Eight steps to a one-page family plan: meeting places, an out-of-area contact, school pickup and stranded commuters.
A strong earthquake is unlikely to wait until everyone is home. In the Bay Area, one parent may be across a bridge, the kids at school and the phone network jammed. A written family plan answers the hard questions before anyone is scared. Sit down with your household for one evening and work through these steps.
Step 1: Map where everyone spends the day
List home, work, school, daycare and regular activities for each person. Note which ones are across the bay or reached through a tunnel or over a bridge. Those are the places someone could be stuck.
Step 2: Choose meeting places
- Right outside: a spot away from the house, clear of wires and trees.
- In the neighborhood: a park or open space if you can’t get home.
- Out of the neighborhood: a friend or relative’s home in another area.
Step 3: Pick an out-of-area contact
After a disaster, local calls often fail while long-distance calls or texts get through. Choose one person in another region whom everyone checks in with. Write their number on a card for each family member. Don’t rely on phone memory alone.
Step 4: Text, don’t call
Texts use less network capacity and often get through when calls don’t. Agree on a short message format: who you are, where you are, whether you’re safe.
Step 5: Plan school and daycare pickup
Learn each school’s emergency policy and how it releases children. Add at least one backup adult to the pickup list who lives or works nearby.
Step 6: Plan for the stranded commuter
If a family member can’t get home, where do they go? Workplaces, a friend nearby, or an official shelter. Keep a grab bag at work and in the car with water, snacks, walking shoes and a flashlight.
Step 7: Cover special needs
Include pets, medications, mobility aids, medical devices and anyone who needs help evacuating. Assign a person to each task.
Step 8: Write it down and practice
Put the plan on one page and give everyone a copy. Run a drill: drop, cover and hold on, then meet outside. Review the plan at least once a year and whenever routines change.
Where to go next
Pair your plan with a kit and a safer home using the preparedness guides. Then make sure everyone knows what to do during an earthquake. This is general guidance; follow official emergency instructions.