The Household Emergency Communication Plan
When a disaster strikes, family members are often separated — at school, work, or elsewhere in the community. A documented communication plan ensures everyone knows where to go and how to reconnect. The plan must identify two meeting places: Meeting Place 1 is right outside your home, in case of a house fire or immediate evacuation — choose a specific landmark like 'the oak tree at the corner of Oak and Main Street.' Meeting Place 2 is outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home — a local library, fire station, or community center that is likely to be open and accessible. Write these locations down and give every household member (including school-age children) a physical copy of the contact list. FEMA's free Ready.gov website provides a Family Communication Plan template. Practice the plan with all household members at least twice a year. Teach children to call or text (texts often go through when voice calls cannot during network congestion) the out-of-state contact, their parents' cell numbers, and 911 in that priority order.