Family Emergency Planning: Being Prepared Before a Crisis
Most families never experience a serious emergency. But those who have thought through what they would do fare far better when something unexpected happens. Here is how to prepare.
Why Preparation Matters
Emergency planning is one of those activities that most families know they should do and consistently do not, partly because it requires thinking about scenarios we would rather not imagine, and partly because it feels remote and unlikely. The reality is that the value of preparation lies precisely in its rarity of use: the family that has talked through what to do in a fire, a flood, or a lost child is far better placed to respond calmly and effectively when something does go wrong.
This guide is practical rather than alarmist. It covers the basic preparations that significantly improve outcomes in the most common family emergencies, without requiring specialist knowledge or significant expense.
Emergency Contacts: The Basics
Every family member old enough to use a phone should know the numbers for key emergency contacts by heart, not just stored in their device. Phones run out of battery, get lost, or are sometimes unavailable precisely when they are most needed.
The essential contacts to know are 999 for all UK emergency services, 111 for non-emergency NHS advice, the number of your GP surgery, and at least one family contact beyond the immediate household. Children should know their parents' mobile numbers as well as their home address.
Keep a written list of key numbers, including your GP, dentist, insurance providers, utility companies, and family contacts, in a place every adult in the household knows. A waterproof document wallet stored with other important documents is a practical option.
The Family Communication Plan
In many emergencies, family members are separated, and mobile networks can be congested or unavailable. A family communication plan addresses how you will find each other and who you will contact if you cannot reach each other directly.
Agree a family meeting point for different types of emergency. A fire in your home: meet at the end of the road. An emergency at school: parents come to the school gate. Separated in a public place: meet at the entrance. Having specific meeting points removes the need to make decisions under pressure.
Designate an out-of-area contact (a relative or friend in a different part of the UK) who family members can call to report their status and location if local networks are overwhelmed. It is often easier to call long distance than locally after a major incident. Everyone in the family should know this person's number.
A Home Emergency Kit
A basic home emergency kit does not need to be elaborate. The goal is to have essentials immediately accessible in a scenario where you cannot leave home or where services are disrupted for a period. Relevant scenarios include severe weather events, power cuts lasting more than a few hours, and household emergencies such as burst pipes in winter.
A useful basic kit includes: several days of drinking water (allow at least two litres per person per day), non-perishable food and a manual tin opener, a torch and spare batteries, a battery-powered or wind-up radio, a first aid kit, any essential prescription medications for several days beyond the current supply, phone charging cables and a portable power bank, cash in small denominations (card payments may not work), copies of important documents, and warm clothing and blankets.
Teaching Children to Respond Safely
Children who know what to do in an emergency, and who have practised it, are significantly less likely to panic and significantly more likely to take appropriate action. Key scenarios to rehearse include fire (get out, stay out, call 999, do not go back in), being lost in a public place (find a member of staff or a police officer, stay where you are if safe, call a family number if possible), and being approached by someone who makes them feel unsafe (go to a busy place, find a safe adult, call for help).
Keep these conversations calm and practical. Frame preparation as something every sensible person does, not as a response to danger being likely. Children who are anxious should be reassured that knowing what to do actually makes scary things less scary, because you have a plan.
Specific Home Emergencies
Know where your water stopcock is (usually under the kitchen sink or in a utility cupboard) and how to turn off the water supply in case of a burst pipe. Know where your fuse box is and how to reset circuit breakers. Know how to turn off the gas supply if you have gas. These are simple, practical pieces of knowledge that can prevent a minor emergency from becoming a major one.
Carbon monoxide detectors (discussed elsewhere in our content) should be fitted and maintained. A basic first aid kit should be accessible and adults in the household should have basic first aid knowledge including CPR, choking response, and management of severe bleeding and burns.