A family emergency plan turns a pile of supplies into a usable system. Everyone should know how to communicate, where to go, what to take, and what to do if family members are separated when an emergency begins.
Choose Two Meeting Places
Select one location close to home for a neighborhood emergency and another outside your immediate area if evacuation becomes necessary. Make sure children and caregivers know both locations.
Create a Communication Plan
- Keep key phone numbers written down as well as stored in phones.
- Choose an out-of-area contact who can relay messages if local networks are overloaded.
- Teach family members to use text messages when voice calls will not connect.
- Plan how to communicate if phones are unavailable.
Plan for Evacuation and Sheltering
Know multiple routes out of your neighborhood and identify likely shelters, hotels, family homes, or other destinations. Also prepare for situations where officials advise you to stay home. Your plan should work for both evacuation and shelter-in-place events.
Include Medical Needs, Children, and Pets
List medications, mobility equipment, powered medical devices, allergies, dietary needs, and caregiver contacts. Keep pet carriers, leashes, food, records, and medications with the emergency supplies. If someone depends on powered medical equipment, review powering medical devices during a power outage.
Protect Important Information
Keep copies of identification, insurance information, emergency contacts, prescriptions, and important household records in a protected location. Consider an encrypted digital backup as well.
Practice the Plan
Review the plan at least twice a year and whenever your household, school, workplace, medical needs, or evacuation routes change. Use the power outage preparedness checklist and the SurvivalOP survival guide to build the supply side of the plan.