Family Communication Plan

Key Considerations When Developing a Family Communication Plan

• Your family may not be together at home when an incident occurs.
• Communication systems may be damaged or overwhelmed following a mass-casualty event.

Key Elements of a Family Communication Plan

• Make sure everyone knows contact numbers and how to get in touch.
• Keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone at all times.
• Identify an out-of-state contact to call in case of an emergency.
• Identify a local point of contact who is not involved in emergency response.
• Establish a family "phone tree" in advance.
• Select a "safe room" in your home where everyone can gather.
  • Best choice: Interior room above ground with few windows and doors
• Be personally reachable during emergencies.
  • home telephone
  • cellular phone
  • BlackBerry
  • pager

Personal Calls

• Keeping your number of personal calls to a minimum is important in order to:
  • Reduce burden on the communications system
  • Increase efficiency of communication with family/friends in a crisis