Family Emergency Plan Template (2026): Free Fill-In Example & Checklist
Make your family emergency plan in 20 minutes with this free fill-in template, a filled-in example for a family of four, a printable PDF, and a checklist for kids, pets and medical needs.
Most families have some emergency supplies. Far fewer have a plan, and the plan is what decides whether everyone ends up in the same place when the phones stop working.
This page gives you a free family emergency plan template you can fill in tonight, a filled-in example to copy, and a printable PDF for the fridge.
Quick answer: A family emergency plan answers six questions: how you will be warned, where you will meet, who you will contact, how you will communicate if phones don't work, how you will get out, and what each person needs (kids, older relatives, pets, medicines). Write it down, give everyone a copy, and practice it twice a year. You can keep it on every family phone, offline, in the HAVEN app.
What goes in a family emergency plan
Swipe sideways to compare columns
| Section | What to write down | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Household info | Names, birthdays, photos, medical needs | Helps responders and helps you find people |
| Contacts | One out-of-area contact, local contacts, doctors | Long-distance calls often connect when local ones don't |
| Meeting places | Near home, in your neighborhood, out of town | Everyone knows where to go without a phone |
| Communication | Text first, check-in times, a no-signal backup | Networks overload in disasters |
| Evacuation | Two routes out, where you'll stay, go-bags | You may have minutes to leave |
| Special needs | Kids' schools, older relatives, pets, medicines | The people most likely to be separated or need help |
Free printable family emergency plan
Prefer paper? Download HAVEN's free Family Plan printable: US Letter PDF or A4 PDF. No sign-up. You'll find the full set of free printable survival guides here.
The family emergency plan template
Copy this into a notes app or onto paper and fill in each line. It takes about 20 minutes.
1. Household members
- Name, date of birth, phone number: ____
- Medical conditions, allergies, medicines and doses: ____
- Blood type (if known): ____
- A recent photo of each person (keep on your phone and in your go-bag)
2. Emergency contacts
- Local emergency number: ____
- Out-of-area contact (a friend or relative in another state or region): ____
- Local contact (a neighbor or nearby friend): ____
- Doctors and pharmacy: ____
- Insurance company and policy numbers: ____
- Utility companies (power, gas, water): ____
3. Meeting places
- Just outside the home (for a fire): ____
- In the neighborhood (if you can't get home): ____
- Out of town (if you have to evacuate the area): ____
4. Communication plan
- How we get warned: emergency alerts switched on in every phone's settings, plus our local alert sign-up: ____
- We text first, because texts get through when calls don't.
- Everyone checks in with our out-of-area contact: ____
- If phones don't work, we use: ____ (for example a Bluetooth mesh app installed on every phone, or two-way radios)
- If we can't reach each other, we go to meeting place: ____ at ____ (time)
5. Evacuation plan
- Route 1 out of our area: ____
- Route 2 (in case Route 1 is blocked): ____
- Where we will stay (relative, friend, hotel, shelter): ____
- Who grabs the go-bags, documents and pets: ____
- Gas, water and electricity shut-off locations: ____
6. Kids, older relatives and pets
- Each child's school or daycare emergency plan and pick-up rules: ____
- Who is allowed to collect the kids if we can't: ____
- Older or disabled relatives who need help, and who checks on them: ____
- Pets: carriers, food, medicines, vet records, pet-friendly places to stay: ____
7. Important documents
- Copies of IDs, passports, insurance, deeds or leases, prescriptions and bank details, kept in a waterproof bag and stored securely as a backup.
Example: a filled-in family emergency plan
Here's how the Rivera family of four filled in their plan. Use it as a model and swap in your own details.
- Household: two adults, Sam (9) and Mia (4). Mia has a peanut allergy and carries an auto-injector.
- Out-of-area contact: Aunt Lisa, who lives in another state. Everyone texts her "OK + where you are" after any emergency.
- Meeting place near home: the mailbox at the end of the driveway.
- Neighbourhood meeting place: the library on Oak Street.
- Out-of-town meeting place: Grandma's house, a two-hour drive.
