Making a Plan
Build Your Plan Today.
The types of risks, emergencies, or disasters you need to plan for depend greatly on where you live. By building a plan today, you give your family or household—who may not be together when an emergency occurs—a clear game plan to follow, helping everyone feel more comfortable and confident during a crisis.
- Step 1: Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with your family, friends or household to start your emergency plan.
- Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household.
- Step 3: Create a family emergency plan.
- Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household.
- Step 5: Create a family reunification plan.
Know the basics
Plans should be created for different situations. For example, you should have a plan for when everyone is at home, as well as plans for when family or household members are at work, school, or away. Each plan you develop should be guided by the steps below and the questions and factors that accompany them.
Steps to follow when creating a plan
Step 1: Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with your family, household, or workplace to start your emergency plan.
1. How will you receive emergency alerts and warnings?
2. What is my shelter plan?
3. What is my evacuation route?
4. What is my family/household communication plan?
5. Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?
6. What is our reunification plan once the crisis has ended? How do we plan on getting back to meeting up and returning home?
By sitting down with your family, household, or workplace and discussing these questions, you begin an important first conversation about the various vulnerabilities you may face during a crisis. If you or others don’t yet have answers to some of these questions, it’s important to come together and determine them so everyone is better prepared.
Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household.
Every household will need to prepare differently because each family has unique needs during an emergency. It’s important to discuss those needs in advance and identify what specific considerations should be included in your plan. Some of the factors you may want to think about include the following.
1. Different ages of members within your household.
2. Responsibilities for assisting others or neighbors.
3. Pets or service animals.
4. Dietary needs, medical needs including prescriptions and equipment.
5. Disabilities or functional needs including devices and equipment.
By considering the needs of every person in your household or workplace, you help ensure that everyone can stay safe, supported, and accounted for during a crisis. Emergencies magnify vulnerabilities, so planning for everyone’s unique needs is what turns a generic plan into a realistic one.
Step 3: Create a Family Emergency Plan.
The following information should belong in your Family Emergency Communications Plan.
1. Household information (phone numbers and address.)
2. Family members (their names, numbers, social media accounts, emails, and important medical or other information.)
3. Emergency plans should include the following, children’s school, childcare, caregiver or where they work to your plan. The details about the organization (address, emergency phone number, website, emergency plan/pick-up.)
4. Emergency contacts should include the following. (names, phone numbers, emails, addresses.)
5. Emergency meeting places should include locations and instructions upon arrival.
6. Medical information should include the following (doctors name & number, pediatrician name & number, allergies & prescriptions, medical insurance name & policy, any assistive devices you use, veterinarian name & phone number.)
When you create a family emergency plan, you’re not just putting together a checklist—you’re building a lifeline for moments when everything around you becomes uncertain. Each piece of information you include fills a specific gap that might otherwise slow you down, create confusion, or put someone at risk.
Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household.
Practicing your family preparedness plan is crucial to ensure that everyone knows how to respond in case of an emergency. By practicing your plan it also, enhances communication, reduces panic, improves response, and builds trust.
Plans should be practiced with your family, household, or workplace at least every six months. After each exercise, it’s important for everyone involved to sit down and talk about how the plan worked. Discussing what went well, what didn’t, and any concerns or questions helps improve the plan, correct misunderstandings, and build confidence in how to respond during a real emergency.
Once an emergency or disaster has occurred and your plan has been put into action, it’s important to debrief after the event—once everyone and everything has been declared safe. Taking time to talk through what happened helps identify what worked well and what didn’t. These conversations allow you to improve the plan, address any concerns or misunderstandings, and build confidence in how your household will respond to future emergencies.
Step 5: Create a Family Reunification Plan.
Emergencies can separate families without warning. A reunification plan helps ensure that everyone knows how to reconnect quickly and safely, whether the disruption is caused by an evacuation, shelter‑in‑place order, school closure, or communication outage. Planning ahead reduces stress, speeds up recovery, and helps emergency responders focus on those who need immediate assistance.
Creating Your Reunification Plan:
Start by identifying the people you need to reconnect with after an emergency. Choose at least one meeting location near your home and another outside your neighborhood in case local roads or buildings are unsafe. Make sure every family member knows these locations and understands when to use each one.
Select an out‑of‑area contact who can help relay information if local phone lines are overloaded. Share this person’s name and number with all household members, including children who are old enough to memorize or carry it. If someone becomes separated, they should check in with this contact as soon as they are able.
Include schools, workplaces, and care providers in your plan. Confirm how each organization communicates during emergencies and where they relocate children or staff if evacuation becomes necessary. Make sure your reunification plan aligns with their procedures so everyone knows what to expect.
Why create a plan
Creating an emergency preparedness plan is essential because it gives you clear steps to follow before, during, and after a crisis. A well‑thought‑out plan reduces stress, helps you make informed decisions, and ensures that everyone in your household knows how to stay safe and connected. It also accounts for critical needs—such as medications, medical equipment, pets, and transportation—so nothing is overlooked when time is limited. By preparing in advance, you protect your family, support your community, and increase your ability to respond confidently when an emergency occurs.
Resources
Family Communication Plan Fillable Card – FEMA
12 Ways to Prepare – FEMA
*Credit: Portions of the information on this page are adapted from FEMA and Ready.gov resources. Their materials were used as foundational guidance and adapted to provide Onondaga County–specific preparedness information.