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Family emergency plan: a fill-in checklist you can finish tonight

How do I make a family emergency plan?

Sit down together and answer a few questions: how you will get alerts, where you will meet, who you will call, what each person needs, and what to grab. Write it on one page, give everyone a paper copy, keep documents in a fireproof bag, and practice twice a year.

The short answer

A plan is a few agreements, written down: how we hear about trouble, where we go, who we contact, and what each of us needs. The plan does not have to be perfect. A page on the fridge that everyone has seen beats a perfect plan nobody has read.

This follows the Ready.gov "Make a Plan" steps. Set aside an hour tonight with a pen.

Step 1: Talk it through together

Ready.gov suggests asking these questions as a family:

  • How will we get emergency alerts and warnings?
  • Where will we shelter?
  • What is our evacuation route?
  • How will we contact each other?
  • Do we need to update our emergency kit?

Include everyone, even young children, in an age-appropriate way. Keep the tone calm.

Step 2: Think about who needs what

Ready.gov asks you to consider each person's age and responsibilities, places you often go, dietary and medical needs, disabilities or access needs, languages, pets and service animals, and school-age children. Write down who helps whom.

The fill-in checklist

Copy this onto paper and fill in each line.

People and contacts

  • Names, birthdays and phone numbers for everyone in the home
  • Out-of-town contact name and number: ______
  • Second out-of-town contact: ______
  • Work and school phone numbers
  • Neighbor we can rely on: ______

Meeting places

  • Near home (for a fire or sudden emergency): ______
  • Outside our neighborhood (if we cannot get home): ______
  • Address and phone for that second place: ______

Health

  • Medicines, doses and pharmacy for each person
  • Allergies and medical conditions
  • Doctor names and numbers
  • Medical devices that need power

See home medicine and first aid for what to stock.

School and childcare

  • Who may pick up each child
  • School emergency plan and where kids go if the school closes
  • A trusted adult near each school

Pets

  • Vet name and number, and a recent photo
  • Food, water, leash, carrier, medicines and waste bags
  • A plan for where they stay if you cannot go home

Documents

Keep paper or digital copies of IDs, insurance, medical lists, bank details and a few family photos in a fireproof, water-resistant bag.

Step 3: Make the paper contact card

Phones die and some people do not remember numbers. Write the key numbers on a small card for every wallet, school bag and the kit. Include the out-of-town contact, a local contact, medical notes and the meeting places.

The FCC and FEMA suggest texting for non-emergencies because texts can go through when calls do not. Our communication guide covers backups.

Step 4: Know how you will get alerts

A weather radio warns you even if the power and internet are out. See setting up a NOAA weather radio.

Step 5: Keep it all together

A single large tote with the kit, the plan and the document bag means you can grab one thing.

Step 6: Practice twice a year

Pick two easy dates, such as when the clocks change. Each time:

  1. Walk to both meeting places.
  2. Have the children say the contact number out loud.
  3. Check medicine dates and batteries.
  4. Update the page and the cards.

Next steps

Questions

Where should we meet?

Pick a place that is familiar and easy to find. Choose one near your home for sudden problems like a fire, and one farther away in case you cannot get home.

Why an out-of-town contact?

Local phone lines can get overloaded while a person far away can still be reached. Everyone reports to that one person, who can pass messages along.

How often should we update the plan?

Practice it twice a year, and update it whenever phone numbers, schools, jobs, medicines or pets change.

What should kids know?

Their full name, a parent's phone number, the meeting places, and who is allowed to pick them up. Practice it as a game, not a scare.

Sources

  1. Make a Plan, Ready.gov
  2. Power Outages, Ready.gov
  3. FCC/FEMA tips for communicating during an emergency, FCC

This guide is general information, not medical, legal or electrical advice. In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.