Disasters can strike unexpectedly, and when they do, your family might not be together. This is why creating a Family Plan for emergencies is a crucial step in ensuring everyone’s safety and well-being. Knowing the types of disasters that could affect your area is the first step in preparedness. It’s essential to establish how you will contact each other, how you will reconnect if separated, and designate a familiar and easily accessible family meeting place.
Step 1: Discuss Emergency Preparedness Questions with Your Family
Putting a family plan together starts with a conversation. Discuss the following questions with your family, friends, or household members to begin building your emergency plan. This discussion is the foundation of your preparedness efforts.
Step 2: Consider Specific Needs Within Your Household for Your Family Plan
As you develop your family plan, it’s vital to tailor it to your household’s unique daily living needs and responsibilities. Consider and discuss these specific needs and responsibilities to understand how everyone in your network can support each other. This includes communication strategies, childcare arrangements, business continuity, pet care, and specialized medical equipment operation. Build a personal support network focused on areas where you might need extra assistance. When creating your plan, keep these factors in mind:
- The different ages of family members within your household.
- Responsibilities for assisting family members or others outside the household.
- Locations family members frequent, such as work, school, or community centers.
- Specific dietary needs and restrictions of family members.
- Medical needs, including necessary prescriptions and medical equipment.
- Disabilities or access and functional needs, considering required devices and equipment.
- Languages spoken by household members for effective communication.
- Cultural and religious considerations that might impact emergency responses.
- The presence of pets or service animals and their needs during emergencies.
- Households with school-aged children and their specific emergency protocols.
Step 3: Document Your Family Emergency Plan
Creating a written family plan ensures everyone is on the same page. You can make a Family Emergency Plan quickly and easily using a fillable form to document all the important details discussed.
Step 4: Practice Your Family Emergency Plan Regularly
The final step in creating your family plan is practice. Regularly practicing your plan with your family or household ensures that everyone knows what to do and how to react when an emergency occurs. Practice builds confidence and identifies areas for improvement in your plan.
Preparedness Resources for Your Family Plan
Know Your Alerts and Warnings in English or Additional Languages
12 Ways to Prepare in English or Additional Languages
Document and Insure Your Property in English or Additional Languages
