Your family disaster plan should include specifics on how to contact one another in the event of a disaster. All family members, including children, should know what to do, as well as any regular caregivers or babysitters (especially in the case of babies or young children).
When disaster strikes, your family may not be together. Some may be at work or school or at a number or various activities or at the homes of friends. Making sure that everyone is safe an accounted for is usually the first priority for families.
During a disaster, it may be easier to make a long-distance phone call instead of a local one. Local lines and systems may be off line or given priority for emergency personnel. An out of town contact should be designated. This contact may be in a more secure place and able to communicate among separated family member and convey directions. An out of town contact may also have better access to news or other information that will help with whatever next steps need to be taken or decisions made.
Make sure that each family member (or caregiver) knows the phone numbers of the emergency contact plus one backup contact in case the first one cannot be reached. Although pay phones are few and far between these days, equip each member of your family with coins or a long distance phone card that could be used with an available public or business phone.
Inform your family members that in the event of an emergency, it could be hard to get through to anyone by phone, but that they should keep trying until contact is established.
Your child’s school should have its own plan on how it contacts parents. Make the effort to understand this plan and ensure that all contact information is updated.
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