Preparing for Disaster: Creating An Emergency Plan For Your Family
We have all experienced unexpected adversity in some way or another this past year. Families across the country have seen their loved ones struggle in 2020, and have had to prepare for the worst in case of sudden emergencies.
As parents, it falls on us to ready our families in case of emergencies. You’ll need to prepare them for future emergencies of all sizes, from natural disasters to life insurance not paying out to any other unexpected crisis. Help your family build the inner strength to see them through these traumatic times. To respond to more sudden events, such as environmental disasters, we have a few bits of advice on how to create an emergency plan for your family.
Emergency Contacts
Disaster preparation first starts with a list of emergency contacts. Ensure that your children know who they’ll be able to contact at a time of crisis. This is crucial since no one can predict if you’ll be available to help them at that exact moment in time. You also need to have these numbers on hand if you need to reach out to your children during an emergency.
Ensure that your home has an easy-to-find list of emergency contacts for the following numbers and organizations:
● Local police
● Fire department
● Poison control
● Your children’s school(s)
● Any extended family members that you communicate with
It’s also recommended that you have the number of at least one out-of-state relative or close family friend on hand, in case of a local emergency. Ensure that each family member in your home has a cell phone as well, and knows how to reach you and your emergency contacts in case of unexpected circumstances.
Important Paths and Locations
Having a family meeting about important paths and locations is crucial for any emergency plan. Each of your family members must know potential escape routes from your home in case of environmental disaster or other emergencies that require a swift, safe exit. If necessary, walk them through should they have any questions.
It’s also essential that you have “meetup” locations planned out. Perhaps this is a nearby spot that you’ve done family camping at before, or maybe it’s a new location that is easy to reach from your home. Whatever the case, this emergency meetup location should be one that each family member knows. They should be able to reach it in case of sudden danger when each of you is separated and must reassemble together.
Gear for the Go-Bag
Having a list of essential contacts on hand, and knowing important paths and locations, is all about maintaining mobility for your family in case of emergency. This is also true for creating your “go-bag:” an assortment of necessary documents and emergency supplies for your family if you have to move quickly during an urgent situation.
Make sure that you have a copy of important documents for each family member. Ensure that they are properly sealed and waterproofed in a plastic bag. These documents should include:
● Driver’s license
● Passport
● Birth certificate
● Medical records and vaccination lists
● Health and life insurance information
● Medication prescriptions
Also, you’ll want to add necessary food, clothing, and other emergency supplies to your go-bag in case of any long-distance journey. Some of these items may seem basic. However, you never know when your phone may run out of battery, or when your mobile service may drop during an emergency. Go-bags may vary in size, so yours might differ in terms of how much you’re able to fit. But for most go-bags, the emergency supplies will include:
● Water (at least five days’ worth for each member of the family)
● Non-perishable food (canned meat and soup, nuts, granola bars, etc.)
● First-aid kit
● Changes of clothing for each family member
● Sleeping bags and blankets
● Portable radio
● A flashlight and compass
● Extra batteries
● Toilet paper, liquid soap, and other personal care products
Having these items, or stocking up on them beforehand, will make your go-bag ready in case of an urgent situation.
It can be stressful as a parent to think about these potential situations when our family might be in harm. However, planning for these emergencies ensures that we, as responsible parents, are putting our family’s safety first. Preparing for a disaster, and creating an emergency plan, is vitally important in ensuring our family’s long-term protection.
About the Author
Veronica Baxter is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area. She frequently works with Boonswang Law, a dedicated group of life insurance lawyers based in Philadelphia.