My Emergency Plan

Making a plan is an obvious next step to ensure everyone in your family knows what to do if the
unthinkable turns into reality.
This should include:

 Locating, duplicating, and storing important documents in a safe deposit box.

 Putting your emergency plan in writing to help family members learn it.
 Keeping stored documents up to date.
 Prepare a medicine and extra food

Determining exactly what to do in each situation and identifying responses in advance will allow your family
to act quickly in the event of an emergency. Preparing a list of valuables and knowing their location in
advance will also help speed the evacuation process. Once the emergency plan is triggered, it becomes
easy to panic, and having all of this information in writing helps keep emotions from getting in the way or
causing delays.

 Getting Out
 Remind your loved ones that staying alive is the first order of business in an emergency. Getting
each person to safety, and communicating how to do that with others, is the best way to prevent
exposing family members or emergency workers to unnecessary dangers.

My emergency plan should cover each of the following:

Escape routes - It is recommended that at least two escape routes are planned out of every room in the
event of a fire. For other types of emergencies such as tornados, families should consider planning safe
points within each room in case they don’t have enough time to get to the safest place in the home. If you
have a loved one with special needs who may need assistance getting out, determine who will be
responsible for assisting them and under what circumstances. Make a plan for your pets as well since they
may not be able to get themselves out of the home, and remember that even though you love them,
rescuing a pet is secondary to saving a human life.

Rendezvous points - Decide on a single location for your family to meet for each type of emergency. It is
also a good idea to select a backup location in the event your first choice doesn’t work out. Making
a reunification plan to decide where everyone will meet once they have evacuated will help families quickly
determine if everyone is accounted for and safe.

Communication plans - Making a reunification plan is the first step in communicating everyone’s safety and
whereabouts. If emergency services are required, be sure to call 911 as soon as you can safely do so. If
you are faced with a flood or other type of emergency, calling to have utilities or other services shut off can
help decrease the potential for injuries or other damage. It is also important to communicate with loved
ones who aren’t home at the time of the emergency. Group texts may be annoying under normal
circumstances, but they can be a quick way to communicate important details of a situation to family and
friends during a crisis. It is one thing to have a plan, but quite another to be able to work that plan
\effectively when the time comes. Practicing for each type of situation can help family members remember
what they need to do. Knowing how to unlock windows and doors when needed and where essential items
are located can help make sure everyone gets out safely. If you have taken the time to create a plan for
each specific type of emergency, practice them separately to avoid confusion. It is also a good idea to have
a few practice drills in advance of any high risk “season” for a specific type of event. Consider
using different scenarios for each situation to make sure everyone understands that they might just as
easily be in the kitchen, asleep, or perhaps not even inside the home during an emergency. Having a good
plan for your own home and spending sufficient time on training will help your family think critically about
the situation no matter where they are if disaster strikes.
Plan, practice, and prevent worst-case scenarios by being prepared. No one wants to experience an
emergency in their own home, but knowing what to do will actually reduce fear along with some of the risks
associated with emergency situations. Anything can happen, and nothing is more important than the safety
of those you love.