Family emergency plan

Emergencies can happen at any time, day or night, and also when the different members of the family may not be together. A family emergency plan is a very useful tool to prepare for any emergency and to make every member of the family feel calm and assured when emergencies occur.

What is a family emergency plan?

It is a plan that helps each member of the family to know what to do in any emergency situation: where to go, who to contact, how to react, what to take with them. It covers every type of emergency that might occur in your family: from natural disasters, to what to do when mom can’t fetch a child from school for whatever reason, or what to do when the electricity goes out. It can be a typed/written document or a physical plan of how to behave in an emergency – a good emergency plan will include aspects of both.

Important aspects of a family emergency plan

• Plans for emergencies should be openly discussed All members of the family, even the youngest, should be included. This is also good mental preparation for emergencies.
• Know the emergency contact numbers Every member of the family should know the emergency contact numbers for different situations and should be able to dial these unaided.
• Assign tasks for emergencies This helps people to stay calm and focussed and to feel they are able to do something useful. It also spreads the load and gets things done quicker.
• Practise the plan Have run-throughs of different emergency scenarios to help especially children to have clarity about what to do and how to behave.
• Share copies of your family emergency plan All adults who have regular contact with the family should have copies of the family’s plan to be able to contact or support the family during an emergency.

Resources

If you need some guidance or don't know how to start getting a family emergency plan together, contact your local emergency department. The internet is also a good resource for some basic emergency plans that can be downloaded or printed and can guide you through compiling your own.

Sources

emergency.tufts.edu
tlc.howstuffworks.com
www.realsimple.com
www.redcross.org
www.sesamestreet.org