If your family is apart during an emergency, a communication plan can help you contact each other.

Part 1: Pick 2 meeting places. Choose a place where everyone will meet if you all have to leave your home quickly. It should be near your home, but a safe distance away.

For example, choose a streetlight a few doors down or a mailbox on the corner. Choose a place to go in case an emergency makes it impossible to get back to your home or neighborhood. This should be in your community, but outside your neighborhood. For example, it could be the home of a friend or relative in another part of town.

Part 2: Pick 1 contact person. Ask an out-of-town relative or friend to serve as your contact person for every family member to call or e-mail.

Pick a person who doesn’t live nearby, in case local phone service is down. In an emergency, everyone should know to contact this person right away. Make sure every knows [and carries] the contact person’s phone number and e-mail address.

Be sure every carries coins, a cell phone or a prepaid phone card. See, the communication plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Next week, we’ll talk about how to make safety a way of life.