Develop a Family Disaster Plan

Families can cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Create a family disaster plan including a communication plan, disaster supplies kit and an evacuation plan.

Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility.

• Find out what could happen to you

• Make a disaster plan

• Complete the checklist

• Practice your plan

Emergency Communications Plan

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.

• Identify an out-of town contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
   
• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.
   
• If you have a cell phone, program an "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) contact in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
   
• Teach family members how to use text messaging. Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.