Ethan Miller
Emergency preparedness editor · British Columbia
I write about realistic emergency planning for Canadian households, with a focus on British Columbia's wildfire smoke, atmospheric rivers, winter storms and earthquake risk. I test what is useful during an evacuation or a multi-day outage, and leave out the gear that only adds cost and weight.
Why I write about emergency preparedness
My approach is shaped by the conditions Canadian households can face: extreme cold, winter storms, wildfire smoke and evacuations, flooding, road closures and outages that may last significantly longer in rural or suburban areas than in major city centres. Based in British Columbia, I place particular emphasis on staying warm without mains power, maintaining communication during outages, preparing vehicles for winter travel and keeping an evacuation kit ready during wildfire season.
My experience
- Reviewed household lessons from the 2021 British Columbia atmospheric river and the 2023 wildfire season
- Tested radios, water storage, power banks and winter vehicle supplies in cold and wet conditions
- Maintains separate home, evacuation and vehicle kits, checked before wildfire and winter-storm seasons
Training and credentials
- First aid and CPR training (Canadian Red Cross)
- Research based on Public Safety Canada, PreparedBC and Environment and Climate Change Canada guidance
- Practical evaluation of 72-hour kits, vehicle kits and cold-weather backup power
Sources and method
My recommendations distinguish between two very different Canadian scenarios: sheltering at home during extreme winter weather, and leaving quickly when wildfire or flooding makes evacuation necessary. Guidance is checked against official sources — Public Safety Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada (Weatheradio and Alert Ready) and provincial emergency management agencies.
More from EmergencyKitLab Canada
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