Make a Plan

The same connections that are important in everyday life, with friends, family, neighbors, and communities, are even more important in a crisis. It won’t take long to make your plan. Download Make a Plan and share it with the people close to you. Put a copy in your go-bag, your children’s backpacks, and in your car. You can get started with these simple steps: 

1. Agree on a place to meet if you evacuate. 

   Choose two locations. Identify a few meeting locations in case your family gets separated. Choose a location in your area and an alternative outside of it. Think about choosing a parking lot or a landmark. Make sure you know what evacuation route you will take. If possible, identify two routes. 

2. Make your emergency contact list. 

   Choose a few of your closest people to get in touch with if something happens. Make sure to include an out-of-area contact. Sometimes during a disaster, it’s easier to call or text outside the area than it is locally. An out-of-area contact acts as a hub for information if you can’t reach others close by. Have everyone call or text your out-of-area contact. Then, this contact can pass on the information about who is safe and has checked in. 

3. Practice a home evacuation drill.

   Make sure you and your loved ones:

   • Know two ways out of your home
   • Have working smoke alarms
   • Have one or two meet-up locations. One close by, like a nearby mailbox, and another out of the area.
   • Include your pets and kids in your drills too

4. Come together with your neighborhood.

   Knowing your neighbors is an important part of any preparedness plan. You’re more likely to help one another in an emergency if you’ve built connections beforehand. Share a meal or coffee, introduce yourselves, and talk about how you can support each other if a disaster happens.  

   Learn more about forming a Neighborhood Response Group (NRG) where you live. Being a part of a NRG will take your neighborhood's emergency resilience to the next level.