Steps to Create a Family Emergency Plan

Whether you have children or not, having an emergency plan in place is so important for each and every household. And according to research, nearly 70% of Americans have reportedly not got a plan in place for when an emergency happens to their family. So if you are in that statistic, then you’re not alone. If you live alone or are in a couple then there is a little less to think about. Parents should have this at the top of their to-do list, though, as there can be a lot more needed when it comes to children and emergencies.

An emergency plan could be something that you haven’t really thought of, or perhaps you just don’t think that you’ll ever need it. Hopefully, the latter will be true and you won’t ever need it. These days, though, you never really know when you might need to have a plan in place. So just in case, here are some of the things that you can be doing to make sure that you are as prepared as you can be, and can make the best of any difficult situation that might arise.

Create a Communication Plan

When you have children especially, you all need to know how you will stay in touch with one another if you were to get separated, or kids were kept at school for some reason. Do your children know the home phone number or perhaps one of their parent’s cell phone numbers? So that can be a starting point for a communication plan; from the age of five they should be able to memorize a group of numbers. It is also a good idea to tell trusted friends, extended family, and your child’s school of plans too, so that everyone knows what might need to happen in an emergency. If you needed someone else to collect your child from school, for example, then the school needs to know who is approved to do that kind of thing.

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List of Contacts

It can be difficult to get in touch with people when you are in a hurry, especially if you are low on things like data or signal, so looking online for numbers can be tricky. So it is important that you have a list of contact numbers all in one place for emergencies or situations where you will need to get in touch with people that you wouldn’t normally. School numbers, doctor’s office number, and things like the number of an emergency plumber can be a good idea, as well as family of course. You could even include the number of a firm that offers personal injury legal services, for example, as you might need to call them after there has been an incident. Insurers, banks, landlords, and others are all good ideas to be on the contact list too.

Make Copies of Important Documents

In an emergency when you might have to leave the house quickly, it really pays to have important documents all in one place, or even have copies of them that you can grab at short notice. Copy things like passports, insurance documents, bills, bank details, and things of that sort, just in case you would need them quickly in an emergency. Say there was a house fire, then unless you know all of your details for house insurance, it could make it tricky to make a claim. Which is where having copies of your documents comes in.

Emergency Kit

If you were ever in a situation where you might be cut off from the outside world for a time, then would you have enough to keep you going? This can be where something like food storage comes in. You can also make an emergency kit, having it all in a box or bag that you can grab as and when you need to. It could contain things like:

• Medical supplies and a first aid kit. If you have a member of the family with specific medication, then having extra to have in an emergency kit is a great idea.
• Water is really important in an emergency bag, especially if you have a water supply that is cut off. Of course, keeping hydrated is the most important, but using water to wash, flush toilets, and clean things will be needed too.
• Food is another important thing for an emergency pack. Think about high calorie foods that will keep you full, and things like canned goods as they won’t need to be kept cool. Things like granola, protein bars, and peanut butter are good choices as well.