How to Make a Family Emergency Plan in One Evening

A family emergency plan is a short, written answer to four questions: how do we reach each other, where do we meet, what do we take, and who do we call for help. You can finish a solid first version in one evening, about two hours, and then practice it for ten minutes twice a year.

This guide is general information, not professional safety advice. For local hazards and official guidance, check ready.gov and your county or city emergency management website.

Why a plan matters more than a kit

Most people picture a stockpile of supplies. Supplies help, but the thing that goes wrong first in a real emergency is communication. Phone networks get busy. Kids are at school, adults are at work, and nobody knows who is picking up whom.

A plan fixes that before the stress arrives. When everyone has the same simple instructions, nobody has to decide anything under pressure. They just follow the card.

Before you start: set up the evening

Pick a time when everyone in the house can be at the table for the first 30 minutes. Older kids can help. Younger kids can pick the meeting spot and draw the map.

Gather these:

• A pen and a stack of index cards or paper
• Every adult’s phone
• Your insurance cards or policy numbers
• A basic map of your neighborhood (a phone screenshot is fine)

Set a timer for each step below. The point is a plan that exists tonight, not a perfect one next month.

Step 1: Name the emergencies you are most likely to face (10 minutes)

You do not need to plan for everything. List the two or three events that are realistic where you live. Examples:

• House fire (everywhere)
• Severe storm, tornado, hurricane, flood or winter storm (depends on region)
• Wildfire smoke or evacuation
• Earthquake
• Power outage lasting more than a day
• A medical emergency at home

Your county emergency management page usually lists local risks. Pick the top three and write them at the top of the page.

Step 2: Choose two meeting places (10 minutes)

Every household needs two spots:

1. Right outside your home. A mailbox, a neighbor’s tree, or the end of the driveway. This is for a sudden event like a fire, where everyone gets out and counts heads.
2. Outside your neighborhood. A library, a relative’s house, or a church parking lot. This is for when you cannot go home or the area is closed off.

Write down the address of each. Make sure every family member, including kids, can say or point to both.

Step 3: Set up your contact plan (20 minutes)

During large emergencies, calls often fail while text messages still go through. Plan for that.

• Pick one out-of-town contact. This is a friend or relative who lives far enough away that they are unlikely to be affected. Everyone checks in with this person, and this person tells the others who is safe.
• Write every important number on paper. Phones die and get lost. Put numbers for adults, school, workplaces, doctors, the out-of-town contact and your insurance company on a card.
• Teach kids their parents’ numbers. Older kids can memorize two numbers. Younger kids can carry a card in a backpack or shoe.
• Agree on a check-in rule. For example: “Text ‘OK’ to Aunt Dana within an hour of any event.”

If you share a family code word for pickups, add it to the card. Our guide on how to scam-proof a parent’s phone explains how code words work.

Step 4: Decide what to do in each situation (25 minutes)

Write two or three plain sentences for each emergency on your list. Keep them short enough for a child to follow.

Situation	What we do
House fire	Get out, stay out, go to the mailbox. Call 911 from outside. Never go back in.
Severe storm or tornado	Go to the lowest floor, interior room, away from windows. Bring shoes and the flashlight.
Evacuation order	Grab the go-bag, pets and phones. Drive the planned route. Text the out-of-town contact.
Power outage	Flashlights, not candles. Keep the fridge closed. Check on the neighbor at number 14.
Medical emergency	Call 911 first. Then the medical info sheet goes with the person.

Adjust the table for your region. If you live somewhere with earthquakes, add “drop, cover, hold on.” If you live in a flood zone, add the high-ground route.

Plan two exits from every bedroom

Walk through the house and find two ways out of each sleeping area. A window counts if it opens easily and you can reach the ground. If you have upper floors, check that fold-up escape ladders are where you think they are.

Check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Press the test button on each one tonight. Replace dead batteries. Write the date on the inside of each alarm if there is room. Most alarms need replacing about every ten years, and the date is stamped on the back.

Step 5: Build a go-bag and a stay-at-home kit (30 minutes)

You do not need to buy a lot. Start with what you already have.

The go-bag (one per household, or one per person)

• Copies of IDs, insurance cards and key phone numbers in a zip bag
• A phone charger and a small battery pack
• A flashlight with fresh batteries
• A few days of any prescriptions, plus a list of medications and doses
• A change of clothes and sturdy shoes
• Water bottles and a few shelf-stable snacks
• Basic first-aid supplies
• Cash in small bills
• Items for babies, older adults and pets, if you have them

The stay-at-home kit

Official guidance suggests having enough water and food for several days. A common rule of thumb is one gallon of water per person per day. Store it where you can reach it without moving anything.

Add a manual can opener, a battery or hand-crank radio, and a few extra blankets.

Step 6: Write down the special details (15 minutes)

These are the things that matter in the moment and are easy to forget:

• Each person’s allergies, medications and doctors
• Where the water shutoff, gas shutoff and electrical panel are, and who knows how to use them
• Pets: vet number, vaccine records, carrier locations
• Neighbors who may need help, and neighbors who can help you
• Where your important documents live

If you want everything in one place, the Household Emergency Contacts page is a short printable you can fill in alongside the plan.

Step 7: Put it somewhere everyone can find it (5 minutes)

A plan in a drawer does nothing. Do three things before bed:

• Tape one copy inside a kitchen cabinet or on the fridge.
• Put a copy in the go-bag.
• Take a photo of the card and save it as a favorite on each adult’s phone.

Step 8: Practice (10 minutes, twice a year)

Practice turns a piece of paper into a habit. Pick a time when everyone is home.

1. Tell the family you will do a fire drill. Set off the alarm test button.
2. Everyone gets out by their planned route and goes to the mailbox.
3. Count heads. Praise anything that went well.
4. Ask, “What was confusing?” Fix the plan.

Do a second drill at night, with the lights off, at least once. Many people find they move differently in the dark.

Pick two dates that you already remember, such as the days the clocks change. On those days, test alarms, rotate water and snacks, and read the card out loud.

A checklist for tonight

• Listed our top three local emergencies
• Chose a meeting place outside the home and one outside the neighborhood
• Picked an out-of-town contact
• Wrote phone numbers on paper
• Wrote simple steps for each situation
• Marked two exits from each bedroom
• Tested every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
• Packed a go-bag
• Posted copies of the plan
• Scheduled the first practice

Special situations to think about

Older adults or relatives with health needs. Decide who will check on them and how they will get out. If they use oxygen, a wheelchair or dialysis, ask their provider about a plan. Your local emergency management office may keep a registry for people who need extra help.

Small kids. Keep it playful. Let them decorate their own card. Teach them to find a firefighter or a police officer if they get lost, and to say their full name and a parent’s number.

Pets. Not every shelter accepts animals. Identify a pet-friendly hotel or a friend ahead of time, and keep tags and microchip info up to date.

Renters and apartment dwellers. Learn where the stairwells are. Do not use elevators in a fire. Ask your landlord about the building’s evacuation plan.

When to get help

If you have a medical condition that makes it hard to evacuate, if someone in the house relies on power-dependent equipment, or if you live in a high-risk area, ask your doctor, utility company or local emergency management office for guidance specific to you. For any emergency happening right now, call 911.

A calm next step

If you want the whole plan laid out on printable pages, The Family Emergency Plan gives you fill-in sheets for contacts, meeting places and go-bag lists. The Emergency Sheet and Hospital Go-Bag Checklist covers the medical details for a family member who needs care. Both are optional. A pen and a few index cards will get you through tonight.

Pick the evening. Put it on the calendar. Then spend two hours, not two months, getting it done.