How to make a family emergency communication plan

Choose one out-of-area contact

Pick a reliable person who lives outside your usual region and ask them to be your household’s message relay. Each person should know their name and number. During an emergency, send a short text with your name, location, and status when it is safe to do so. Text messages may get through when calls are difficult, but no method is guaranteed.

Write the contact’s number down. Do not make a phone, social account, or internet connection the only place anyone can find it.

Agree on meeting places and routes

Choose one meeting spot close to home in case you need to leave quickly, and another outside the immediate neighborhood if the area is not safe. Make sure every household member, caregiver, and trusted contact can identify both places. Decide which local official sources will tell you when to shelter, evacuate, or avoid a route.

Routes on a downloaded map are planning references, not live closure notices. When authorities issue evacuation routes or road restrictions, follow their current instructions.

Write a compact contact card

Give each person a copy to carry and keep another in a known place at home. Review who can safely access sensitive medical or personal information before putting it on a shared card or device.

• Household members’ names and important phone numbers, including the out-of-area contact.
• Meeting places, an agreed check-in time, and a backup plan if someone cannot travel.
• School, workplace, caregiver, and out-of-town family contacts, as relevant.
• Critical care instructions that a trusted helper actually needs, stored as privately as possible.

Plan for different people and needs

Include children, older adults, pets, service animals, mobility devices, medicines, language needs, and people who may need help evacuating. Check whether schools, employers, or care providers already have reunification procedures and how your household can contact them.

Assign a backup helper for anyone who depends on another person or powered medical equipment. Ask a medical professional and the equipment provider how long critical devices can operate without household power, and make a plan with the relevant utility or care team.

Practice and keep a paper backup

Have everyone explain the plan in their own words. Practice a check-in using a different communication method and walking to the agreed meeting place. Check that numbers still work, replace outdated cards, and revisit the plan when school, work, addresses, or household needs change.

Local-first apps can keep selected plans on your own device. They do not replace emergency services, official warnings, or a contact card people can read if the battery is empty. Do not rely on any single app or network to deliver a distress call.