Do 1 Thing – July – FAMILY COMMUNICATION PLANS

Each Month we will list one simple thing you can do to be better prepared for Disaster. This month we’d like you to focus on your Family Communications Plan!

The following information is provided by http://do1thing.com/ The mission of Do 1 Thing is to move individuals, families, businesses and communities to prepare for all hazards and become disaster resilient.

Goal: Have the ability to communicate with family members during a disaster.

Have a phone with a cord and a car charger for your cell phone standing by in case of a power failure.

Phones with cordless handsets won’t work in a disaster because they need more electricity than they can get from the phone jack. Old fashioned phones with a cord connecting the handset to the base will work even in a power outage. Make sure you have at least one phone with a cord in your home in case of a power outage.

Keep a car charger for your cell phone in your vehicle. If the power is out in your home, you can still charge your cell phone in your car.

If you don’t have a landline and you use a cell phone as your home phone, remember that cell phone towers may be tied up with calls in an emergency. However, a text message from your cell phone may get through when a phone call doesn’t. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to send and receive text messages.

Develop a plan for how your family will stay in touch during a disaster.

Develop a plan so you can stay in touch with your family in a disaster. Include phone numbers for all family members and those who can give you extra help, such as caregivers. Also include all work, school, and daycare phone numbers, if applicable. A wallet-size form you can use to write down this information can be found at www.ready.gov. Be sure each family member has a copy of your communication plan. Post the communication plan by a phone in your home, and include it in your go bag as well.

Outside the Area Contact

Local phone calls and long distance calls work on different circuits. When local circuits are overloaded, you may still be able to make long distance calls. Choose someone outside of the local calling area to be your outside the area contact. Make sure all family members carry this phone number with them. If something happens when your family is not together and you are not able to reach each other, each family member can call the “outside the area” contact and leave a message for the others.

Program In Case of Emergency (ICE) numbers into all family cell phones.

If you are hurt and can’t talk, first responders and hospital staff may not know how to contact your family right away. If you have a cell phone, you can provide the phone numbers for your emergency contacts to first responders and hospital staff.

1.Create a new contact in your cell phone’s phone book.

2.Name the contact ICE.

3.Enter all phone numbers for the person you would like to have notified in a medical emergency.