A family emergency plan checklist covers five things: how you will reach each other, where you will meet, how everyone gets out, what supplies you keep ready, and the health and document details someone may need in a hurry. Write it down, give every household member a copy, and practice it, so the plan does not depend on one person who might be out of reach.
The checklist below pulls together guidance from Ready.gov, the Government of Canada's Get Prepared program and the American Red Cross. Work through it in one sitting, then keep it current with a short review each year.
Choose an out-of-area contact. The Red Cross notes that it may be easier to text or call long distance when local phone lines are overloaded or out of service.
Write numbers down, not just in phones. The Red Cross advises that everyone carry emergency contact information in writing as well as saved on their phone.
Text first, call briefly. Get Prepared suggests using text messages, email or social media where possible, and keeping any phone call short with only vital information.
List schools, childcare, caregivers and workplaces. Learn each school or daycare's emergency policy, and share the name of a designated person who can pick up your children if you cannot.
Meeting place one: right outside your home, for a sudden emergency such as a fire.
Meeting place two: outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot get home or are asked to evacuate. For a safe place to meet, Get Prepared suggests somewhere like a community centre, library or school.
Exits: agree on safe ways out of your home and out of your neighborhood.
Destination and routes: decide where you would go, such as a friend's or relative's home, a hotel or an evacuation shelter, and plot alternate routes in case roads are impassable.
Include older relatives and anyone with limited abilities or special health needs, and list the medications and supplies they rely on.
If someone lives alone, arrange for a friend or neighbor to check in on them or help them evacuate.
Write down health and insurance information for each person. Ready.gov's family communication plan form has a section for medical information.
For pets, note where they could stay, such as a kennel or a friend's home, and keep a list of pet-friendly hotels and animal shelters along your evacuation routes. The Red Cross reminds owners that if it is not safe for you to stay home, it is not safe for your pets either.
Mark where the fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical panel, gas valve and floor drain are, and make sure the adults know how they work.
Water: Ready.gov suggests one gallon per person per day for several days. Get Prepared suggests about four litres per person per day and planning to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
Food: non-perishable food and a manual can opener.
Light and news: a flashlight, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and extra batteries.
Basics: a first aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, a dust mask, and phone chargers with a backup battery.
Personal needs: prescription medications, glasses, infant formula and diapers, and pet food, as your household needs them.
Cash and papers: some cash, plus copies of birth certificates, passports, wills and insurance information kept somewhere safe and easy to reach. Ready.gov suggests saving important documents electronically or in a waterproof container.
Your plan: a printed copy of the plan and contact list.
Keep the kit in an easy-to-carry bag in a spot everyone in the household knows.
Practice evacuating your home twice a year, as the Red Cross recommends, and walk through as many other parts of the plan as you can.
Check the kit at least once a year and replace anything that may expire, such as food, water, batteries and medications.
Update the plan whenever a phone number, school, job, address or medication changes.
Learn which emergencies are likely where you live and add the steps each one needs.
For hazards and alerts in your area, check with your local emergency management office, Ready.gov in the US or Get Prepared in Canada.
Family Ready keeps this kind of plan on your iPhone, with sections for contacts, health, documents, money, insurance, pets and care, and an editable kit checklist based on Ready.gov and Get Prepared guidance. Its free Emergency Card holds who to call first, allergies and medications and opens without internet once your phone is unlocked, but it does not contact emergency services for you.
Get Family Ready free on the App Store