Family Emergency Planning

Comprehensive family emergency preparedness planning. Use when someone wants to create a household emergency plan, prepare for natural disasters, build a go-bag, or ensure their family can communicate and reunite during a crisis.

# Family Emergency Planning

Emergencies don't announce themselves. A house fire gives you 2-3 minutes to get out. A flash flood gives maybe 30 minutes. An earthquake gives zero. The families who do well in these situations are not lucky -- they spent 2 hours one Saturday making a plan. This covers the realistic, FEMA-level basics: fire escape, communication plan, document kit, go-bags, evacuation routes, and special needs planning. Not doomsday fantasy. The stuff that actually matters when the power goes out, the water rises, or the smoke alarm goes off at 3am.

```agent-adaptation
# Localization note
- Disaster types vary by region: earthquake (West Coast, Japan, Turkey),
  hurricane (Gulf Coast, Caribbean), tornado (Midwest US), flood (global),
  wildfire (Australia, California, Mediterranean), winter storm (northern latitudes),
  typhoon (Southeast Asia), cyclone (Indian Ocean, Australia)
- Swap FEMA/Ready.gov for local emergency management:
  UK: gov.uk/prepare-for-emergencies
  Australia: emergency.vic.gov.au or ses.nsw.gov.au
  Canada: getprepared.gc.ca
  New Zealand: getready.govt.nz
  Japan: bousai.go.jp
- Emergency numbers: 911 (US/Canada), 999 (UK), 000 (Australia), 112 (EU), 119 (Japan)
- Shelter systems and evacuation procedures vary by country and municipality
- Go-bag contents may need adjustment for climate (cold weather gear, sun protection)
- Document types differ (Social Security card in US, NHS number in UK, Medicare card in AU)
```

## Sources & Verification

- **FEMA Ready.gov** -- official US family emergency planning guides and templates. https://www.ready.gov/plan
- **American Red Cross** -- emergency preparedness checklists and training. https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html
- **CDC Emergency Preparedness** -- health-focused emergency planning including medication management. https://www.cdc.gov/prepyourhealth/
- **NOAA Weather Preparedness** -- severe weather planning by disaster type. https://www.weather.gov/safety/
- **Anthropic, "Labor market impacts of AI"** -- March 2026 research showing this occupation/skill area has near-zero AI exposure. https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts

## When to Use

- User wants to create a household emergency plan from scratch
- Someone just moved to a new area and doesn't know the local disaster risks
- User experienced a close call (fire alarm, storm warning, power outage) and realized they're unprepared
- Someone has a family member with special needs (elderly, infant, disability, medication-dependent) and wants to plan for emergencies
- User wants to build a go-bag or emergency kit on a budget
- Seasonal preparedness (hurricane season, wildfire season, winter storm prep)
- User has kids and wants to teach them what to do in an emergency

## Instructions

### Step 1: Fire Escape Plan

**Agent action**: Walk the user through creating a fire escape plan for their home. This is the single most important emergency plan because house fires are the most common life-threatening household emergency.

```
FIRE ESCAPE PLAN (30 minutes to create, could save your life)

FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME:

1. Identify TWO exits. Usually a door and a window.
   - Can the window actually open? Test it now.
   - If it's a second-floor window, do you need an escape ladder?
     (Kidde 2-story ladder: ~$35. 3-story: ~$60. Keep it near the window.)
   - Can children and elderly household members operate the exits?

2. MEETING POINT: Pick one spot outside your home where everyone goes.
   - A specific tree, mailbox, or neighbor's driveway
   - Far enough from the building to be safe (across the street is good)
   - Every person in the household must know this spot by heart

3. PRACTICE DRILL:
   - Do it twice a year (when you change clocks is a good reminder)
   - Practice at night with lights off -- fires don't wait for daylight
   - Time it. You want everyone out in under 2 minutes.
   - Practice from bedrooms with doors closed (feel the door for heat first)

4. SMOKE DETECTORS:
   - One in every bedroom, one outside every sleeping area, one per floor
   - Test monthly (push the button)
   - Replace batteries annually or get 10-year sealed units
   - Replace the entire unit every 10 years (check the manufacture date on back)

CRITICAL RULES:
- GET OUT. Do not stop for belongings. Do not go back inside for anything.
- Close doors behind you as you leave (slows fire spread dramatically)
- If smoke is thick, crawl. Breathable air is within 12-24 inches of the floor.
- Once out, call 911 from outside. Never from inside a burning building.
- Designate one person to call 911, another to do a headcount at the meeting point.
```

### Step 2: Communication Plan

**Agent action**: Help the user create a communication plan that works when cell towers are overloaded, power is out, or family members are separated.

```
FAMILY COMMUNICATION PLAN

THE PROBLEM: During a disaster, local cell networks get overloaded.
Calls fail. Texts often still go through (they use less bandwidth).
You need a plan that doesn't depend on one method.

1. OUT-OF-AREA CONTACT:
   Pick someone who lives far away (different state/region).
   This person is your family's central switchboard.
   Everyone calls or texts THIS person to check in.
   Long-distance calls often work when local ones don't.

   Out-of-area contact: ________________
   Phone: ________________
   Email: ________________

2. CONTACT CARD (wallet-sized, for every family member):

   FAMILY EMERGENCY CARD
   Family name: ________________
   Meeting point (home): ________________
   Meeting point (neighborhood): ________________
   Meeting point (out of area): ________________
   Out-of-area contact: ________________  Phone: ________________
   Parent 1: ________________  Phone: ________________
   Parent 2: ________________  Phone: ________________
   School/daycare: ________________  Phone: ________________
   Work address 1: ________________
   Work address 2: ________________
   Doctor: ________________  Phone: ________________
   Nearest hospital: ________________
   Insurance policy #: ________________

   (Print on cardstock. Laminate or tape. One in every wallet/backpack.)

3. THREE MEETING POINTS:
   - At home: [your designated spot -- front yard, mailbox, etc.]
   - In neighborhood: [a landmark everyone knows -- school, church, park]
   - Outside area: [a relative or friend's home in another town]

4. COMMUNICATION METHODS (in order of reliability during emergencies):
   1. Text messages (most reliable when networks are stressed)
   2. Social media check-in features (Facebook Safety Check, etc.)
   3. Phone calls (often fail during peak disaster)
   4. Email (works if you have any internet at all)
   5. Physical meeting at designated points

5. KIDS' PLAN:
   - Children must memorize at least one parent's phone number
   - Know the out-of-area contact's name and number
   - Know what to do at school during an emergency (school has its own plan)
   - Know the meeting points
   - Practice: quiz them monthly until it's automatic
```

### Step 3: Document Kit

**Agent action**: Help the user assemble copies of critical documents in both physical and digital form.

```
DOCUMENT KIT (1 hour to assemble, irreplaceable value)

PHYSICAL KIT:
Put copies of everything below in a waterproof bag (gallon Ziploc works)
or a fireproof document bag (~$15-25). Store near your go-bag.

DOCUMENTS TO COPY:
[ ] Government-issued IDs (driver's license, passport) -- all household members
[ ] Birth certificates
[ ] Social Security cards
[ ] Insurance policies (home, auto, health, life) -- declarations pages
[ ] Medical records summary (conditions, allergies, blood types)
[ ] Current prescriptions list (medication, dosage, prescribing doctor, pharmacy)
[ ] Mortgage/lease agreement
[ ] Vehicle titles and registration
[ ] Bank account numbers and institution contact info
[ ] Credit card numbers and 1-800 numbers (for reporting lost cards)
[ ] Will