Family Communication Plan for Disasters

Making a Family Plan for Disasters
Here is an excerpt from the website of the US Department of homeland Security that may be used as a helpful model/guide when making a Family Communication Plan in case of Disasters, most epecially when the common lines of communication such as cellular phone and internet signals are down.
Just imagine that an earthquake just took place and you don't know where and how your family members are.  How would you contact or reach them when cell phone and internet signals are all down? What would you and your other family members do? Where will they go?  What if roads become impassable and there are no  means of transportation available?
These are emergency situations that a family has to be prepared for.

https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan

MAKE A PLAN

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. Read more about Family Communication during an emergency.

Ready.gov has made it simple for you to make a family emergency plan. Download the Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids (PDF) and fill out the sections before printing it or emailing it to your family and friends.

You should also inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school, faith organizations, sports events and commuting. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to community leaders, your colleagues, neighbors and members of faith or civic organizations about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance. Read more about school and workplace plans.

Have a plan for traveling between work and home, and other commonly visited locations, in case of an emergency. Download theCommuter Emergency Plan (PDF).

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another. Think about how you will communicate in different situations.

Complete a contact card for each adult family member. Have them keep these cards handy in a wallet, purse or briefcase, etc. Additionally, complete contact cards for each child in your family. Put the cards in their backpacks or book bags.

Check with your children’s day care or school. Facilities designed for children should include identification planning as part of their emergency plans.

Family Communication Tips

Identify a contact such as a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.

Teach family members how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

Subscribe to alert services. Many communities now have systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your local Office of Emergency Management web site.

		Size	Publication Date
	Family Communication Plan for Kids (English) Family communication plan template designed for kids to organize emergency contact phone numbers and identify an emergency meeting place.	1.16M	August 21, 2013
	Family Communication Plan for Parents (English) Family communication plan template designed for parents to organize emergency contact phone numbers and identify an emergency meeting place.	1.12M	August 21, 2013