clearly states that necessary medical care will not be refused in an emergency. If you need to call 911, call 911 first, and tell the health care workers that you do not have your card. Afterwards, confirm or provide your identity and coverage details as the health care facility asks. Whether a photo of the card, a phone app or a handwritten number can be used for a particular check is up to the facility treating you. There is no guarantee they can replace a valid card everywhere.

Getting necessary emergency care and who pays for it are two separate things. Whether the health plan pays depends on your valid coverage at the time, the date your coverage started and what the service includes. "Necessary care will not be refused in an emergency" does not mean "everything is free for everyone." For example, ambulance service in B.C. is not a benefit covered by MSP. People with valid MSP coverage pay a subsidized fee, while people without MSP coverage usually have to pay the full ambulance fee. Hospitals also have services that are not covered. For questions about your own bill or eligibility, check with the facility's billing department, Health Insurance BC or your insurance company, depending on the question. Do not delay calling for emergency help to check costs.

If your card is lost, stolen or expired, report it, replace it or renew it as soon as you can, following the steps for your type of card. Do not wait until you are sick to check.

Further reading: once the danger has been dealt with, see the "Health care roadmap" guide for where to get care and what documents to bring.

→ No. 5 · Health care roadmap

5. Fire, a gas smell, carbon monoxide or electrical danger at home

Fire or smoke: get out first, then call

Leave right away by a safe exit. If there is smoke, stay low and head for the nearest safe exit. If you can do it easily, close the doors behind you. Do not take money, documents or luggage, and do not go back for people or pets. Once you are at a safe meeting place outside, call 911. Give the exact address, say where the fire is and whether anyone is still trapped, and give information about anyone trapped to the firefighters.

Do not force your way through thick smoke or fire to get out. If the exit is blocked and you cannot leave safely, tell 911 right away which floor and room you are trapped in, and follow the call-taker's instructions. If you live in an apartment, learn your building's fire evacuation plan ahead of time. Do not wait until the fire alarm goes off to look for the exits.

You smell gas, like rotten eggs

First get everyone outside. Where you think gas is leaking, do not use a phone, do not turn lights on or off or use any electrical switch, and do not light a flame, smoke, or look for the leak. Following FortisBC's gas leak guidance, leave the door open as you leave, and leave open any windows that are already open. Do not apply the house fire step "close the door as you leave" to a gas leak.

Once you are somewhere safe outside, call the FortisBC gas emergency line at 1-800-663-9911, 24 hours a day, or call 911. This line is for FortisBC gas service. It is not a national gas hotline. If another company supplies your gas, keep a note of your own supplier's emergency contact ahead of time. If there is immediate danger, call 911. Do not wait for a reply to an email or an online message.

Carbon monoxide alarm: do not rely on smell

Carbon monoxide (CO) cannot be seen or smelled. If a CO alarm goes off or you suspect poisoning, everyone should go outside to fresh air right away and call 911 from outside. Do not stay inside to look for the source, wait for symptoms, or delay leaving to turn off appliances. Go back in only after professionals confirm it is safe. If anyone has a headache, feels dizzy, feels sick to their stomach or is not fully alert, tell the call-taker.

During a power outage, do not run a fuel-powered generator inside your home, garage or shed. Do not use a barbecue or camp stove indoors, and do not heat your home with a gas stove or oven. Keep a fuel-powered generator outside, at least 6 metres from the building, with the exhaust away from doors and windows. Smoke alarms and CO alarms deal with different dangers. Your home needs alarms that cover each danger. Install, test and replace them following the manufacturer's instructions.

A power line has come down: stay away, and do not use your hands to rescue someone being shocked

A fallen or damaged power line may be live even if there are no sparks or sounds. Move at least 10 metres away, warn others to stay away, then call 911. Do not touch a car, tree or fence that is touching the line. If a person may still be in contact with the power source, do not pull them with your hands.

If a power line falls on your car while you are inside, usually stay in the car, call 911 and wait. People outside the car should not come close or open the door. If you can safely drive away from the power source, go at least 10 metres before you stop. You only need BC Hydro's special emergency exit if an urgent danger, such as a fire inside the car, forces you to get out: when you jump clear of the car, your body and clothes must not touch the car and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together. Then keep your feet close together, never lift them off the ground, and shuffle in small steps until you are at least 10 metres away. You can look at the official diagrams below ahead of time. At the scene, follow the call-taker's instructions. Do not treat jumping out as a normal way to leave a car.

Just a regular power outage? Contact your own power company

In BC Hydro's service area, you can call 1-800-224-9376 to report an outage. Outage reporting is open 24 hours a day. This does not mean regular account customer service is open all day. In FortisBC's electric service area, the power emergency line is 1-866-436-7847, 24 hours a day. Your gas and your power may come from different companies, so do not decide who to call based only on your gas bill.

If a power line is down, electrical equipment is on fire, or someone is in immediate danger, first keep a safe distance and call 911. A regular outage report does not replace an emergency call for help.

When something breaks at home and there is a danger such as a gas smell, a carbon monoxide alarm or a downed power line, leave first as described above and call from outside. Once there is no danger, contact your landlord, the property manager or a licensed tradesperson, depending on whether you rent, live in a strata or own your home, and take photos and keep a written record at the same time. If you rent in B.C., emergency repairs such as a major leak in a pipe or a broken primary heating system have their own rules: first call the emergency repair number your landlord gave you at least twice and wait a reasonable time before arranging the repair yourself. See sections 1 and 6 of Guide No. 44.

→ No. 44 · Home repairs: who to call

6. Car crash: deal with people and dangers at the scene first

1. First check that you and others are safe. If someone is hurt or trapped, there is a fire, or there is another urgent danger, call 911. Say the road, the direction of travel, and the nearest exit or intersection. Do not stand in a traffic lane to argue, and do not stay in a dangerous spot to take photos.

2. If you are involved in the crash, you should stay at the scene and give reasonable help. This does not mean you must stand where the crash happened. Move vehicles out of the lane only if it is safe. If a power line is touching a vehicle, follow the power line steps above. If an injured person is not in immediate danger, do not move them.

3. Once it is safe, exchange names, addresses, the registered owner details for the vehicles, licence plates and insurance information. Also write down driver's licence details and witnesses' contact information. Leave the facts to the police and insurance companies. Do not take risks arguing at the scene about who was at fault.

4. Take photos only when it is safe. If you have already left the scene, do not go back to take more photos. Afterwards, report the claim to your insurance company promptly, and keep the crash records you already have and the police file number.

Further reading: once people are safe and help at the scene has been arranged, if you get a ticket, a vehicle impoundment or a driving prohibition notice, see the "Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points" guide to check how to deal with each document and its deadlines.

