Step 3: Create an Evacuation Plan
An evacuation plan is a crucial component of your family emergency plan. It outlines the steps to take if you need to leave your home quickly.
Establish Multiple Exit Routes: Identify multiple exit routes from your home in case one is blocked. Ensure everyone in the family knows these routes.
Designate Meeting Points: Choose two meeting points—one near your home (like a neighbor’s house) and one outside your neighborhood (such as a local school or community center). This ensures you can reunite even if the immediate area is unsafe.
Plan for Pets: Include your pets in the evacuation plan. Know which pet-friendly shelters, hotels, or friends and relatives can accommodate them.
Practice Evacuation Drills: Regularly practice evacuation drills with your family to ensure everyone knows what to do and can evacuate quickly and safely.
Step 4: Develop a Shelter-in-Place Plan
In some situations, it may be safer to stay indoors rather than evacuate. A shelter-in-place plan outlines how to stay safe inside your home.
Identify Safe Rooms: Choose safe rooms in your home where you can take shelter during different types of emergencies, such as a basement for tornadoes or an interior room for chemical spills.
Seal the Room: Learn how to seal your safe room to protect against contaminants during a chemical or biological threat. This may involve using plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal windows, doors, and vents.
Stock Supplies: Ensure your safe room is stocked with essential supplies, including food, water, first aid kits, medications, flashlights, batteries, and a battery-powered radio.
Step 5: Assemble Emergency Kits
Emergency kits are vital for ensuring you have the necessary supplies to sustain your family during an emergency. Create kits for home, work, and vehicles.
Home Emergency Kit: Include items such as non-perishable food, bottled water, first aid supplies, medications, flashlights, batteries, a multi-tool, personal hygiene items, important documents, and cash.
Work Emergency Kit: Prepare a smaller kit with basic supplies like food, water, a flashlight, a whistle, comfortable shoes, and personal hygiene items. Store it in a desk drawer or locker.
Vehicle Emergency Kit: Keep a kit in each vehicle with items like food, water, blankets, a first aid kit, a flashlight, flares, a tire repair kit, and a portable phone charger.
Step 6: Establish Communication Plans
Effective communication is crucial during an emergency, especially if family members are separated.
Choose a Point of Contact: Designate an out-of-town relative or friend as a point of contact. Family members can check in with this person to relay their status and location.
Create a Communication Tree: Develop a communication tree that outlines who will contact whom during an emergency. Ensure everyone has a copy of this plan.
Utilize Technology: Familiarize yourself with communication apps and tools that can be useful during emergencies, such as text messaging, social media, and emergency alert apps.
