A plan answers the question “what do we do if…?” before you need to. Once you know what you would do, your mind stops going round the same worry. The government’s Be Ready advice is to make a household plan, using a printable template, and to keep it with your important documents.
What goes in it
One page is enough. Include:
- Everyone in the household, with phone numbers
- Your key numbers, such as the power cut line and the gas emergency line
- Medical details and medication for anyone who needs them, and your vet’s number
- Your meeting points and your fire escape route
- Who needs extra help, and who will help them
- Your neighbours’ names and numbers
- Contact details for your children’s school or childcare
- Where your kit and grab bags are
- Where your stopcock, gas valve and main electricity switch are
- Your insurance details
Questions to talk through
Sit down together, with the children, and decide what you would do if:
- there was a fire in the house
- there was a flood warning
- the power went off for several days
- you had to leave at short notice
- you couldn’t get home
- one of you was home alone
- a child was at school when it happened
- you had pets to look after
Write down the answers. They don’t have to be perfect, and they can change.
Keep it simple and shared
Keep a copy with your important papers, a copy in each grab bag, and a photo on each phone. Everyone should have their own copy, so that if one person or one bag is lost, nothing is lost.
Look after people who need help
Agree a backup plan for anyone who may need extra help, especially people who live alone. An article on looking after people who need extra help is coming soon.
Review it
Check your plan every six months, and after any change, such as a new baby, a new job or a house move.
Where to start
- Sit down with your household for half an hour
- Answer the questions above, and write down what you decide
- Put copies with your documents, in your bags and on your phones
- Put a reminder in your diary to review it
Useful resources
Don’t take our word for it. Read the originals, and decide what works for you.
- Be Ready: how would you prepare for an emergency?, UK government, with a printable household plan template
- Home emergency plan, Ready Scotland, a one-page template you can print