And a Communications Plan to Match
Emergencies don’t send calendar invites.
Power grids fail. Storms intensify. Cyber incidents disrupt banking. Civil unrest closes roads. Wildfires jump highways. And in every case, the same question surfaces:
“Where is everyone—and what do we do now?”
If your answer depends on cell phones and luck, you don’t have a plan.
You have hope.
And hope is not a strategy.
The Real Purpose of a Family Emergency Plan
A family emergency plan is not about paranoia. It’s about clarity.
When stress spikes, decision-making collapses. A written plan removes ambiguity and replaces it with pre-decided actions:
- Where do we meet?
- Who contacts whom?
- What triggers evacuation?
- What supplies move first?
- How long do we shelter in place?
- What if communications fail?
The simple act of documenting these answers dramatically reduces fear during a crisis.
Your plan becomes a force multiplier.
The Missing Piece: Communications
Most families think they have a communication plan.
They don’t.
They have phones.
And phones fail.
Cell networks become overloaded. Power outages shut down towers. Internet infrastructure goes offline. Messaging apps require servers. Even text messages can stall during major incidents.
A true communications plan uses layered redundancy.
In the Family Emergency Plan Workbook, the Communications Annex walks families through building depth into their communications strategy Family Emergency Plan Workbook ….
It includes:
- Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (PACE) contacts
- Out-of-area contacts (critical when local networks fail)
- Rally points with code words
- NOAA weather channels
- Broadcast stations (Primary Entry Point stations)
- GMRS / FRS channels
- Amateur radio frequencies
- Digital nets and HF monitoring frequencies
That’s not overkill.
That’s resilience.
Why Out-of-Area Contacts Matter
During regional disasters, local lines jam first.
Historically, it’s often easier to call out of the region than across town.
An out-of-area contact becomes your family’s clearinghouse:
- Everyone checks in with them.
- They relay status updates.
- They coordinate information.
Without that person, families waste hours trying to reconnect blindly.
Rally Points Prevent Chaos
If the house is unsafe, where do you go?
A good plan defines:
- A neighborhood rally point
- A local alternate rally point
- A regional contingency rally point
- Emergency message drops if movement is required
When everyone knows the location and the code word, there’s no debate in the driveway.
You move.
Triggers: The Discipline Most Families Skip
The workbook introduces preparedness conditions (PREP-CON levels) that tie actions to observable triggers Family Emergency Plan Workbook ….
For example:
- Severe weather watch? Verify supplies and test comms.
- Widespread cyberattacks on infrastructure? Increase monitoring and top off fuel.
- Power and communications disruption? Initiate secure communications procedures.
This prevents overreaction—and underreaction.
It replaces emotion with thresholds.
A Plan Protects More Than Just People
A comprehensive family emergency plan also accounts for:
- Medical providers and prescriptions
- Schools and daycare contacts
- Veterinary care and pet microchip information
- Utilities and account numbers
- Insurance documents
- Vehicle recovery supplies
- Bug-out and get-home bags
- Evacuation checklists
When adrenaline is high, you will not remember account numbers or vaccination records.
Paper remembers.
Psychological Benefits Most People Don’t Consider
There’s something powerful about a family sitting down together and saying:
“If something happens, here’s what we do.”
Children feel safer.
Spouses feel aligned.
Roles are clarified.
Uncertainty shrinks.
Preparedness is not fear-driven.
It’s confidence-driven.
The Communication Reality Few Want to Admit
In a prolonged grid-down or cyber disruption scenario:
- Cash matters.
- Radios matter.
- Printed frequencies matter.
- Pre-arranged code words matter.
- Authentication procedures matter.
Even something as simple as an agreed-upon “go code” eliminates confusion.
Prepared families don’t just own equipment.
They rehearse procedures.
Preparedness Is a Responsibility
We insure homes against fire.
We insure cars against accidents.
We insure health against illness.
But many families fail to insure against disruption.
A written emergency plan costs little.
Ignoring one can cost everything.
Start Simple — But Start
You don’t need to build a 200-page binder in one night.
Start with:
- One out-of-area contact.
- Two rally points.
- A written phone list.
- A basic communications backup (weather radio at minimum).
- A 72-hour supply of essentials.
Then build depth.
Layer by layer.
Because preparedness isn’t about predicting the future.
It’s about being ready for uncertainty.
If your family doesn’t have a written plan yet, today is the right day to start.