→ No. 19 · Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points

If you see a crash in which someone is hurt, or a fire, while you are driving, B.C. law allows you to call 911 to report the emergency, and this applies to L and N drivers too; the RCMP reminds drivers that even when calling 911, you should find a place to pull over as soon as you can and then call. For when you may use a phone while driving, see No. 33.

→ No. 33 · Phones and driving in B.C.

Once everyone is safe, report the claim to ICBC as soon as possible. You can report by phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day: call 604-520-8222 in the Lower Mainland, or 1-800-910-4222 from Victoria and elsewhere in B.C.; say the language you need, for example "Mandarin" or "Cantonese," and you will be connected to a free interpreter. ICBC requires passengers, pedestrians and cyclists to report by phone. For crashes on or after May 1, 2021, if you are injured you can get benefits from ICBC, such as treatment costs and money for lost income, no matter who was at fault. What to record at the scene and what to have ready before you report are covered in section 3 of Guide No. 38.

→ No. 38 · ICBC no-fault crash claims

7. Violence, stalking and missing persons: do not wait for things to get worse

You are being threatened or facing violence right now

If you can leave safely, take the children away from the danger first and call 911 from a safe place. If you cannot leave safely, move as far as you can toward a place with less risk where you can get help. Do not stay to argue, collect belongings or take video, and do not force your way past where the abuser is just to get out.

Tell the call-taker whether anyone is hurt, and whether children, weapons or the abuser are there. Only say what you know. Do not go near danger to check. Children need to learn to leave a violent place and get help safely. It is not their job to break up fights, grab weapons or protect adults.

Family violence does not only mean physical injuries. Threats, sexual violence, and controlling someone's money or movements may also be reasons to get help. When you are safe for the moment, you can work with victim support workers on a safety plan, people you can trust and places you can go. Prepare documents, medicine and similar items safely ahead of time, so they do not become a reason to go back for them when there is danger. Whether to leave and how to leave depends on your safety situation. Do not treat announcing to the person's face that you are leaving as the first step for everyone.

VictimLinkBC: call or text 1-800-563-0808, 24 hours a day, in B.C. and Yukon. You can get information for victims of crime and crisis support for family or sexual violence, and be referred to resources such as safe housing and counselling. On the phone you can ask for an interpreter in many languages; say which language you need first. It does not send police, fire or ambulance. If there is immediate danger, call 911 first. A referral does not guarantee a bed right away.

If you are worried that your phone, browsing history or accounts are being watched, contact support services from a safe device if you can, and talk about ways of communicating that work for you. Do not rush to change settings to "cover your tracks," because that could increase the risk. You can first tell a support worker about your concerns.

Further reading: after you are away from immediate danger, if you need a safe place to stay, see the "Emergencies and special situations" part of the "Housing" guide. It explains the difference between emergency housing support and applying for long-term subsidized housing.

→ No. 3 · Housing

You think someone is following you

First go to a safe place that is open, with people and staff who can help. If you are worried about your immediate safety, call 911. Do not confront or meet the person alone, and do not follow them back to collect evidence. If you are being followed while driving, do not drive home. While driving safely, go to a place where people can help, and follow the call-taker's instructions.

Once you are safe, keep any texts, voicemails, emails and screenshots you have. Write down the times, places, what happened and any witnesses. Report it to the police where it happened, and write down the file number so you can add new information later. You do not have to decide first whether it meets the threshold of a crime under a particular law before you ask for help.

A child, an older person or someone else is missing: you do not need to wait 24 hours

You do not need to wait 24 or 48 hours to report someone missing, and it is not only family members who can report. If a child, an older person or a vulnerable person who needs care is missing, or the missing person faces an immediate risk such as a medical problem, self-harm, harming others or being harmed by someone, call 911. Do not finish searching the area first, or wait until you have all the details ready, before you call police.

To report a missing adult when there is no immediate danger, use the local police non-emergency line. Try to give the person's name, a recent photo, their age and appearance, clothing, where and when they were last seen, how they were travelling, any medical or medication needs, and anything unusual. If you do not know something, say so honestly. In a public place you can also ask staff to help, but a public announcement does not replace asking the police for help.

If you get new information, or the person comes back or is confirmed safe, update the police promptly. When an adult is found, their exact location may be protected by privacy rules and may not be shared with the family or friends who made the report. Police confirming that someone is safe and tracking someone's whereabouts for another person are different things.

Living alone or working away from home: agree on a way to stay in touch ahead of time

Living alone or working in another place does not mean you are in danger. If you agree on a simple way to stay in touch with someone you trust ahead of time, it will be easier for both of you to know what to do next if something really does seem wrong.

Agree on one contact person, and keep a backup

• With both of you agreeing, choose one person to stay in regular touch with. If possible, also have someone who lives nearby and can help when needed, and a backup contact who lives in another area. If there is a local power or phone outage, an out-of-area contact may find it easier to pass on messages.
• Give them the information they need, for example the city you live in now, your address and unit number, your phone number, and your backup contact's phone number. Update it after you move or change numbers. You decide what information to share.
• When you travel for work, take a long trip or stay somewhere else for a while, you can agree to send a short "I got here safely" message when you arrive. If you work shifts or nights, or will be without a signal for a long time, say ahead of time when you expect to be in touch, and update this if your plans change.
• Agree on what to do first if a check-in is missed, for example call again, send a message, or contact the local contact you both agreed on. It is best to keep contact details both on your phone and on paper.

These are everyday suggestions you can adjust to your own routine. They are not a legal rule that everyone must check in at a fixed time every day, and they do not mean sharing your live location all the time. The time you agree on is a reminder point. If there are real signs of danger, you do not need to wait until that time to ask for help.

Cannot reach someone: look at the actual danger, not a fixed number of hours

There can be many reasons someone misses one message. When you ask for help, it is more useful to say clearly "when you were last in touch, what is different from usual, why you are worried about their safety, and what address you know" than to only say "it has been several hours."

If there is clear immediate danger, for example you heard a cry for help or you know someone is seriously hurt, call 911 right away. Give facts such as the city, address or last known location where the person actually is, and that you yourself are not there. Say at the start that the danger is in another place, and ask the call-taker how to contact the agency responsible for emergency response there. Be honest about what you are not sure of, and follow the call-taker's instructions.

If there is no immediate danger but you have a specific reason to worry about the person's safety, you can call the non-emergency number of the police where the person is. Explain the situation and ask the police to assess whether a check on the person's safety is needed. In English you can say well-being check, wellness check or welfare check. Police decide how to respond based on the facts, the risk and local procedures. Making a request does not guarantee that police will come right away or can force the door open.

If you cannot find the person, do not know where they are and are worried about their safety, follow the "missing person report" steps earlier in this guide. You do not need to wait a full 24 or 48 hours first. You do not need to search everywhere yourself first, or prove that a crime happened.

