The focus also comes as World First Aid Day approaches in September, with the 2026 campaign highlighting first aid in migration settings. The United Nations estimated that 304 million people were international migrants in 2024.

How do you recognise an emergency in Canada?

Some emergencies are obvious, such as severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness or an immediate threat to someone’s safety. For newcomers, however, knowing which emergency service to contact and how the system works can take some getting used to.

The Canadian Red Cross points to a few markers that are worth paying attention to:

• Someone is unconscious or unresponsive
• Someone has difficulty breathing
• There is severe bleeding
• Someone has suffered a serious injury
• There is an immediate threat to life

First-aid training can help people recognise emergencies and respond appropriately. If you are unsure whether a situation poses an immediate threat to life, seek emergency assistance rather than attempting to assess or treat a serious condition yourself.

Could you get in trouble for helping someone?

Canada has Good Samaritan protections that can provide legal protection to people who voluntarily assist someone in an emergency, although the rules vary by province and territory.

Good Samaritan laws in Canada can protect people who voluntarily provide emergency assistance, but protections differ across provinces and territories. Newcomers should not assume that one rule applies nationwide.

6 emergency-preparedness steps every newcomer family should take

1. Learn your surroundings: Know the layout of your neighbourhood and any local risks, from extreme weather to nearby hazards.
2. Know who to call: Save 911 and the contact details of your local health, police and other non-emergency services.
3. Store key personal information: Keep basic medical and identification details for yourself and your family accessible in case of emergency.
4. Put together an emergency kit: A stocked kit at home can make a real difference in the first hours of a crisis.
5. Download a first aid app: The Canadian Red Cross offers an app with step-by-step guidance for common emergencies.
6. Take a first aid course: Formal training builds the confidence to act rather than freeze when it matters.

When and how should you call for emergency help?

Getting comfortable with Canada’s emergency system takes a bit of orientation. A few things worth knowing:

• When to call 911: for anything involving danger to life, serious injury, fire or crime in progress.
• When not to call 911: non-urgent issues are better handled through other local services, keeping the line free for genuine emergencies.
• If you call by mistake: stay on the line and explain the mistake rather than hanging up, so dispatchers know it isn’t a real emergency.
• If English or French isn’t your first language: interpretation support is available through emergency call centres, so a language barrier shouldn’t stop you from calling.

Canada’s alert system is another layer of protection

Beyond first aid, Canada also runs a National Public Alerting System, publicly branded as Alert Ready, which is a joint effort between federal, provincial and territorial governments alongside industry partners, according to Public Safety Canada. It pushes out warnings about imminent hazards through compatible wireless devices, television and radio, and is built on a shared technical backbone called the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, operated by Pelmorex Corp, the company behind The Weather Network.

Newcomer families can check their phone’s compatibility and learn what an alert looks and sounds like on the Alert Ready website, so the first time an emergency alert goes off is not the first time they’re seeing one.

Why this matters for Indian families settling in

For Indian families settling in Canada, knowing how 911, emergency alerts and basic first-aid resources work can make it easier to respond quickly during a crisis. Preparing in advance is particularly useful for households with children, older adults or family members who take regular medication.

The aim is not to prepare for every possible emergency, but to know the basics before one happens: when to call 911, how to receive alerts and what your household needs to stay safe for the first few days of a crisis.