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Prepping your family and household: The checklist

By The SHTF App Team

The refrigerator is where the plan lives, and the family who taped theirs up after the ice storm found out why within a month: the eight-year-old used it to answer his own question. “If the lights go out, I go to the mailbox and wait for everybody.” Nobody told him to read it. Nobody had to. In a crisis, cognitive fragmentation sets in. You will forget things you know perfectly well. You might remember the water but forget the documents. You might remember the pets but forget the meeting place.

This Master Checklist is your external brain. It consolidates the entire Family and Household series into a linear, chronological protocol. Print this out. Laminate it. Keep it on the refrigerator. It is the script that ensures your household acts as a prepared unit, not a collection of panicked individuals.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as, and should not be considered, professional, legal, medical, or emergency-response advice. Always follow the instructions of local authorities.

The Readiness Audit

  • Green: Every item below is checked and the sheet is printed and posted.
  • Yellow: You know most of it but nothing is written down.
  • Red: You are reading this during an event. Start at Phase 1 and work in order.

Caution: The kit list only works if it exists when the power is out. Paper beats apps here, so print it today.

Phase 1: The Communication Plan

Goal: Make sure your family can find each other.

  • Collect: names, numbers, and medical info for every household member.
  • Schools: record emergency numbers and pick-up plans for schools and workplaces.
  • Out-of-town contact: choose one person and confirm two ways to reach them.
  • Meeting places: pick indoor, neighborhood, and out-of-neighborhood locations.
  • Wallet cards: print and distribute a card to every family member.
  • Practice: schedule a household meeting to review the plan.

The Takeaway: One out-of-town contact turns a scattered family into a connected one.

Phase 2: The Commuter Plan

Goal: Know more than one way home.

  • Daily route: write down your normal route to and from work.
  • Alternative routes: map at least two backup routes.
  • Public transit: record modes, lines, stops, and fares.
  • Backup transportation: list taxi, rail, and bus contact numbers.
  • Wallet copy: print the plan and keep it in your wallet.

The Takeaway: Two alternative routes mean you are never trapped by a single blocked road.

Phase 3: Safeguard Documents

Goal: Protect the records you need to recover.

  • Inventory: list all identification, financial, legal, and medical documents.
  • Copies: make paper and encrypted electronic copies of everything.
  • Safe storage: store originals in a fireproof safe or bank safe deposit box.
  • Off-site copy: give a copy to a trusted person outside your area.
  • Cloud backup: upload electronic copies to a secure cloud service.

The Takeaway: Two copies in two places mean one disaster cannot destroy everything.

Phase 4: Water Safety

Goal: Know how to make water safe to drink.

  • Bottled water: store a supply for drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth.
  • Bleach: keep unscented household bleach (5 to 9 percent) on hand.
  • Filter: have a filter labeled to remove parasites.
  • Pot: have a pot for boiling water.

The Takeaway: Boiling fixes germs, not chemicals, so match the method to the threat.

Phase 5: Pet Preparation

Goal: Plan for the animals that depend on you.

  • Destination: identify a pet-friendly place to evacuate to.
  • Buddy system: arrange for someone to care for your pets if you cannot.
  • Microchip: make sure your pet is microchipped with current contact info.
  • Food and water: store several days of supply.
  • Medicine: keep an extra supply in a waterproof container.
  • Carrier: have a crate or carrier for each pet.
  • Photo: keep a picture of you and your pet together.

The Takeaway: A plan is what keeps your pet from being left behind.

Final Tips

  • Print this checklist: keep a physical copy on the refrigerator.
  • The family drill: practice the communication plan and meeting places together.
  • The neighbor pact: know which neighbors can help, and agree to check on each other.

Scenario Planner (Contingencies)

“I don’t know which phase to start with.” The trap: freezing at the size of the list. The fix: the first-check rule, communication first, because every other phase assumes your family can find each other, then work down in order.

“We already did this years ago.” The trap: treating the checklist as a one-time project. The fix: the annual re-run, phone numbers change, kids change schools, pets pass on and arrive, so re-run the whole sheet once a year on a fixed date.

Next Steps

  1. Print this page today and put it on the refrigerator, because the plan that exists only on a screen fails with the power.
  2. Run the family drill this weekend: the meeting places, the out-of-town call, and the wallet cards, end to end.
  3. Fold it into the family plan. A prepared household beats a prepared person, so put these steps in front of everyone who shares your roof. Start with Part 1: The family communication plan.

Originally adapted from public FEMA guidance (public domain).