You can report someone missing even from another city or province

The RCMP clearly states that in Canada, you can make a missing person report to any police station or police agency. You do not have to go in person, and you do not have to go back first to the city where the person was last seen. The agency that takes the report should contact the police responsible. You can also contact the police where the person was last seen directly. B.C.'s standards for missing person investigations also clearly require that an investigation must not be delayed because of jurisdiction issues.

This is about how missing person reports are received and passed on. If you are asking for a wellness check at a known address, it is more direct to contact the police where that address is. Do not mix up these two situations.

Checking on safety while also respecting the privacy of adults and patients

An adult choosing to leave, or not wanting to contact family and friends for a while, is not a crime in itself. According to the RCMP, if police find the person and confirm they are safe, but the person does not want to share where they are or get back in touch, police can tell you that the person has been found and is safe, knows that people are worried, and does not want to make contact for now. But police cannot pass on the person's exact whereabouts to the person who made the report. Family and friends who are worried can ask for help, and they also need to respect this limit.

If a hospital cannot tell you anything, it does not mean the person has not received care. For example, the patient privacy information from Alberta Health Services (AHS) states that some confidentiality settings mean the front desk will not see a patient's visit or location information. Practices, and what can be shared, differ by province and by hospital. You cannot rule out that the person has received care just because "the front desk cannot give any information." If you are still worried about safety, tell the police the facts you know and let them follow the procedures that apply.

8. Natural disasters: know the danger first, then take the right action

Not all natural disasters can be prevented, but preparing ahead and getting to safety in time can reduce harm. The information below applies to B.C. and was checked on October 29, 2026. First make plans with your family: who will pick up the children, how older people and people with limited mobility will leave, how to take pets with you, and what to do if medical equipment that needs power stops working in an outage. Do not wait until you have to evacuate to look for a ride or medicine.

First, understand evacuation notices

• Evacuation Alert: be ready to leave at any time. Have your grab-and-go bag, medicine and transportation ready.
• Evacuation Order: leave right away. Use the route set by the authorities. When danger comes quickly, there may be no Alert first.
• Evacuation Rescinded: that evacuation notice has been lifted. Check your own address, then follow the instructions for going home. Not seeing new messages on your phone does not mean you can go home.

Tsunamis have their own alerts, such as Warning, Advisory and Watch. Once you are on high ground, wait for local officials to give the All clear (it is safe to return) message. A weather warning or an air quality notice is also not the same as an evacuation order for a specific address.

Earthquakes: protect your head and neck while the ground shakes

Prepare ahead: secure tall cabinets and bookshelves, and move mirrors and heavy objects away from above your bed. Practise "Drop, Cover and Hold On" with your family, and think about the safe spots in each room. During shaking: if you are indoors, get under a sturdy table nearby, protect your head and neck, and hold on. If there is no table close by, get next to an inside wall or in an inside corner and protect your head and neck. Do not run to another room or out of the building, and do not use the elevator. Wheelchair users should lock their wheels, stay where they are and protect their head and neck. If you are in bed, protect your head with a pillow. If you are outdoors, stay away from buildings, power lines, trees and other things that could fall or come down. If you are driving, pull over safely away from bridges and power lines, and stay in the car until the shaking stops. After it stops: watch out for broken glass, fallen objects and aftershocks. If an aftershock comes, protect yourself again the same way. Only move to a safe place if your home is clearly damaged and unsafe. You do not have to leave a home that is safe. On the coast, also follow the tsunami steps in the next part. Act as soon as you feel shaking. Do not wait for a phone alert. For immediate danger such as serious injuries or fire, call 911. Do not call 911 to ask "was that an earthquake?"

Tsunamis: on the coast, do not wait for a phone alert after an earthquake

Prepare ahead: check with your local government for your tsunami notification zone, evacuation routes and safe high ground. Walk the route once, and arrange help for people with limited mobility. Notification zones are broad guides. They do not replace an evacuation map for specific streets. When it happens: if you are on the coast, first protect yourself during the earthquake shaking. As soon as the shaking stops, move right away to high ground by the set route. Do not wait for a phone alert, and do not stay to take pictures of the waves. If you can walk, walk as quickly as you can to avoid traffic jams. If you have no map, no plan or no phone signal, go as high as you can or inland away from the water. If you get an alert: a Warning means tsunami flooding is possible, so evacuate as local officials instruct. An Advisory warns of possible strong currents, so stay away from the shore. A Watch means the level of danger is not yet known, so keep watching for updates. Once you are on high ground: stay there and wait for the All clear from local officials. A tsunami may come in one wave after another for several hours. The first wave passing, the sea looking calm for a while, or an alert for a distant area being cancelled does not replace local confirmation that it is safe. Do not go back to the shore to check on boats, pets or belongings.

Wildfires and smoke: evacuating and avoiding smoke are two different things

Before wildfire season: follow FireSmart guidance to reduce things that can burn around your home. Have your grab-and-go bag, transportation and plans for pets ready. Choose ahead of time an indoor place where you can stay cool and the air is cleaner. When a fire is getting close: watch for local evacuation notices. If you get an Order, leave by the set route. Do not stay behind to protect your home, and do not delay to pack belongings. If you see a wildfire in B.C., you can call 1-800-663-5555 from a safe place, or *5555 on a mobile phone. If someone's life is in immediate danger, call 911.

When there is smoke: spend less time outdoors and adjust your plans based on air quality information. You can use a suitable HEPA air cleaner, or go to an open place with cool, clean air. Closing windows to keep smoke out should not come at the cost of your home getting too hot. Staying indoors is also not an option once you get an evacuation order. For emergencies such as trouble breathing, call 911. After you go home: first wait until you are allowed to return, then check the building safety signs. Do not go into dangerous buildings, and do not touch damaged electrical equipment. Watch out for ash contamination, drinking water notices, and the risk of landslides on slopes after a fire.

Floods: do not walk through the water, and do not drive in to test how deep it is

Prepare ahead: check the flood risk and evacuation routes for your address. Keep important documents in waterproof storage and put them up high. Keep drainage maintained ahead of time, and have a grab-and-go bag ready. If you rent and notice drainage or leaking problems, tell your landlord or property manager early. Do not wait until water comes inside to move electrical appliances. When the water comes: do not walk or drive through floodwater, flooded roads or fast-moving water. Under the water there may be a collapsed road, power lines or sewage. A big vehicle does not guarantee safety. If water has already collected, do not walk through it to touch the electrical panel or turn off the power. When you get a notice: river flood warnings describe the risk from water levels. Whether a specific address must evacuate is up to the local government. When an Order comes, leave right away by the set route. Do not take flooded shortcuts. If you are trapped or your life is in danger, call 911. After the water goes down: this does not mean your home is safe. Wait until the authorities confirm you can return. If there is still water in the building, or the walls or floors are warped, do not go in. Have flooded electrical and gas equipment checked by licensed professionals first. Mould, sewage and contaminated food also need to be dealt with. Do not let children, older people or pets take part in dangerous cleanup.

