Make a Plan

The first step in Emergency Preparedness for yourself and your family is to simply make a plan, and then talk with your family about the plan. Your plan should include safe evacuation from your house, assembly areas, how you will assist each other and neighbors, how to turn off utilities, how to communicate with each other if not everyone is at home, and how to take care of your pets or farm animals. 

The Federal Emergency Response Administration (FEMA) and the American Red Cross both offer templates for making a Family Emergency Preparedness Plan.

FEMA has a great list of important documents and how to replace them should they be lost in a disaster.

You can complete and print the American Red Cross Family Disaster Plan online in English or Spanish. 

A PDF file of the FEMA Family Emergency Plan for printing is below. Adobe Reader required.