How often should we review our family emergency plan?

At least twice a year, and whenever something changes: a new school, job, phone number, medication or move. Many families review it when they change their clocks for daylight saving time.

Home › Guides › Family emergency plan

Family emergency plan: how to make one (+ free printable template)

Q: How do I explain an emergency plan to kids?

Keep it calm and practical: teach them the meeting places, how to call 911, an emergency contact number written on a card in their backpack, and practice a short drill so it feels familiar instead of scary.

By the Protocol Survival team · Based on Ready.gov (FEMA) and American Red Cross guidance · Updated October 9, 2026

Free printable template: download the family emergency plan template (PDF) — fill it in by hand, make a copy for every go-bag and car. No email required.

A family emergency plan includes: an out-of-area contact, a texting plan, three meeting places with routes, school and work pickup plans, medications and medical needs, a pet plan, copies of documents, utility shutoff locations and a 72-hour kit. The 7 steps below walk you through each one.

A family emergency plan answers the questions nobody wants to figure out in the middle of a crisis: How do we reach each other? Where do we meet? Who picks up the kids? What does Grandma need? You can finish a good first version tonight. Print it, put a copy in every go-bag, and save it on everyone's phone.

Step 1: Know your local risks

Plan for what's likely where you live: hurricanes and flooding on the coasts, tornadoes in the Plains and South, wildfires and earthquakes in the West, ice storms and blizzards in the North — and power outages almost everywhere. Sign up for your county's emergency alerts and make sure Wireless Emergency Alerts are turned on in every phone's settings.

Step 2: Set up a communication plan

Choose an out-of-area contact. After a local disaster, long-distance calls often get through when local ones don't. Everyone checks in with that one person.
Text, don't call. Texts often go through when networks are congested.
Write numbers on paper. Most people don't know their family's numbers by heart. Put a wallet card in every backpack and purse.
Know the school and workplace plans — where kids will be taken and how pickups work.

Step 3: Pick your meeting places

Near home: a spot outside, like a neighbor's mailbox, for sudden emergencies such as a fire.
In your neighborhood: a library, church or school if you can't get home.
Out of town: a relative or friend's home if you have to evacuate. Plan two routes there, and keep a paper map in the car.

Step 4: Cover everyone's specific needs

Medications: a list of every prescription, dose, pharmacy and doctor. Ask your doctor about keeping a buffer supply.
Medical devices: backup power for CPAP or oxygen; ask your utility about programs for customers who depend on powered medical equipment.
Babies and kids: formula, diapers, comfort items, and a plan for who picks them up.
Older adults and people with disabilities: mobility aids, hearing aid batteries, and a neighbor who will check in.
Pets: food, water, leash or carrier, vaccination records, and a list of pet-friendly shelters or hotels along your evacuation route.

Step 5: Protect your documents

Make copies of IDs, insurance policies, deeds or leases, medical records and birth certificates. Keep one set in a waterproof bag in your go-bag and an encrypted digital copy you can access from any device.

Step 6: Build a basic 72-hour kit

The short version is below; the complete emergency kit list adds extras for kids, seniors and pets, plus car and work kits.

Water: 1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days (how much to store at home)
Non-perishable food for 3 days and a manual can opener
Battery or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit and a week of prescription medications
Whistle to signal for help
Dust masks, plastic sheeting and duct tape
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Phone chargers and a power bank
Cash, copies of documents and local paper maps

Plan for the disasters most likely where you live

Event	Stay or go?	Key decisions to write down
Power outage	Usually stay	Water, light, heat or cooling, medications that need refrigeration (power outage checklist)
Hurricane	Follow your evacuation zone	Know your zone, evacuation route and where you'll stay; leave early
Tornado	Shelter in place	Lowest floor, interior room with no windows; helmets and shoes for kids
Wildfire	Go when told — or earlier	A 10-minute grab list, two exit routes, N95 masks for smoke
Flood	Move to higher ground	Never drive through flood water; keep documents in waterproof bags
Earthquake	Drop, cover, hold on	Secure heavy furniture; know how to shut off gas
Winter storm	Usually stay	Safe heat, pipe protection, warming center location (staying warm)

Making the plan work for kids

Put a card in every backpack with two contact numbers and the meeting places.
Teach kids how and when to call 911, and their full address.
Agree on a family "code word" that a trusted adult must say if someone else picks them up from school.
Keep the drill short and calm — make it a routine, not a scary event.

Step 7: Practice it

Walk the plan once with the whole family: the meeting spot, the out-of-area check-in text, where the kit is. Review it twice a year — the same weekend you rotate your stored water.

Fill-in template

Out-of-area contact	Name / phone: ______________________
Meeting place near home	______________________
Meeting place in the neighborhood	______________________
Out-of-town destination & 2 routes	______________________
School / daycare pickup plan	______________________
Medications & doctors	______________________
Utility outage line & account #	______________________
Water / gas / electric shutoff locations	______________________
Pet plan	______________________

Prefer paper? Download the printable template (PDF) with space for every family member.

Family emergency plan FAQ

What should a family emergency plan include?

An out-of-area contact, a texting plan, three meeting places with routes, school and work pickup plans, medications and medical needs, a pet plan, copies of documents, utility shutoff locations and a basic 72-hour kit.

How often should we review it?

At least twice a year, and whenever something changes — a new school, job, phone number, medication or address. Pairing it with the daylight saving time clock change makes it easy to remember.

How do I explain an emergency plan to kids?

Keep it calm and practical: meeting places, how to call 911, a contact card in their backpack, and a short practice drill so it feels familiar.

Go beyond 72 hours

The Protocol Survival System takes your family from a basic kit to a two-week plan: water, food, medicine, evacuation, home security and power. $19 once, 60-day guarantee.

Get the complete system

Related guides

Sources: Ready.gov, "Make a Plan" and "Build a Kit" (FEMA); American Red Cross, "Make a Plan."