Extreme heat: first find a place that can really cool you down

Before hot weather: find the coolest room in your home and air-conditioned places you can go. Arrange with family and friends to check on older people who live alone and people with limited mobility. Have an indoor thermometer that is easy to read, and plan transportation. As it gets hotter: block the sun, do less around midday, and use air conditioning if you have it. If your home stays very hot, go to a cooling place that has been confirmed open. Do not rely only on a fan to get through it. Drink water regularly. If your doctor has told you to limit fluids, ask your health care provider ahead of time how to adjust in hot weather, rather than following a general amount. Never leave children or pets alone in a parked car. Watch the alerts: a heat warning is a reminder to take action to keep cool. It does not mean everyone must leave their home. Whether cooling centres are open, whether they accept pets and how to get there depend on local arrangements each time. After the heat wave eases: homes may still hold heat, especially without air conditioning. Keep checking indoor temperatures and how your family is doing. Do not stop looking after people just because it is dark or the alert has ended. If someone is so hot that they are confused, faint or have other emergency symptoms, call 911 and cool them down as the call-taker instructs.

Storms and power outages: do not make a fire indoors to keep warm

Before winter: have warm clothing, flashlights, charging devices and food you can eat without cooking. Check your heating and CO alarms. If you use medical equipment that needs power, confirm a backup plan with the supplier and your health care providers. In bad weather: avoid travel you do not need, and check the weather and roads before you go out. Dress in layers with a windproof outer layer, and watch out for ice and fallen trees. In a power outage, do not use a barbecue, camp stove or fuel-powered generator indoors, and do not use a gas stove or oven for heat. If a CO alarm goes off, first get outside to fresh air, then call 911. If you need to move: if your home can no longer be kept safely warm, or medical equipment cannot keep running, follow the plan you made ahead of time and go to a place with power and heat that can give the help you need. If you get an evacuation order, leave by the set route. Warming centres are not open at every school. After things return to normal: still watch out for slipping, hanging branches and downed lines. If you see a downed line, stay at least 10 metres away and call 911. If a power line falls on your car, do not rush to get out. Power coming back does not mean food in the fridge or damaged equipment is automatically safe again. Check them first, following guidance from your power company and health authorities.

A silent phone is not proof that you are safe

You do not need to register for the public Alert Ready system, but local phone, text or email notifications may need a separate sign-up. Ahead of time, look up Emergency Alerts on your local government's website and save the evacuation maps. During an emergency, check local notices and EmergencyInfoBC. You may not get alerts if there is a communication outage or your device is not compatible. If you only have Wi-Fi and no suitable cellular connection, you also cannot count on your phone receiving public wireless alerts. Have a battery-powered radio and paper information ready. Maps may be delayed. The latest instructions at the scene come first. If you need temporary food and shelter, contact ESS (Emergency Support Services) or the designated reception centre as the authorities direct. Do not assume a nearby school is already open.

Further reading: to prepare family contacts, pick-up plans and supplies, see the "Family emergency preparedness" guide. For detailed steps for each kind of disaster and checks before going home, see the "Natural hazards: staying safe" guide.

9. Scammed or personal information leaked: stop further losses first

If you find out you have been scammed, first stop sending money and stop giving more information. Do not let embarrassment delay you. If the person is right there threatening you, or there is immediate danger to anyone's safety, call 911 first.

Step one: contact your real bank or payment provider. Find the contact details on the back of your bank card, or in the bank's official app or website that you normally use. Tell them when you paid, how, and how much. Ask them to check whether they can stop the transaction, try to get the money back, lock your card or protect your account. Do not use a "bank hotline" given to you by the scammer, and do not wait until all your screenshots are sorted before you call. Whether money can be recovered depends on how you paid and how far the payment has gone. Reporting to police does not mean you will automatically get a refund.

Step two: safely keep what you already have and report it to your local police. Keep chats, emails, receipts, transaction numbers, the other person's account numbers and website addresses. Write down the timeline and the police file number. For a scam that is over with no current emergency, use the local police non-emergency line. Do not keep paying to test the scammer.

Step three: report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). The CAFC collects information on fraud and cybercrime and helps law enforcement link different cases. Investigations are handled by police. Reporting to the CAFC does not replace contacting your bank or local police.

CAFC phone: 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, 10:00–16:45 Eastern Time, closed on holidays. Do not read these as B.C. times. This is not an around-the-clock emergency line. You can report online through the official link below. Victims, people who were almost scammed, and witnesses can all report, and there is an option to report anonymously. If there is immediate danger, do not wait for a reply to an online form.

If your passwords, bank card or ID information has been leaked, deal with it even if you have not lost anything yet. Contact the organizations involved, change any passwords that were leaked or that you reuse, and check your accounts and any unknown bills. If someone is using your identity, use the CAFC page below to reach the official Equifax and TransUnion channels and learn about fraud alerts and checking your credit report. If an ID document is lost or being misused, also tell the office that issued it, for example the passport office, Service Canada or the provincial ID agency. An alert on your credit file cannot guarantee that your identity will never be misused again.

If someone later claims "pay a fee and we can get your lost money back," do not pay again. Even if they know the details of your loss, that does not mean they are really the police or a bank.

Further reading: if you later need to deal with benefits, Employment Insurance, immigration or other federal matters, see the "Phone directory" guide. It is a guide for everyday government business and does not replace the emergency numbers in this guide.

→ No. 7 · Phone directory

If money has already been taken, can you get it back? It depends on how it was taken. For credit card fraud, under the federal Bank Act you pay at most $50 (unless you were grossly negligent); for a debit card, if you took good care of your card and PIN, you usually get the full amount back; money you were tricked into sending yourself is the hardest to get back, so if an e-Transfer has not been accepted yet, cancel it in online banking right away. If the bank will not pay, you can first make a formal complaint to the bank and then go to OBSI, the banking ombudsman, which is free. For the rules in each case, what to say on the phone and the deadline at each step, see Guide No. 31.

→ No. 31 · Card fraud and scam transfers

After losing your ID or having your information exposed, protect your credit too. The same day, ask Equifax and TransUnion, separately, to add a fraud alert to your credit report, and check both reports for free for accounts and inquiries you do not recognize; from August 1, 2027, B.C.'s new law also lets you request a security alert and a credit freeze for free. In B.C. time, the CAFC phone hours above are 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March, and 7 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. the rest of the year. Section 11 of Guide No. 34 also has a table of non-emergency numbers for the four police services in Greater Victoria, including Oak Bay. How to add an alert, how to check your reports for free and how to freeze them from 2027 are covered in Guide No. 34.

