How to organize your family emergency plan
How to organize your family emergency plan
It is rather amazing how many families have no disaster plan in place. When tragedy strikes, they have no idea what to do or who to contact. What seems like the most important thing a family can do often gets pushed back and forgotten. Most people simply live with the attitude that it could never happen to them. While emergencies and tragic circumstances are not something we should live in fear of, they also can’t be dismissed and ignored. There are a number of things you can do to organize your family emergency plan and it just might be the difference between life and death for you or a family member. Knowing what to do when an emergency strikes is a huge part of the preparation. I’m not saying to go into full blown prepper mode but rather have a simple plan. I’m here to help you with some thought provoking ideas.
Here are some things to consider so that you are organized if tragedy ever strikes:
Getting to a safe place
It is important to consider human nature when you organize your family emergency plan. When something horrible happens, most people want to get as close as possible to family. This instinct has been known to get people killed. For example, a tornado touches down and a father tries to reach his daughter through the storm. The father tragically is killed by the weather and his daughter was safe in a shelter all along. Sit down and talk with your family about what to do in case of disaster. Where should you go in different situations? Talk about these things and what to do. Your kids are particularly important to this conversation.
Communications
Having a group cell phone plan is almost a must these days. You simply have to be able to get in touch when disasters strike. That said, you should have a way to get in touch with one another no matter where you are. If not, then have a plan in place to know what to do when the disaster passes. Put together a standard meeting spot that you all should go to and a particular travel route that covers the areas you frequent.
Consider all areas of your lives
This includes school, work and even the supermarket. People think of what they might do at home and that is very important, but you should have a plan no matter where your family might be. Kids at school should know what you are going to expect from them in a school shooting. They should know how to handle a tornado or a fire at school too. The school teaches them the basics but you should talk with them about survival.
Work is a similar thing in that you need to know what your family members would do. If they are at work and a fire breaks out, you need to know where they will go and what they will do. The same thing goes for you and your job. Talking about such things and learning about one another in this fashion can literally save lives. When you organize your family emergency plan, make sure you account for these various places as well.
Know the meeting points
Your family should have a standard meeting point in case of emergency. If they are not in one place, they should be in another. Having about three meet up points is ideal with each one being assigned a primary, secondary and last priority. Always share this information with fellow members of the family and make sure they know where to go if you get separated or put in danger.
Fire safety and general home safety
There are many types of tragedies and emergencies and many of them can happen right at home. For example, does your family know how to react if the home was burgled? Would they know what to do in a home invasion or fire? All of these things are uncomfortable to talk about, but having a plan can be a huge thing if something like this ever struck your family. When you organize your family emergency plan, make sure you spend plenty of time and review the information regularly.
Good things to have on hand:
AAA 85 Piece Commuter First Aid Kit
Ambient Weather WR-089 Compact Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio
