Make a Family Plan

Plan in advance what you will do in an emergency.  Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the event, the first important decision is whether you shelter in place or evacuate.

Create a plan to Shelter-in-Place

There are situations when staying in put and creating a barrier between you and potential contamination is the best idea, maybe even a matter of survival.  Choose an interior room or one with as few windows and doors as possible and if directed seal doors, windows, and air vent with plastic sheeting. 

Establish an Evacuation Plan

Plan in advance how you will reunite with your family.  Know destinations in more than one direction and be familiar with alternate routes and transportation.  If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if you have to. Remember your 3-day kit and lock the door behind you.

Have a Family Communications Plan

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another.  Have a plan that each person contacts the same friend or relative in an emergency situation so that there is a common point of contact and information can be shared more easily. 

Remember:

• 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 coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.

• You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system may be down altogether, so be patient.

Click here to download a 'Family Communications Plan.'  This form requires Adobe Reader.