→ No. 34 · Protecting your credit

If you were scammed while buying or selling used items online. If the scammer used an ad or account on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji, also report it with the site's "Report" button; forward a suspicious e-Transfer notice to phishing@interac.ca, and a suspicious text message to 7726. For the common scams when buying and selling used items online (fake e-Transfer links, overpaying and asking you to refund the difference, scanning a QR code to "receive payment"), and how to make in-person exchanges safer, see sections 10 and 11 of Guide No. 61.

→ No. 61 · Canada Post Swap Spot

10. Local police non-emergency numbers: choose by where it happened

The six numbers below are phone lines for local police in B.C. They are not national numbers, and they are not text numbers. Use them for reports after the fact, or for questions, that police need to deal with but that do not need police to come right away. If a crime is still happening, someone is hurt, or someone's safety is threatened, call 911. Do not use 911 to speed up a routine matter because the non-emergency line has a wait.

Reporting by phone and the opening hours of a police front counter are two different things. Each official website below lists how to make a report or handle administrative matters. Before you go to get a certificate or fingerprints, or go to the counter in person, open that agency's contact page and check the hours for that service. E-Comm suggests making general non-emergency calls between 7:00–21:00 where possible. These are suggested hours. They do not mean all six lines are only answered during these hours.

Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt

VicPD: 250-995-7654, extension 1 for non-emergency reports. Choose from the current voice menu. VicPD serves the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt. Do not treat all of "Greater Victoria" as one police area.

Saanich

Saanich Police: 250-475-4321, extension 1. This is for the District of Saanich. Central Saanich and North Saanich are separate police areas. Look each one up in the E-Comm directory above.

West Shore

West Shore RCMP: 250-474-2264. Its area includes Colwood, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, View Royal, Songhees First Nation and Esquimalt First Nation. Esquimalt First Nation here is not the same area as the Township of Esquimalt served by VicPD above.

Vancouver

Vancouver Police: 604-717-3321. This is for the City of Vancouver, not all of Metro Vancouver. Online reporting is only for the situations listed on the police website. Do not use an online form and wait for immediate help.

Richmond

Richmond RCMP: 604-278-1212. This means the City of Richmond in B.C.

Burnaby

Burnaby RCMP: 604-646-9999. Use it for non-emergency police reports and general questions in the City of Burnaby. For counter services, see Front Counter Services on the contact page.

If you are not in one of these areas, open E-Comm's directory of local numbers, find the police for the city where it happened, then check on that police agency's official website. Do not just pick a search result based on the Chinese name of the city, and never mistake a number for a U.S. city with the same name for a local Canadian number. In an emergency, you do not need to work out which police area you are in first. Just call 911.

If you receive a suspicious bank note

If you receive a note that may be counterfeit. The Bank of Canada states that if you accept a counterfeit note, no one will make up the loss, and that knowingly using or keeping counterfeit money is a criminal offence. If something feels wrong when you are receiving money, politely refuse the note and ask for a different one; if you have already accepted it, hand it in to the local police, who will give it back to you if it is genuine, and do not use it to pay again. If it is not urgent, call the local police non-emergency number above. For how to check whether a new $20 note is genuine, and the phone numbers of the four police departments in Greater Victoria (including Oak Bay), see sections 4 and 8 of Guide No. 47.

→ No. 47 · The new $20 bank note

11. Each of these help numbers has its own purpose

988 suicide crisis support

In Canada, if you are thinking about suicide, or you are worried about someone close to you, you can call or text 9-8-8. The Suicide Crisis Helpline offers support in English and French, 24 hours a day, across the country. This does not guarantee support in Chinese. If someone's life is in danger right now, call 911 first.

BC 211 for community resources

In B.C., you can call or text 211 to find resources such as food, housing, and community and social services. On the phone you can ask for an interpreter in many languages. Phone, text and online chat with a person are available Monday to Friday, 9:00–21:00, except statutory holidays. The online resource directory can be searched at any time. Texts may have to wait in a queue, so do not use texting as a way to report an emergency.

This describes the B.C. service. It does not mean the same number in other provinces has exactly the same hours, languages or channels. For immediate danger, call 911. For non-emergency health advice in B.C., use 811, described earlier.

If you see someone out in the cold in winter with nowhere to go. If the person cannot be woken up, or is breathing slowly or not at all, call 911 right away; if the person is awake, Guide No. 74 suggests first asking what they need and respecting their answer if they say no, and you can also help them call 211 to ask where there is a place to stay tonight. BC 211's phone, text and online chat service is not staffed after 9 p.m. or on weekends and statutory holidays; at those times you can check the shelter lists on the BC 211 website, or call a shelter directly using the phone number on BC Housing's shelter map. See section 11 of Guide No. 74.

→ No. 74 · Why are so many people homeless on Canada's streets?

311 is a local city service, not a national replacement for calling police

Take the City of Vancouver as an example. Within the city, you can call 311 for city services. From outside the city, use 604-873-7000. Phone hours are Monday to Friday 7:00–19:00, and weekends and holidays 8:00–17:00. It can help you reach city services, but it does not replace emergency calls for police, fire or medical help.

If you live in another city, check your own city's official website first. Do not assume every city has the same 311. For police matters, use the right police number. For emergencies, use 911.

If a young person is approached or arrested by police. When a young person aged 12 to 17 is arrested or detained, they have the right to a lawyer right away and can stay silent; while at the police, the young person can ask to call Legal Aid BC's Brydges Line at 1-866-458-5500 themselves (24 hours, free). If the young person is arrested and held until trial, the police must notify the parents as soon as possible. See section 11 of Guide No. 70.

→ No. 70 · Bill C-14 and youth crime

12. Injured or dead animals: first work out who to contact

It is hard for any of us to see an animal hurt. But first make sure you, your children and your pets are safe, then get help. Do not walk into traffic or chase an animal to check whether it is alive, take photos or help. If someone is seriously hurt, is being attacked, or there is immediate danger to people or traffic, call 911 first. You do not need to find out first who is responsible for the road. Looking for a lost pet or seeing an animal in the distance is not a 911 emergency.

An injured deer that is still alive: adult deer and fawns are different

If you find a deer that has been hit by a vehicle and is down and cannot stand, or you cannot tell whether it is dead, keep your distance and contact the BC Conservation Officer Service's RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Say where it is, whether it can stand, and whether there is any traffic danger. If you do not know, just say so. You do not need to go close to check. Local police or the RCMP are also listed by the BC SPCA as a contact for large injured animals on the road.

An adult deer usually cannot be put in a box and taken for rehabilitation like a small bird. Capturing and confining it can cause "capture myopathy": extreme fear and struggling can seriously harm its body and can even kill it. Do not chase, catch, move or load it into a vehicle yourself. If an injured adult deer can still walk and feed, the BC SPCA suggests watching from a distance and getting help if it gets worse. If you are not sure, call and describe it, and let professionals decide. Not every limping deer needs to be taken away, and an injury does not always mean the deer will be euthanized.

