Preparedness & recovery
How Do You Create a Simple Family Emergency Communication Plan?
Use 20 minutes for a one-page plan: household and care contacts, one out-of-area contact, two meeting points, evacuation and shelter conditions, critical needs, and a practice date.
SharedMorrow Editorial · Last reviewed 2026-10-05
Direct answer
Use 20 minutes for a one-page plan: household and care contacts, one out-of-area contact, two meeting points, evacuation and shelter conditions, critical needs, and a practice date.
Start here
List each person’s phone, school or work, clinician, caregiver, and one contact outside the affected area, then give everyone a paper card.
Work through the decision
Choose a nearby meeting point and one outside the neighborhood; write when to use each and that official instructions override the plan. Agree on text-first check-ins at set times and a short format; memorize one or two numbers in case devices are lost.
Common mistake
Record needs for children, older adults, disability, medicine, pets, language, and transport, assigning who helps and carries essential items. A complex plan stored on one phone, no backup meeting point, or a plan never practiced is likely to fail under stress.
When to stop and get help
For immediate danger, call local emergency services and follow evacuation, shelter, or medical instructions rather than traveling against them to complete the family plan.
Next step
Walk through the plan, test routes and contacts, note failures, and update after moves, school or medicine changes, or every six months.