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Family Communications During a Disaster |
Families often become separated during natural disasters, so develop a plan to contact family members in case of an emergency. Develop communication plans for various scenarios.
Create contact cards for all adult members of the family. Instruct them to place contact cards in wallets, briefcases, purses, backpacks, etc. Likewise, create contact cards for your young children to place in backpacks or book bags.
Meet with teachers and faculty members at your children’s school or daycare to ensure these facilities have adequate emergency and child identification plans.
A Few Helpful Tips
Select an out-of-state relative or friend family members can contact to confirm they’re safe. It’s typically easier to make long-distance calls during disasters than local calls, so relatives living in other cities and states are in a better position to communicate with people living in disaster areas.
Ensure all family members memorize emergency contact numbers and possess a mobile phone, a prepaid phone card, or change to use a pay phone. Program the emergency contact number in your cell phone under the name “ICE,” (In case of emergency). During accidents, emergency rescue personnel often check victims’ phones for ICE listings to contact victims’ loved ones. Notify the individual listed as your ICE contact.
Teach young children how to send text messages since SMS messages are often delivered when mobile telecommunications systems are damaged or disrupted.
Signup for alert services since local communities often setup alert systems that send emails and text messages to subscribers to notify them of potential disasters, road closings, and inclement weather.
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