A household emergency plan is a short set of decisions you can make before something disrupts everyday life. It can help during a power cut, a building evacuation, a storm or a transport interruption. Start with the people and services your household already depends on. The most useful plan is one everyone can find and understand when tired, separated or unable to get online.
Start with the people you need to reach
Write down who normally lives with you and who regularly relies on you, such as a child in school, a relative you help or a neighbour you have agreed to check on. Include pets and the people authorised to collect or care for them. Decide who will contact each person and what to do if the first call goes unanswered. Ask everyone involved whether they are comfortable with the arrangement before assuming they can help.
Agree on an out-of-area contact who can pass on a short message if people are travelling or cannot reach each other directly. Make the message practical. It should say where you are, whether you need help and when you will check in again. Keep a paper copy of essential numbers somewhere easy to find. Each person who might be away from home should have their own copy or a way to access it offline.
Plan for when you cannot get home
Pick a familiar point close to home where people could meet if the premises became inaccessible, then agree on a second option farther away. Before using either point, check whether it is open and outside any affected area described by officials. An agreed meeting place is a fallback, and its usefulness depends on the conditions at the time. Check the plan with anyone who would struggle to get there independently.
Ask a school, nursery or care setting about its own emergency collection arrangements. The usual pickup person may be delayed, and the organisation may need to verify who is authorised to collect someone. Agree what your household will do if the school asks you to wait or gives different instructions. Note down addresses and contacts, and keep them up to date when routines change.
Record support needs privately
Talk through what could become difficult if power, water, transport or communications were interrupted. This could include maintaining a supply of prescribed medication, charging a mobility aid, using a lift, receiving an alert in an accessible format or making calls with a digital landline. Write the names and numbers of the people or services that can answer these questions. Share only the information each person needs to carry out their part of the plan.
Ask your provider how any essential equipment will work during an outage. Eligible households may also be able to join a Priority Services Register. Confirm arrangements directly with the organisation, particularly if you depend on equipment or have recently moved. Keep those contacts on paper so you can find them without a charged device or working internet connection.
Make the plan easy to use
Put the most important actions at the top of a single sheet. Include where you will look for official updates, who contacts whom and what to take if an evacuation is ordered. Keep essential items where they can be reached safely, including keys, a torch, a charged power bank and supplies your household routinely needs. Discuss arrangements for pets, and ask your usual care provider about any specialist equipment you cannot readily move.
Write the plan in plain language. Use large text or a suitable format for people who need it, and explain how to access any electronic copy. Avoid putting confidential details in an open shared document. A short paper copy can cover essentials while sensitive records stay in a secure place. Ask other adults to point out anything they would struggle to find or understand.
Check it with a simple exercise
Run through two realistic examples. Imagine that the internet and mobile data are temporarily unavailable, then imagine that people are away from home when the building closes. Ask each person what they would do first, who they would contact and where they would get reliable instructions. If an answer depends on a particular device, person or route, write down what you will do if that option is unavailable.
Set a reminder to review the plan every six months and after a move, a change in medication, a new school or a change in caring arrangements. Replace expired kit and test torches and power banks. Even when everything is current, give new household members a chance to read the plan and ask questions. Keep it short enough that people remember where to look.
Use official instructions during an incident
If an emergency alert is issued, read the affected location and the action it asks you to take. Follow the emergency services or local authority if they tell you to leave or stay where you are. The plan can help you organise contacts and essential items while you follow their instructions. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.