Emergency Plan Checklist
4.9/5 with 67 votes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Decide how you will contact each other, where you will meet and who needs help if you have to leave home. Gather supplies and keep a paper copy of the plan where everyone can find it.
Save the full checklist and customize it later.
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- Research
- Find out which disasters could occur in your area.
- Check local emergency guidance for the risks you identified
- Identify local warning channels and sign up for relevant alerts
- Learn your community's evacuation routes.
- Plan transport, communication and assistance for household members who need it
- Ask your workplace about emergency plans.
- Check school or childcare emergency and reunification arrangements
- Create an Emergency Plan
- Meet with household members to discuss the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes and other emergencies.
- Explain how to respond to emergencies.
- Find the safe spots in your home for each type of disaster.
- Discuss what to do about power outages and personal injuries.
- Draw a floor plan of your home and mark two escape routes from each room.
- Record utility emergency contacts and the provider's shut-off guidance
- Keep emergency contacts in phones and on an accessible paper copy
- Know the location of the nearest police, fire station, and hospital.
- Practice how children can seek help and call the local emergency number
- Agree how to receive official updates if mobile networks or power fail
- Choose an out-of-area contact and a nearby backup contact
- Give household members the chosen contact details
- Pick two emergency meeting places: A place near your home in case of a fire and a place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster.
- Take a basic first aid and CPR class.
- Keep copies of important records protected and accessible
- Items to include in a Disaster Supplies Kit
- Pack drinking water for the duration recommended by local authorities
- Pack suitable shelf-stable food for the planned duration
- Manual can opener
- Flashlight (check batteries regularly).
- Portable radio (check batteries regularly).
- Spare batteries.
- First aid kit and prescription medications.
- A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes.
- Blankets or sleeping bags.
- Light sticks (safer than candles).
- An extra pair of glasses.
- Credit cards and cash.
- An extra set of car keys.
- A list of family physicians.
- Keep essential care information and equipment instructions with your emergency documents
- Include supplies for babies, pets and household members with specific needs
- Plan Ahead
- Look around your house for potential hazards.
- Secure heavy pictures and mirrors onto walls away from beds.
- Place heavy objects on lower shelves.
- Check whether local guidance calls for securing the water heater
- Keep chimneys and vents free from dirt and debris.
- Store flammable products away from potential heat sources.
Download or Print this Emergency Plan Checklist
Get a printable version of this checklist in your preferred format: PDF, Word, Excel, or print directly from your browser.
During an emergency, follow local authorities' instructions. For preparation, see Ready.gov↗ and your local emergency service.
Who it's for
This Emergency Plan Checklist is for teams that want consistent execution, less rework, and clear ownership.
- Standardize quality - run the same Emergency Plan steps every time, regardless of who executes
- Save time - reuse a proven Emergency Plan workflow instead of rebuilding processes from scratch
- Improve accountability - assign owners and see what's done vs. what's pending
- Onboard faster - use the Emergency Plan checklist as the SOP and training guide
- Coordinate across roles - handoffs are clear and everyone works from the same source of truth
How to use
Plan for the hazards in your area using local emergency guidance. Review contacts and supplies when household needs change.
Emergency Plan Checklist Frequently Asked Questions
How much food and water should we keep?
Follow local authorities' recommendations and allow for everyone in your household, including pets. Replace supplies you use and check expiry dates.
Rate this Checklist
5 stars
Scores 4.90 with 67 votes