A professional organization can assess whether a fawn needs rehabilitation. A fawn lying quietly alone may simply mean its mother is away feeding for a while. If a fawn has no obvious injury or illness, watch from a distance. If it still has not moved after 24 hours, or it keeps crying, wanders around, or is clearly injured, contact 1-855-622-7722. If it is already injured or in a dangerous spot, do not wait the full 24 hours. Do not feed it milk yourself or take it home to raise.

A dead deer or small animal: find who removes it based on the road and city

Dead deer, squirrels, rabbits and other animals on the road are usually handled by the local Public Works, Road Maintenance or animal control department. Report the city, the street name or highway number, the direction, the nearest intersection, the type of animal, and whether it is blocking a traffic lane. Rescue and removal are two different things. RAPP is not a general removal hotline. The five numbers below cannot be used as a single number for the whole CRD.

City of Victoria: 250-361-0400, Public Works. The city clearly lists it as a 24-hour number. VACS also lists it as the local contact for removing dead animals from streets. Taking reports 24 hours a day does not mean someone will come right away.

Saanich municipal roads: 250-475-5599, Public Works. Saanich's road services say reports are taken 24/7. Regular office hours are Monday to Friday 8:00–16:30, except statutory holidays, and may change during storms. When a report is taken and when the animal is actually removed are not the same. Highway 1, Highway 17 and their ramps are maintained by the province. Do not call the municipality just because the spot is in Saanich.

Oak Bay: 250-598-4501, Public Works. The official website clearly includes dead squirrels, rabbits, raccoons and similar animals. The VACS table above also lists it as the contact for dead animals on streets. This service has not published round-the-clock removal hours. When you call, follow the voice instructions at the time. If there is no immediate danger, you can also use the municipality's Report a Problem page.

Dead deer on Esquimalt municipal land: 250-414-7108, Public Works. You can also report online from the Urban Deer page. Regular phone and email service is Monday to Friday 8:30–16:30. This is not a 24-hour line for removing dead animals. Online reports are not for immediate danger.

Highways and roads in Service Area 1, South Vancouver Island: Emcon, 1-866-353-3136, takes reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Its road report categories include dead animals. Not every municipal street or private road in the area is its responsibility. If you are not sure, give the highway number and location and let the operator confirm. For other maintenance areas in B.C., look them up in the provincial directory. Do not use this number for the whole province.

This maintenance area includes roads from Chemainus to Victoria, toward Sooke, Port Renfrew and Lake Cowichan, and some roads in the southern Gulf Islands. The place names only show the general area. You still need to check who is responsible for the specific road. The same city may have both municipal streets and provincial highways.

Do not drag a dead animal from a private yard to the public roadside to be picked up. First contact the owner, landlord or property manager, then ask the municipality who is responsible, how it is handled and whether there are fees. On private property the owner may be responsible. Esquimalt clearly requires property owners to arrange removal. Do not touch it with bare hands or put it in a vehicle on your own, and do not put it in a green bin or compost bin. Victoria's regular garbage collection also does not accept dead animals. For an animal that seems to have died of disease rather than being hit by a vehicle, follow the provincial guidance on reporting disease.

Injured squirrels, small birds and similar animals: call first to have it assessed, then take it in as instructed

On South Vancouver Island, you can first call the BC SPCA Animal Helpline: 1-855-622-7722. Describe where the animal is, its condition, and whether it was hit or caught by a cat or dog. Staff will decide whether it should go to Wild ARC. Do not assume a small animal has been abandoned just because it is alone.

• First ask whether it needs to be taken in, how to handle it safely, and where to take it. You must contact Wild ARC before bringing an animal there. They have limited staff for transport and cannot promise to come to you. If you cannot pick it up safely, say so. Do not take risks.
• Keep it temporarily as the professionals instruct. For a small animal that can be boxed, use a sturdy box with air holes that closes securely, and line it with a towel. Keep it in a quiet, fairly dark, warm but not hot place, away from children and pets. When driving, secure the box so the animal cannot get loose in the car.
• Do not feed it, give it water or milk, or give it medicine yourself. Do not keep it at home for a few days to see how it goes, and do not hold it or play with it. Get it to the professionals as soon as you can, as instructed.

If it was hit by a vehicle or caught by a cat or dog, tell the staff honestly, even if there are no obvious injuries. An animal that is quiet for now or starts moving again may still have internal injuries. Do not release an animal on your own once you have boxed it as instructed.

Wild ARC is at 1020 Malloch Rd, Metchosin, BC V9C 4G9. Phone hours and centre hours are different. The phone line is usually open 7 days a week, 8:00–18:00, and closed on statutory holidays. On holidays, only calls about wildlife on South Vancouver Island are taken, 8:00–16:30. The Wild ARC centre runs all year: May 1 to August 31, 8:00–18:30 daily; September 1 to April 30, 8:00–16:30 daily. In all cases, call first to confirm how they will take the animal. It is not a 24-hour emergency service, and it is not a place the public can visit at any time. For animal emergencies outside these hours, the official website directs people to local police or the RCMP, or the Conservation Officer Service.

Once the animal arrives, professionals assess, treat and rehabilitate it. Whether it can be released depends on whether it is healthy, can move normally and can survive on its own. There is no guarantee every animal can be saved. If an animal is badly injured or ill, cannot recover and keeps suffering, professionals may consider humane euthanasia. This is not something a passer-by should do, and it does not mean "every animal that cannot be released is euthanized." A 2020 BC SPCA case of baby birds recorded three outcomes: treated and released, died during treatment, and euthanized after assessment.

Eastern grey squirrels can be taken to a professional organization for care, but they can only be released in urban areas where they already live. They must not be spread to new areas. They can also be black or mixed in colour. Do not catch one yourself and drive it out to the countryside to release it. Professionals confirm the species, whether it can be accepted, and where it is released.

If you hit an animal while driving

First avoid a second crash. If you can do it safely, pull over and turn on your hazard lights. Check on the people in the car first. For urgent injuries or immediate traffic danger, call 911. Do not chase the animal into the woods or move it. For an injured deer, or if you do not know whether it is alive, contact RAPP. If it is dead and needs to be removed, follow the road contacts above. If you are not sure the vehicle is safe, get professional help or a tow. Do not force yourself to drive away. Once you are safe, write down what happened, then report the claim on the ICBC website. Help for the animal, removal and insurance are handled separately, and payment of a claim is not guaranteed.

Pets, bears and cougars: remember these two other types of contacts

Lost pets: in Victoria, Oak Bay and Esquimalt, contact VACS at 250-414-0233. Staff are on duty Monday to Friday 8:30–17:00 and on weekends 9:00–17:00. After hours, it is for emergencies only; listen to the recorded instructions on the same number. For lost pet questions in the CRD service areas it covers, contact the shelter at 250-658-5745, usually Monday to Saturday 9:30–16:30, closed Sundays and holidays.

