emergency essentials | Family Communications Plan

Family Communications Plan

One of the first things that will fail in a disaster is communications.  Unfortunately, it is one thing we need most following a disaster.  Most families are separated during the day and sometimes evening.  With parents working, kids going to school and their after school activities, we are rarely together at all times.

If disaster strikes, how will you be able to communicate with your spouse or child if their phone is down?  Establish a family communications plan.

Establish one outside family member or friend who does not live in the local area to be the point of contact for your family.  If all of your family knows to call Aunt Mary in Tucson if they can’t reach you, Aunt Mary can be the one person they can reach to get word that you are ok and where everyone is.  She becomes the go-between of information.  You can’t reach anyone at the school to find out if the kids are ok, but the kids were able to use another phone to call Aunt Mary.  Aunt Mary lives out of the local area so she should not be affected by the disaster.  This is very important.  Write Aunt Mary’s phone number down and put it in the kids’ backpack.

What if all communications are down?  Plan a meeting place that you all can get to.  Your home is usually the one place everyone knows to go, but what if it is destroyed or not accessible?  Establish an alternative meeting place away from buildings and other hazards.  Maybe meet at a park, parking lot, or some other place that may be accessible and not hazardous.

There are no 100% correct answers in emergency planning, but having a plan and communicating it with your family will give you a leg up if disaster strikes.

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