How do I make a family emergency plan?

Short answer. A family emergency plan is a short written agreement on five things: how you will get alerts, where you will meet if you cannot go home, who everyone calls (including one contact outside your area), where your key documents are, and who handles children, medication and pets. Ready.gov breaks it into four steps: meet, assess needs, write it down, practise ¹. Canada's online form takes about 20 minutes ⁵.

Why does a family need a written plan?

Because you may not be together when something happens. Ready.gov's form opens with exactly that point: you need to know in advance how you will reconnect if you are separated ². Phone service can be disrupted in an emergency ⁵. A plan decided calmly beforehand replaces guesswork with a short list everyone already knows.

A written plan also helps the people who are not in the room when it is made: a babysitter, a grandparent, a neighbour who picks up the children. Canada's online plan can be printed once completed ⁵, and the UK offers a printable household emergency plan ⁷.

What questions should the plan answer?

Ready.gov asks every household to discuss five questions ¹:

1. How will we receive emergency alerts and warnings?
2. What is our shelter plan?
3. What is our evacuation route?
4. What is our household communication plan?
5. Does our emergency kit need updating?

It then asks you to adapt the plan to your household: ages, medical needs and equipment, disabilities or access needs, languages spoken, dietary needs, pets or service animals, and school-aged children ¹. Canada adds safe exits from the home and neighbourhood, the location of utility shutoffs and fire extinguishers, and local risks ⁵.

Where should we meet if we are separated?

Choose meeting places before you need them. Ready.gov recommends one that is familiar and easy to find ¹. Missouri's health department recommends two: one in the neighbourhood and one farther away ⁶. Canada suggests public places such as a community centre, library or school ⁵. The UK asks you to decide on a meeting point for situations where you cannot return home ⁷.

A simple pattern that fits all of this guidance:

Write down the location and any instructions next to each one; the Ready.gov form has fields for both ².

Who should be our contacts, and why one out of town?

List contacts both close by and out of town ⁵. Missouri suggests making an out-of-town relative or friend the main contact, because during an emergency a long-distance call may be easier to complete than a local one ⁶. That person becomes the central point everyone reports to, so separated family members do not need to reach each other directly.

For each person, record a mobile number, another number or social media account, and an email address ². Do not rely on phone memory alone: the UK advises writing important numbers on paper and keeping them where you can find them in a power cut ⁷.

Should we call or text?

Text where you can. Canada advises using text, email or social media instead of voice calls when possible, and keeping calls short and limited to essential information ⁵. Make sure every family member old enough to use a phone knows how to send a text to the out-of-town contact. A short message such as "OK, at the library" says what matters.

How will we get emergency alerts?

Alerts are the first question on Ready.gov's list ¹, and systems differ by country:

• United States. Wireless Emergency Alerts are short messages sent to WEA-enabled phones in a targeted area by state, local, tribal and territorial public safety officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the President. There is no need to subscribe and you are not charged for receiving them. Older phones may not be WEA-capable, and some models require you to turn WEAs on ³. The Emergency Alert System on radio and TV lets the President address the nation within 10 minutes in a national emergency ³.
• United Kingdom. Emergency Alerts are location-based: you get them where you are, not where you live or work, and you do not need location services on. The sound and vibration last about 10 seconds ⁸.
• Canada and elsewhere. Check your national alert system and whether your phone is compatible; the plan should name it.

Also note local radio stations. The UK suggests writing down the frequencies of the local and national stations you use for news ⁷, and a battery or wind-up radio covers power cuts ⁷.

Which documents should we keep ready?

Canada lists birth certificates, passports, wills and insurance information, plus photos of each household member, kept in a safe and easily accessible place ⁵. Ready.gov's financial checklist adds proof of identity for each person, insurance policies, proof of income, tax records, medical and immunisation records, a list of medications, and contact details for banks, insurers and doctors ⁴. It suggests a safe-deposit box, an external drive or cloud storage so you can reach copies quickly ⁴, and a small amount of cash in small bills, since ATMs and cards may not work ⁴.

The UK suggests keeping the plan itself with documents such as passports, birth certificates and insurance policies, so they are easier to gather quickly if you are asked to evacuate ⁷.

What about children, older relatives and pets?

Learn the emergency policy of your child's school or daycare, name someone who can collect your children if you cannot, and teach children their basic contact details and whom to call ⁵. Canada recommends involving children in making the plan ⁵. The Ready.gov form has a section for schools, childcare, caregivers and workplaces, with their emergency number and pick-up arrangements ², and a medical section for doctors, allergies, prescriptions, insurance, assistive devices and the veterinarian ².

For pets, identify kennels or friends' homes that could take them ⁵.

How do we practise the plan?

Ready.gov's fourth step is to practise the plan with your household ¹. Its plan pages do not set a fixed frequency; a practical approach is to walk through it whenever something changes (new school, new job, new phone numbers) and to send a test text to the out-of-town contact so everyone has done it once. Check that the printed copy and the contact list are still correct at the same time.

What official agencies recommend

The agencies agree on the core: meeting places, contacts, documents and practice. They differ in detail. Missouri names two meeting places ⁶ while Ready.gov and the UK speak of one ¹⁷; Canada stresses texting over calling, since texts use less bandwidth and may work when phone service is disrupted ⁵; the UK emphasises paper copies for power cuts ⁷.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to make a family emergency plan?

Canada's online form takes about 20 minutes and can be printed when done ⁵. The discussion with your household, which Ready.gov puts first ¹, may take longer, especially with children or relatives who need care.

Why choose an out-of-town contact?

During an emergency, a long-distance call may go through more easily than a local one, so a relative or friend outside the area can act as the central contact for everyone ⁶. Canada recommends listing contacts both close by and out of town ⁵.

Where should we keep the plan?

On paper, somewhere easy to find in a power cut ⁷, and with your important documents so they are easier to gather quickly if you are asked to evacuate ⁷. Ready.gov also suggests digital copies of key documents on an external drive or in the cloud ⁴.

Do I have to sign up for emergency alerts?

In the United States, no: Wireless Emergency Alerts reach WEA-enabled phones in the area without a subscription and at no charge ³. UK Emergency Alerts are based on your current location and do not need location services ⁸. Local or regional systems may require sign-up; check yours.

Get a plan built for your household

Official forms cover the common ground; your plan still has to match your country, your local risks and the people you live with. See the Phaenyx plan.

Sources

1. Ready.gov (FEMA) — Make A Plan — https://www.ready.gov/plan (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Ready.gov (FEMA) — Make a Plan Form — https://www.ready.gov/plan-form (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Ready.gov (FEMA) — Emergency Alerts — https://www.ready.gov/alerts (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Ready.gov (FEMA) — Financial Preparedness — https://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Government of Canada — Make an Emergency Plan — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/make-plan.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services — Step 1: Create a Plan — https://health.mo.gov/emergency-planning/ready-3-prepare-emergencies/step-1-create-plan (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. UK Government (Prepare) — Get prepared for emergencies — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. GOV.UK — Emergency Alerts — https://www.gov.uk/alerts (accessed 2026-10-20)