A pet that is trapped, clearly suffering, or may be being abused: contact your local animal control or 1-855-622-7722 and describe the facts at the scene. The Wild ARC holiday exception does not apply to calls about pets. Report abuse by phone, not only by leaving a message online. There is no promise that firefighters will come to rescue a pet. Do not break in, break a window or confront anyone yourself.

A bear or cougar behaving dangerously: for an aggressive or threatening bear, or a cougar that keeps staying around a residential area, kills pets or threatens to attack people, call the RAPP line, open around the clock, at 1-877-952-7277. Keep your distance. When it is safe, bring children and pets inside. If someone is being attacked or a life is in immediate danger, call 911. Do not go close to take photos. There is no guarantee the animal will be moved.

A bat in the house: first check whether anyone touched it

In B.C., bats are the only wild animals currently known to carry the rabies virus. If a person may have touched a bat, do not let it go yet; wash the area that was touched with soap and warm water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor right away (in Victoria, you can also call Island Health's communicable disease team at 250-388-2225). If a cat or dog has had a bat in its mouth, swatted it or may have touched it, contact your veterinarian right away. If you are sure no person or pet touched it, close the doors to the rest of the house, open the window in that room, leave the room and wait for it to fly out. For wild animal bites, raccoons in the attic and the fines for feeding wildlife, see Guide No. 42.

→ No. 42 · Wildlife in your home and yard

13. Trouble on the water and getting lost outdoors

You see someone fall into the water at the beach, or someone is in trouble at sea or on the shore

If you are on shore and see someone fall into the water, get swept away by a wave, or get cut off by the rising tide, call 911 for help first. Do not put yourself in danger to save someone. If you have no water rescue training, do not go into the water. If you can stand in a stable, safe spot, you can throw a life ring or something else that floats to the person, then keep watching and tell the call-taker about any changes. If you yourself are cut off by the tide, do not force your way through the water or try to swim back. Say right away that the tide is rising and whether there is a safe place to stay, and follow the rescuers' instructions. Before you go, check the tides and note the location names and access routes on beach signs. This lowers the risk of finding out halfway that you cannot get back.

For emergencies at sea, you can also contact the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria (JRCC Victoria) directly. The Canadian Coast Guard's 2026 directory lists these numbers: in B.C. or Yukon, call 1-800-567-5111; if you are using a satellite phone or a local number, or calling from outside that region, call 250-413-8933. The directory also lists the mobile shortcut #727 (#SAR). If your boat has a marine VHF radio, you can make a distress call on Channel 16. According to official information, reports of marine emergencies are taken 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Once you have got through on an emergency call, first give the information the call-taker asks for. Do not end the call to try every one of these numbers.

When you give the location, say "where I am" and "where the person in trouble is" separately. First give the name of the beach, the dock or a nearby landmark. If you have coordinates, read them out. Then say what happened, how many people there are, whether anyone is hurt, what help is needed, and a phone number for a callback. At sea, you can also give the boat's name, its colour and other details that make it easier to spot. For example: "I am at the [ ] entrance to [ ] Beach. One person is in the water ahead of the entrance, to the left. I am standing on the shore. My callback number is ..." If you do not know the exact coordinates, still call for help first. Say clearly what you know, then add more as the call-taker asks.

Lost outdoors, injured and unable to walk, or unable to find someone in your group for a long time

Before you go, leave your trip plan with a reliable family member or friend who can be reached that day. Do not just say "I'm going hiking." Say which route you will take, how many people are going, when you will leave and expect to be back, and where your car is parked. Agree on how they should try to reach you and get help if they do not hear that you are safe. Based on the activity, the weather and the terrain, bring navigation and communication tools you know how to use, warm and waterproof clothing, water, food and a light. Do not count on reaching people by phone at any time as your only safety plan. AdventureSmart sums up preparation as three things: plan your trip, have the knowledge and skills you need, and take the essentials and know how to use them.

If you are lost, injured and unable to walk, or someone is missing and you are worried about safety, call 911 as early as you can and say clearly that you need search and rescue. First stop and look around. Stay in a place where you can wait safely. Do not keep walking further based on guesses. Shelter from rain, keep warm and follow the call-taker's instructions. Give the name of the park or trail, the last location you are sure of, how many people there are and any injuries. If your phone shows coordinates, read them to the call-taker. The BC Search and Rescue Association's current emergency contact page also lists 250-374-5937, for reports from mobile phones or satellite phones, or from outside B.C. For most calls for help at the scene, call 911 first. If your phone has no signal from your own provider, a 911 call may still connect through another provider's tower in range. But this does not mean a call will always get through in places with no tower coverage at all. So before you go, still prepare a way to communicate that suits your route.

Do not put off calling for help because you are worried about a search and rescue bill. The BC Search and Rescue Association's current statement says that when its member ground search and rescue (GSAR) teams are tasked by an agency with the authority to request them, they do not charge the people they help for search and rescue. This does not change based on the reason the person needed help. This is about these B.C. ground search and rescue operations. It does not mean private rescue, other provinces, ambulance transport or later medical care are free. Ambulance and medical costs, and whether insurance will pay, follow their own rules. Protect life and call for help in time first. You can check what costs apply after you are safe.

14. Put your preparations in place at home and in what you carry

Write your home address in English, including the city, house number, street name, unit and any directions needed to get in. Keep it where your family can easily find it but where it will not be casually seen by others. Make sure children and older family members know how to say the address and call 911. Practise by role-playing, without actually calling to test. Update it promptly after you move, change phone numbers or change emergency contacts.

With your family, choose safe exits, a meeting place outside, and a backup meeting place in case you cannot go home. For a home fire plan, try to have two ways out of every room, and practise with the whole family at least twice a year. If someone uses a wheelchair or cane or needs help, talk with that person ahead of time about who will help and how they will get out safely. Include pets in the plan too, but do not go back into a fire to look for a pet.

Prepare home supplies and a grab-and-go bag separately

Home supplies help us keep up basic daily life when water, power or transportation is cut off. A grab-and-go bag holds items you can pick up quickly and actually carry. PreparedBC suggests households first prepare food and water for at least three days, and for a week if possible, then adjust based on the number of people, diet, health needs, pets and the space you have. The official starting point for planning is about four litres of water per person per day, for drinking and cleaning. Hot weather, illness and other situations may call for more. This is an estimate for storage. It does not mean each person must drink four litres of water, and it is not the same medical advice for everyone.

In the bag, put these first: portable food and water, regular medicines and a list of them, glasses or other assistive items, a phone cable and power bank, a flashlight, batteries, a small radio, clothing for the season, basic first aid supplies, paper contact lists and maps, a small amount of cash, and secure copies of important documents. Adjust for the real needs of children, older people, people with disabilities and pets. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how much extra medicine to keep and how to store it. Do not change your medicine on your own or decide doses based on an article. Regularly check expiry dates, batteries and whether items are still suitable.