- No-signal backup: HAVEN installed on both parents' phones and Sam's phone, with Bluetooth mesh messaging set up and tested.
- Evacuation: Route 1 via the highway north, Route 2 via the county road east. One go-bag per adult, plus Mia's medicines in the front pocket.
- School: Sam's school releases children only to parents or Aunt Lisa's partner, who lives nearby. Mia's daycare has the same list.
- Pet: the dog's carrier and a week of food go in the car. Grandma's house accepts pets.
- Practice: a fire drill every spring and autumn, and once a year a "phones off" drill where everyone meets at the library without calling.
How to make your plan work in a real emergency
Pick an out-of-area contact
After a local disaster, it is often easier to reach someone far away than someone across town. Everyone in the family checks in with the same person, who passes on news.
Plan for no phones at all
Your plan should still work if cell service and the internet are down for days, which is common after hurricanes, earthquakes and big winter storms. That means agreed meeting places and times, paper copies of key numbers, and a way to message without a network. Our guide on how to text without service or Wi-Fi covers every option, and the family emergency communication plan goes deeper on signals and check-ins.
Make it real for kids
Walk to each meeting place together. Make sure kids know their full name, your phone number and the out-of-area contact's number, and practice what to do if they're at school when something happens. Our guide to preparing children for emergencies has age-by-age tips.
Practice twice a year
A plan nobody has practiced is just a document. Twice a year, when the clocks change, run a short drill, check the go-bags, replace expired food and medicines, and update phone numbers.
Pair the plan with supplies
Your plan tells everyone what to do. Your supplies keep you going. Use our printable family bug out bag checklist and complete emergency supply checklist to build your kits.
Keep your family plan on every phone, even offline
Paper is essential, but it's rarely in your pocket when something happens. HAVEN keeps your family emergency plan on your phone, and it works with no internet or signal:
- Family plan: household members, emergency contacts, meeting points and your preparedness home in one place.
- Bluetooth mesh messaging: text nearby family members when cell towers are down.
- SOS and trip sharing: one-tap SOS live location and timed trip sharing are free.
- Weekly drills and 30 Days to Prepared: short practice tasks so the plan actually sticks.
- Offline AI and first aid: ask what to do next and get step-by-step answers with no internet.
- Supplies tracker: keep go-bags and medicines in date with expiry reminders.
The free plan covers a household of three, one meeting point and two emergency contacts. Pro Family is a one-time $49.99 for up to five people, each with full Pro on their own phone, about $10 a person and no subscription.
Download HAVEN free and set up your family plan in the app tonight, then print the free Family Plan PDF for the fridge. Compare plans, with a 7-day free trial of Pro.
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This template is general guidance. Check your local emergency management agency for hazards and evacuation routes in your area, and your children's schools for their emergency procedures.
FAQ
Q: What should be included in a family emergency plan?
A: Household members and medical needs, an out-of-area contact and local contacts, three meeting places, a communication plan that works without phones, two evacuation routes, plans for kids, older relatives and pets, and copies of important documents.
Q: Is there a free family emergency plan template?
A: Yes. This page has a free fill-in template and a filled-in example, and HAVEN offers a free printable Family Plan PDF in US Letter and A4 with no sign-up.
Q: How often should we practice our family emergency plan?
A: At least twice a year. Many families use the clock changes as a reminder to run a drill, check go-bags, replace expired supplies and update contacts.
Q: Why do I need an out-of-area emergency contact?
A: After a local disaster, long-distance calls and texts often get through when local ones don't. Everyone in the family checks in with the same out-of-area person, who passes on news.
Q: How do we contact each other if phones don't work?
A: Agree on meeting places and check-in times in advance, keep paper copies of key numbers, and install a Bluetooth mesh messaging app like HAVEN on every family phone so you can text nearby family members with no signal.
Q: Can I keep my family emergency plan on my phone?
A: Yes. HAVEN stores your household plan, contacts and meeting points on your phone and works offline. Keep a printed copy too, in case a phone is lost or out of battery.
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