Family Emergency Plan
Fill this in together. Give every adult and older child a copy.
Household members
| Name | Date of birth | Blood type | Allergies / conditions | Medications + doses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Special needs (disability, pregnancy, infants, elderly)
Doctor / clinic and phone
Contacts
Out-of-area contact (everyone calls or texts this one person): name, phone
Local contact: name, phone
School / childcare: phone
Work (adult 1): phone
Work (adult 2): phone
Neighbour who can help: name, phone
Meeting points and routes
Just outside the home (fire, gas leak)
In the neighbourhood (if we cannot go home)
Outside the town or city (if the area is unsafe)
Evacuation destination (family, friends, shelter)
Route A
Route B (different direction)
When phones and internet fail
- Send a text instead of calling. Texts get through when calls fail and use less battery.
- Agree check-in times (for example 9:00 and 18:00) and where to check in.
- Leave a written note at home saying where you went and when. Agree where (door, inside a cupboard).
- If you use HAVEN mesh chat or other offline apps, set them up and test them before a crisis.
Who does what
Who collects the children
Who helps elderly or disabled family members
Who takes documents and the go-bag
Who takes care of pets
Who turns off gas / water / electricity (only if safe and you know how)
Documents: keep copies in a waterproof bag
- ☐ ID cards and passports
- ☐ Birth and marriage certificates
- ☐ Property / rental papers
- ☐ Medical records, prescriptions, vaccination cards
- ☐ Bank cards and account details
- ☐ Photos of each family member (for searching if separated)
- ☐ Digital copies on a phone or USB stick, kept private
If we are separated
Go to the agreed meeting point and wait. Register with local authorities and humanitarian organisations. The Red Cross / Red Crescent Restoring Family Links service helps families separated by conflict, disaster or migration: familylinks.icrc.org
Child ID cards: cut out, fill in, keep in each child's pocket or bag
Printable cards are in the PDF
Use Download PDF for cut-out child cards.
Free printable guides and the HAVEN offline survival app: havensurvival.com
Sources
- Ready.gov / FEMA: Build a Kit, Make a Plan (ready.gov)
- ICRC: Restoring Family Links (familylinks.icrc.org); civilian safety guidance
- UNHCR: Registration and help for displaced people (help.unhcr.org)
General information only - not a substitute for trained medical help or official instructions.