Creating a Family Evacuation Plan

A household evacuation plan is a coordinated set of decisions, contacts, routes, and procedures that all household members know in advance. Without a plan, a family under stress is likely to make disorganised, reactive decisions — some members may not know where to go, others may try to contact each other through channels that are overwhelmed, and no one knows what to do if a family member cannot be reached.

A good plan answers the key questions before they need to be answered under stress: where do we go, how do we get there, what do we take, and how do we communicate if we cannot reach each other directly.

The Five Components of a Household Evacuation Plan

Component 1 — Meeting Points

Establish two meeting points:

Near meeting point (home evacuation): A specific location immediately outside or very near the home — used when evacuating the building (fire, gas leak):

• A specific tree, vehicle, lamp post, or neighbour's property
• Close enough to reach on foot in under 2 minutes
• Far enough from the building to be safe from fire, structural collapse, or gas leak
• All household members must know this exact location

Distant meeting point (neighbourhood or area evacuation): A location outside the immediate area — used if the neighbourhood must be evacuated:

• A specific named location (e.g. "the library car park"; "Aunt Sarah's house")
• Accessible by multiple routes
• All household members must know this exact location and how to get there

Component 2 — Communication Plan

Emergency phone networks can be overwhelmed. Plan for multiple communication channels:

Method	Strength	Limitation
Mobile phone call	Fastest normally	Networks overwhelmed in major emergencies
SMS / text message	Often gets through when voice fails	Still requires network
Messaging app (WhatsApp, Signal)	Works on data; less congested	Requires data connection
Out-of-area contact	A contact in another city acts as a relay — local networks fail; long-distance calls may work	Requires pre-arrangement
Physical meeting	Fully reliable	Requires knowing where to go

Out-of-area contact: Designate a specific person (family member in another city; trusted friend) as the household's communication relay. All household members call or text this person if local communication fails. They can then relay messages between household members.

Key information to record for every household member:

• Mobile phone number
• Work/school address and main telephone number
• Out-of-area contact name and number

Component 3 — Evacuation Routes

Plan two routes out of your area — the primary and an alternative if the primary is blocked:

1. Know the routes — drive them; understand where they go; identify potential bottlenecks
2. Know the roads — which roads flood, which are narrow, which are frequently congested
3. Have a paper map — GPS may not work; phone may be dead
4. Pre-plan fuel — in a major evacuation, fuel stations may be overwhelmed or run out; keep the vehicle tank above half in elevated risk periods

Destination hierarchy:

• Primary: specific address (family, friend, hotel — confirmed in advance)
• Secondary: alternative address if primary is unavailable
• Tertiary: official evacuation centre — know the locations of nearest centres in advance

Component 4 — Roles and Responsibilities

Under stress, people perform better with pre-assigned specific tasks:

Responsibility	Assigned To	Detail
Grab the go-bag	[Name]	Location known; can lift unaided
Grab critical documents	[Name]	Location known; pre-prepared in a folder
Account for children	[Name]	Name each child; person responsible for each
Account for pets	[Name]	Carrier location; medication location
Drive the vehicle	[Name] + [Backup]	Key location known to backup
Grab medications	[Name]	Critical medications for each person

Write these down and review them with all household members. The plan fails if only one person knows it.

Component 5 — Special Needs and Vulnerable Members

Household Member	Special Requirement	Plan
Infants	Nappy supplies; formula if applicable; car seat	In go-bag; car seat always installed
Elderly member	Mobility aids; medication list; extra walking time	Plan extra time; identify accessible vehicles
Disabled member	Specific equipment; accessible vehicle; physical assistance	Pre-arranged; identified helpers
Pets	Carrier; food; medication; evacuation-allowed destinations	In go-bag; carriers accessible
Medical equipment (oxygen, CPAP)	Battery backup; portable version	Checked and ready

The Go-Bag

A pre-packed bag ready to take at short notice. See the dedicated go-bag article for the full contents list. At minimum:

• Documents: ID, insurance, medication list, emergency contacts
• Water: 1L per person minimum for 24 hours
• Food: 24 hours of calorie-dense no-cook food
• Medications: at least 7-day supply of critical medications
• Phone charger and battery bank
• Cash: small denominations
• Torch and spare batteries

Location: The go-bag should be accessible in under 2 minutes. Keep it by the front door or in a designated accessible location known to all household members.

Practising the Plan

A plan that has never been practised will not execute smoothly under stress:

1. Walk through the plan at least once per year — physically go to the meeting point; identify the route
2. Involve all household members — children should know the near meeting point and the out-of-area contact number
3. Test communication — confirm the out-of-area contact is still available and still has current contact information
4. Update for changes — when household composition changes (new member, children leaving), when contact details change, when you move
5. Review annually — family meeting to check currency of all information

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Quick Reference

Component	Key Details
Near meeting point	Specific location; within 2 minutes of home; fire/gas safe
Distant meeting point	Specific named location; known to all; multiple routes
Communication	Mobile + SMS + out-of-area relay contact
Routes	Primary + alternative; paper map in vehicle
Destination	Primary + secondary + evacuation centre
Go-bag	Accessible in 2 min; everyone knows location
Roles	Specific tasks assigned in advance
Practice	Annual walk-through; all household members
Update	When composition, contact details, or location changes