Create Family Emergency Plan
Complete step-by-step checklist to create family emergency plan covering designate outside meet spot and establish out-of-town contact, and essential action items.
Designate outside meet spot
Select a safe location outside neighborhood to gather
Establish out-of-town contact
Assign relative to call if local phone lines are busy
Assign evacuation duties
Decide who packs emergency kit, pets, and children
Document family medical logs
Write down drug allergies and doses for every member
Practice emergency plan
Practice the plan with family members once a year
Design child school pick plan
Appoint who picks up kids if parents are stuck at work
Map local evacuation routes
Confirm family knows multiple exit roads out of town
Agree on safety check-in texts
Establish simple check-in message format (e.g. 'SAFE')
Identify utility shutoff locations
Label gas, water, and power shutoff valves for family
Keep printed plan in wallet
Give brief print copy of meeting spots to kids' bags
Establish family medical power cards
Keep copies of health insurance cards in family wallet folders
Plan pet emergency boarding spots
Find pet-friendly hotels outside your county zone early
Confirm local safety radio channels
Write down local emergency broadcast station codes on plan
Test family SMS alerts setup
Verify everyone's phone is registered on local hazard alert lists
Designate secondary emergency driver
Confirm backup driver license is current in files
Verify safety escape ladder spots
Show second-story bedroom dwellers how to deploy ladders
Verify emergency bank cash vaults
Know location of local safety deposit box backup keys
Review plan updates annually
Review and update phone numbers and meet locations yearly