Family Emergency Communication Plan

The 30-minute plan that lets your family find each other when phones, schools, and roads aren't working.

Pick Your People

• Choose one out-of-state contact everyone will text/call after a disaster
• Choose one local contact as backup
• Confirm both contacts agree and have your info

Pick Meeting Spots

• Spot 1: Right outside your home (for fire — meet at the mailbox or specific tree)
• Spot 2: Just outside the neighborhood (if you can't return home)
• Spot 3: Out of town (if the whole region is affected)
• Make sure everyone has the addresses written down — don't rely on phones

Document the Essentials

• Print a wallet card for each family member: contacts, addresses, meeting spots, allergies, meds
• Each kid carries the card in their backpack
• Save same info in your phone under 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency)
• Put a copy in each go-bag and on the fridge

School & Daycare

• Know each school's reunification site and procedures
• Make sure backup adults are listed on pickup forms
• Confirm the school's emergency notification system reaches both parents

Workplace

• Know your workplace's evacuation route and shelter location
• Keep a small kit at work: water, snacks, walking shoes, flashlight, charger
• Know who to text first if normal phone service fails

Pets

• Identify a pet-friendly hotel and a pet-friendly shelter outside the area
• Microchip current; carrier and leash by the door
• Photo of each pet on every family member's phone

Communication Hierarchy

• Step 1: Text — works when calls won't go through
• Step 2: Social media check-in (Facebook Safety Check, X post)
• Step 3: Call the out-of-state contact — local circuits jam, long-distance often works
• Step 4: Email — survives when phones don't
• Step 5: Show up at meeting spot — the original phone-free plan

Drill It

• Run through the plan twice a year — at least once unannounced
• Update the plan whenever someone changes phone, address, or job
• Time it — kids should be able to recite contacts and meeting spot in under a minute