Family Emergency Communication Plan: Stay Connected When It Matters

When the Phones Go Silent

During an emergency, one of the most stressful experiences is not knowing where your family members are or whether they are safe. Cell networks get congested, power outages take down Wi-Fi and landlines, and the normal ways you stay in touch suddenly stop working.

A family emergency communication plan solves this problem before it happens. It ensures that every member of your household knows exactly who to contact, where to meet, and what to do -- even when phones are unreliable.

The Five Components of a Communication Plan

Every effective family communication plan has five elements. You can set up all five in about 30 minutes.

1. Emergency Contact List

Create a single-page contact list with these numbers for every family member:

Family contacts:

• Each household member's cell phone
• Work and school numbers
• Out-of-area contact (more on this below)

Local emergency numbers:

• 911 (emergency)
• Local police non-emergency line
• Local fire department non-emergency line
• Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
• Your utility company's outage line
• Your insurance company's claims line

Medical contacts:

• Family doctor
• Pediatrician (if applicable)
• Nearest hospital emergency department
• Pharmacy

Print this list and give a copy to every family member. Laminate it if possible. Store one copy in your emergency kit, one in each car, and one in each child's school backpack.

2. Out-of-Area Contact

This is the single most important element of your communication plan.

During a local emergency, local phone networks are often congested -- calls between people in the same area may not go through. But calls to other regions typically work fine.

Choose one person who lives in a different state or region as your out-of-area contact. Every family member checks in with this person, who then relays information to the rest of the family.

How it works:

1. An emergency occurs -- a severe storm, earthquake, or other event
2. Each family member contacts the out-of-area contact (call or text)
3. They report their location and status ("I'm safe at work, staying put")
4. The out-of-area contact maintains a status board for all family members
5. Family members call the out-of-area contact for updates instead of trying to reach each other directly

Choose someone who:

• Lives far enough away to be unaffected by the same event
• Is reliable and typically available by phone
• Understands their role and has everyone's contact information
• Agrees to be the designated contact

3. Meeting Points

Designate two meeting points for your family:

Neighborhood meeting point: A location within walking distance of your home where you will gather if you need to leave your house quickly. Examples: the mailbox at the end of your street, a neighbor's front yard, a nearby park entrance.

Out-of-neighborhood meeting point: A location outside your immediate area where you will gather if you cannot return to your neighborhood. Examples: a relative's house, a community center, a public library.

Make sure every family member knows both locations and can navigate to them independently. Walk or drive the route together at least once so it is familiar.

4. Information to Share

When you make contact (with your out-of-area contact or directly with family members), communicate these four things:

1. Where you are (specific location)
2. Your physical status (uninjured, injured, need help)
3. Your plan (staying in place, evacuating to the meeting point, heading to a specific location)
4. Your phone battery level (so others know whether to expect further updates)

Teach children to share these same four pieces of information. Practice it like a script until it becomes natural.

5. Alternate Communication Methods

Phone calls are not the only way to communicate. Have backup methods planned:

Text messages: Text uses far less bandwidth than voice calls. During network congestion, texts often get through when calls fail. Send short, clear texts.

Social media check-in: Facebook Safety Check and similar features allow you to mark yourself as safe during a declared emergency. Your out-of-area contact can monitor this.

Two-way radios (walkie-talkies): Inexpensive FRS radios ($20-40 for a pair) work within 1-2 miles with no cell towers or internet required. Useful for communicating between family members in close proximity.

Physical signals: If a family member has not checked in after a reasonable time, the plan should specify what happens next -- for instance, a neighbor checks on the house, or someone drives to the last known location.

Special Considerations

Children at School

• Know your school's emergency plan -- how they communicate with parents, where children are taken during an evacuation, and the reunification procedure
• Ensure the school has current emergency contact information for all authorized pickup people
• Teach your child their home address, your phone number, and the out-of-area contact's number from memory
• Include a printed contact card in your child's backpack with all essential numbers

Elderly Family Members

• Program phones with ICE contacts and ensure the contact list is accessible
• Consider a medical alert system for elderly members who live alone
• Designate a neighbor or nearby family member to physically check on them during an emergency
• Ensure hearing aids have fresh batteries and backup batteries are stored in the emergency kit

Pets

Your communication plan should include instructions for pets:

• Who is responsible for securing pets during an emergency
• Whether pets go with the family during evacuation or to a designated caretaker
• Where pet supplies are stored (leash, carrier, food, medications)

Family Members with Disabilities

• Document specific needs (mobility equipment, communication devices, medications)
• Identify who assists this person during an emergency
• Ensure backup power for essential medical equipment
• Register with your local emergency services for special needs assistance during evacuations (many communities offer this)

Testing Your Plan

A communication plan only works if everyone remembers it. Schedule a family practice session:

Quarterly (every 3 months):

• Quiz each family member on the out-of-area contact's number
• Review the meeting points together
• Update any changed phone numbers or addresses

Twice a year:

• Run a mini-drill: have each family member text the out-of-area contact with their location and status
• Verify that the out-of-area contact still has correct information for everyone
• Walk or drive to your meeting points as a family

Annually:

• Review and update the entire plan
• Reprint contact lists if any information has changed
• Check that school and workplace emergency information is current

The Communication Plan Template

Here is a simple format for your family's plan:

`

FAMILY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION PLAN

Out-of-Area Contact:

Name: _______________

Phone: ______________

Email: ______________

Meeting Point 1 (Neighborhood):

Location: ___________

Address: ____________

Meeting Point 2 (Out of Neighborhood):

Location: ___________

Address: ____________

Family Member Contact Information:

[Name] - Cell: _____ Work/School: _____

[Name] - Cell: _____ Work/School: _____

[Name] - Cell: _____ Work/School: _____

[Name] - Cell: _____ Work/School: _____

Check-In Protocol:

1. Text or call out-of-area contact
2. Report: location, status, plan, battery level
3. If unable to reach contact, go to Meeting Point 1
4. If Meeting Point 1 is inaccessible, go to Meeting Point 2

`

Print this, fill it out, and distribute copies to every household member.

Your Communication Readiness

A family communication plan costs nothing and takes 30 minutes to create. Yet it is one of the most valuable preparedness steps you can take. Knowing that your family has a plan -- and that everyone knows the plan -- provides genuine peace of mind.

Prevna tracks your communication plan as part of your overall Readiness Score. Completing your contact list, designating an out-of-area contact, and setting meeting points contributes directly to your score.

[Create your personalized plan](/wizard) and Prevna will guide you through building a communication plan customized to your household, including prompts for children, elderly members, and pets.