Make a household plan

It is difficult to predict what type of emergency you could face, but whatever happens could disrupt your life and leave you isolated from immediate help.

A household emergency plan can help you deal quickly and effectively with a stressful situation. Get your whole family involved in writing the plan so they’re prepared too. To compose your plan, ask yourselves a list of key questions and record the answers.

​

Here’s an example of what your plan could cover:

​

• Where will we meet if we can’t get into, or stay in, our home?

• Who’ll collect the children from school if we can’t get there?

• Which neighbours should we check on?

• How do we turn off the gas, water and electricity?

• Who can we stay with if we’re evacuated?

• Who can be an ‘Emergency Friend’, ready to collect medicine and supplies and act for us if we can’t get out?

• What essential items should we have ready in an emergency ‘grab bag’?

• Who’ll look after our pets if we can’t?

• Do we know how to tune to local radio stations?

• What items would we not want to lose? e.g Documents including insurance, birth and marriage certificates or passports.

• Photographs.

• Furniture.

• A favourite toy or baby blanket.

• How can we protect these items?

• Keeping copies of documents with friends?

• Moving things upstairs?

• Storing items in waterproof or fireproof containers?

Remember - no item of property is worth risking your life for.