Over the past year, we have written many articles about protecting your home or business because as a restoration company that is what we work with the most. Today, we want to discuss keeping your family safe because that is what is most important to you. In the event of an emergency, you must have a plan in place because figuring out what to do at a time like that is a recipe for disaster.

A family emergency plan is a written document that outlines the steps that family members should take in the event of an emergency, such as a fire, natural disaster, or other event that disrupts normal life.

The main components of a family emergency plan need to include:

A communication plan: This plan should describe how family members will communicate with each other during an emergency. This may include using cell phones, walkie-talkies, or a pre-determined meeting place. Be sure this plan is updated regularly so everyone has current contact information and knows where to go if the meeting location must be changed. Each person that lives in your home should have this plan saved somewhere that is easy to use when there isn’t time to go looking for it. Contacts should be saved in a cloud, not just a single phone in case the phone is lost in the disaster or simply not with the user. Meeting locations should be somewhere people are familiar with, so they are not struggling to remember where to go or how to find it. Emergency situations are extremely stressful, so it is easy to forget what to do.

An evacuation plan: This plan should outline the evacuation route that family members will take in the event of a fire or other emergency. It should also identify a primary and secondary evacuation route. Family members need to practice drills so they will automatically go to the closest and safest evacuation route. Practice each route and which one should be used from each room of the home. In a panic, people can make bad decisions without realizing it. If you rehearse where to go enough, your family will act before having to think about what to do which saves precious time and helps them make the right choice the first time.

A shelter plan: This plan should identify a safe place where family members can go in the event of an emergency. This may be a home, a community shelter, or a friend or relative's home. Have a plan for a temporary situation which may only last a few hours to one day and another plan that works for more severe situations where you may need somewhere to stay for a few days or even weeks. Check your insurance policy to see what events are covered and what events are not for alternative housing allowances. Some carriers will help you with shelter through a hotel room or B&B rental. This is dependent on the specific policy you have and the nature of the disaster that forced you out of your home.

An emergency contact information plan: This plan should include a list of emergency contact information, such as the fire department, police department, and local hospitals. Like the communication plan, this should be stored in a cloud or more than one location in case your phone becomes inaccessible during the disaster. Secondary contacts after you are safe include your insurance carrier (either your agent or the carrier’s main line for customer calls), family members and friends that need to know you are safe and ServiceMaster of Gwinnett or ServiceMaster 5 Points Athens so you can start working on restoring your home.

In addition to these main components, the family emergency plan may also include other information, such as:

Special procedures: The plan may include special procedures for evacuating people with disabilities, or for evacuating people from hazardous areas. If you have pets, you need to have a plan for them as well. Animals are very unpredictable in an emergency. Some live in habitats that are too hard to move such as large cages, terrariums, or tanks. Having these habitats set up near escape routes and marking the windows and doors to alert emergency personnel will help rescue efforts. Including them in your drills will also make them more willing to comply when you need it instead of hoping you can find, catch, and remove them from the home when they have never experienced anything like this before.

Emergency supply kit: The plan may include a list of items to include in an emergency supply kit, such as food, water, first-aid supplies, and a battery-operated radio. Again, plan for pets if needed. Have dishes, a travel crate and something that smells like their favorite person in your kit so you can secure them safely leaving you free to address the situation at hand.

Family members' medical information: The plan may include information about family members' medical conditions, allergies, and medications. It should also include contact information for doctors that may need to be able to help emergency personnel understand and address any special conditions.

It is important to practice the family emergency plan regularly. This will help everyone to become familiar with the plan and to ensure that it is effective.

Here are some additional tips for creating a family emergency plan:

Involve everyone in the planning process. This will help to ensure that everyone is familiar with the plan and that everyone's needs are considered. People are more willing to accept instructions when their wants and needs are considered too.

Be specific. The plan should clearly outline the steps to be taken in the event of an emergency. Make sure each person that needs it can easily read it and understand what to do.

Be realistic. The plan should be based on the capabilities of the people who will be using it. For example, having a disabled person in a wheelchair scale down the side of a 2-story home from an upper level window is not feasible and can potentially be as dangerous as the disaster they are trying to escape from in the first place. Children are not going to remember everyone’s phone numbers and who needs to be contacted during a crisis. They should evacuate and meet at a location where an adult can find them and help them to stay safe.

Be flexible. The plan should be able to be adapted to different situations. Flood and fire have different dangers. Winter may need a different level of shelter than summer. Different people are home at different times of the day due to work, school, vacations, and other activities. Have a plan that allows you to adapt to the situation and still be able to provide help to your family based on their current needs during this particular disaster.

Keep the plan up-to-date. The plan should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changes in the family's needs or circumstances. This includes communication methods, meeting locations, home renovations may require changes to escape routes, and emergency contacts may change.

Use these tips when following a family emergency plan:

Stay calm. It is important to stay calm and to think clearly in the event of an emergency.

Follow the instructions of the family emergency plan.

If you are separated from your family members, try to contact them as soon as possible.

If you are unable to contact your family members, go to the designated meeting place.

If you are unable to go to the designated meeting place, find a safe place to stay and contact the authorities.

It is important to remember that a family emergency plan is a living document. It should be reviewed and updated regularly as the family's needs and circumstances change.

Once you are safe and the home is cleared to be safely reentered, call ServiceMaster of Gwinnett or ServiceMaster 5 Points Athens to help you with your home disaster restoration.