Make needed information easy to find, while protecting your privacy

A paper emergency card can list your name, the language you usually use, emergency contacts, key allergies, regular medicines, and any help you need with communication or getting around. You choose what goes on it, and agree with someone you trust on where to keep it. Also keep a full family plan at home. Do not write bank passwords, your SIN, all your ID numbers or your door code on a card that is posted openly. Do not casually share photos of your personal health card in social media groups.

Families who rely on medical equipment that uses power should contact the equipment supplier and health authorities ahead of time. Ask about backup power, other places to go during an outage, and transportation. Do not try to estimate on your own how long the equipment can keep running. If the person's condition is already critical, call 911 right away and explain the equipment and how it is working now.

The matching "Family emergency card and checklist" guide is a blank template that you can fill in, print or edit yourself. The "Emergency phone sheet" guide helps you find numbers quickly. Keep one copy on paper and one on your phone, so you do not lose both at once if the power goes out or your phone is damaged.

Safety also includes whether you can handle the money pressure that treatment, time off work or paying compensation can bring afterwards. As well as knowing how to get help in danger, learn ahead of time what protection there is for medical, accident and liability risks. For details, see the "Insurance" guide. What is covered, deductibles, exclusions and whether a claim is paid depend on the contract and the situation. Insurance does not replace emergency help.

→ No. 1 · Insurance

We hope you never need these preparations. But if you do, we hope they help you quickly reach the right people, explain clearly what is happening, and get the right help. And may everyone we care about be safe, healthy and happy.

Related reading

This is the 20th guide in our life guide series. The links below go to related guides already on this site.

• "Health care roadmap": getting care, health coverage and reporting issues after an emergency has been dealt with.

  → No. 5 · Health care roadmap

• "Housing": a safe place to stay when you cannot safely go home for now, and long-term housing support.

  → No. 3 · Housing

• "Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points": what to do, and the deadlines, after you receive traffic documents.

  → No. 19 · Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points

• "Phone directory": federal government business once the emergency is over.

  → No. 7 · Phone directory

• "Insurance": protection for medical, accident and liability risks, and the limits set by your contract.

  → No. 1 · Insurance

• "Market stalls in Victoria": what to sort out before you sell at a market or on the street, including the stall, licences, food safety and fire rules. If an emergency happens on site, follow this page to get help.

  → No. 24 · Market stalls in Victoria

• "Card fraud and scam transfers": Whether you can get your money back after card fraud or a scam transfer: the rules for credit cards, debit cards and transfers, and how to take your complaint up to OBSI if the bank will not pay.

  → No. 31 · Card fraud and scam transfers

• "Protecting your credit": After losing your ID or having your information exposed: adding a fraud alert, checking your credit reports for free, and B.C.'s free credit freeze from August 2027.

  → No. 34 · Protecting your credit

• "Phones and driving in B.C.": If you see a crash or a fire while driving, the law allows you to call 911, but pull over as soon as you can; the other rules on phones and driving are in this guide.

  → No. 33 · Phones and driving in B.C.

• "Winter tires in B.C.": Which routes require winter tires, how to check road conditions before you leave, and how to report a claim to ICBC after a crash.

  → No. 30 · Winter tires in B.C.

• "ICBC no-fault crash claims": How to report a claim to ICBC once everyone is safe and how to get an interpreter, and the treatment and lost-income benefits you can get no matter who was at fault.

  → No. 38 · ICBC no-fault crash claims

• "B.C. 911 upgrade and 604 callbacks": After B.C.'s 911 upgrade: you dial the same way, but if you hang up right away you get a recorded callback in English from a 604 number (press 1 for a real person, or 3 if it was a mistake); in Victoria, ask your phone provider first whether T9-1-1 works.

  → No. 40 · B.C. 911 upgrade and 604 callbacks

• "Preparing for a doctor's visit": For non-urgent visits to the doctor: how to ask for a Mandarin or Cantonese interpreter when you book, how to describe symptoms, how to write a medication list, and what to ask when you don't understand.

  → No. 41 · Preparing for a doctor's visit

• "Wildlife in your home and yard": Wild animals in your home or yard: keep people safe first, then call the right number for the animal; bats and rabies, what to do after a bite, how to deal with raccoons, deer and bears, and the fines for feeding wildlife.

  → No. 42 · Wildlife in your home and yard

• "Home repairs: who to call": Leaks, power outages, broken heating or locks at home: when to contact your landlord, your strata's property manager or a licensed tradesperson; repair request templates, the emergency repair rules and applying to the RTB.

  → No. 44 · Home repairs: who to call

• "The new $20 bank note": What to do with a suspicious bank note: politely refuse it on the spot, and hand it in to the local police if you have already accepted it; how to feel, look at and tilt the new $20 note to check it, and the phone numbers of the four police departments in Greater Victoria.

  → No. 47 · The new $20 bank note

• "Canada Post Swap Spot": Buying and selling used items online: how to recognize common scams, how to make in-person exchanges safer, the order in which to contact your bank, the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if you are scammed, and Canada Post's Swap Spot hand-overs at post offices, being trialled in some cities.

  → No. 61 · Canada Post Swap Spot

• "Thinking about a police career in Canada": If you are thinking about becoming a police officer, or want to know which police service covers each part of Greater Victoria: how the RCMP and municipal police departments recruit, who can apply, how to prepare, how much you can earn, and related jobs if you do not become a regular police officer.

  → No. 68 · Thinking about a police career in Canada

• "Bill C-14 and youth crime": If a young person is approached or arrested by police: the young person's rights, how to use the Brydges Line at 1-866-458-5500, whether parents will be notified and what they can do, and how to find a free lawyer in B.C.; plus what C-14 changed for young people as of November 5, 2026.

  → No. 70 · Bill C-14 and youth crime

• "Shoplifting in Canada": How to stay safe if you see someone shoplifting in a store: the police advise keeping your distance, not trying to intervene and remembering the details; when to call 911 and when to call the Victoria Police Department non-emergency line at 250-995-7654; and your rights if a store suspects you of taking something.

  → No. 71 · Shoplifting in Canada

• "Why are so many people homeless on Canada's streets?": What to do if you see someone who needs help in cold weather: call 911 right away if the person cannot be woken up, which crisis lines you can call if someone is in a very poor mental state, extreme weather shelters in winter, and how to find a shelter at night and on weekends when BC 211 is not staffed (section 11); and where to get help in Victoria if you or your family are about to lose your home (section 10).

  → No. 74 · Why are so many people homeless on Canada's streets?

Family preparedness, getting lost outdoors and natural disasters each have their own guide: "Family emergency preparedness", "Lost outdoors: prevention and survival" and "Natural hazards: staying safe".