Family Emergency Communication Plan
The 30-minute plan that lets your family find each other when phones, schools, and roads aren't working.
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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
Save this checklist
Check off steps, sync across devices, print to take with you.
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