Why use an out-of-town contact?

Local phone lines often jam or fail during a disaster, while long-distance calls still work. A single out-of-town contact lets everyone check in through one person.

What should a family communication plan include?

Contact information for every household member, an out-of-town contact, emergency meeting places, and important numbers like doctors and schools.

How often should we practice the plan?

Regularly, like a fire drill. Hold household meetings to review the plan and meeting places so everyone knows it by heart.

Aug 27, 2026

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Prepping your family and household (Part 1): The family communication plan

By The SHTF App Team

The six hours of the ice storm were six hours of the wrong question. Every family member was asking “how do I reach them?” on local lines that were down, when one call to Aunt Carol in another state would have answered “is everyone safe?” for the whole household at once. The sophomore figured it out first, called her aunt from a borrowed phone, and by evening the relay was done: Mom safe, kids safe, Dad stuck but warm. Nobody had written the plan, so the plan happened by luck. Communication plans exist so that luck is not a load-bearing part of your family’s emergency.

When disaster strikes, your family may be scattered across work, school, and home. The first question everyone asks is the same: are my people safe, and how do I reach them? A family communication plan answers that question before the emergency happens.

Caution: The “We’ll just call each other” trap. During a disaster, local phone lines jam or fail entirely. The people who reconnect fastest are the ones who planned a single out-of-town contact and a set of meeting places ahead of time. When you build the plan now, you remove the panic from the moment.

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 or emergency-response advice. Always follow the instructions of local authorities.

The Readiness Audit

Does your family know how to find each other if phones fail?

Green: You have a written plan with an out-of-town contact, and every family member carries a wallet card copy.
Yellow: You have everyone’s numbers in your phone, but no written plan or meeting place.
Red: You have never discussed what your family would do if separated during an emergency.

If you are Yellow or Red, execute Phase 1 immediately.

Phase 1: Collect the Information

Goal: Gather every contact you will need.

Household members: full names, mobile numbers, other numbers, email, and any important medical information for each person.
Schools and workplaces: emergency and hotline numbers, plus the emergency plan and pick-up procedure for each school, daycare, and workplace.
Important numbers: police, fire, poison control, doctors, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacy, and insurance policy numbers.

The Takeaway: A plan is only as good as the information in it, so collect it all in one place before you need it.

Phase 2: Set the Out-of-Town Contact

Goal: Create a single point of contact outside your area.

The logic: local calls may fail, but long-distance calls often still work. An out-of-town contact is not affected by your local disaster.
The rule: every family member calls, texts, or emails the same out-of-town contact to report their status and location.
The backup: make sure you have at least two ways to reach that person.

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

Phase 3: Choose Meeting Places

Goal: Decide where everyone goes if you cannot communicate.

Indoor meeting place: a safe spot inside your home for sudden emergencies like a fire.
Neighborhood meeting place: a landmark just outside your home, in case you must evacuate quickly.
Out-of-neighborhood meeting place: a location farther away, in case you cannot return to your neighborhood.

The Takeaway: Meeting places give everyone a destination when phones are useless.

Goal: Make sure everyone knows and carries the plan.

Wallet cards: give every family member a small card with the key contacts and meeting places.
Post a copy: put a copy on the refrigerator or a family bulletin board.
Practice: hold regular household meetings to review the plan, just like a fire drill.

The Takeaway: A plan nobody knows is not a plan. Share it and practice it.

The Essential Kit Checklist

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.

Scenario Planner (Contingencies)

“We all have smartphones, so we do not need a paper plan.” The trap: assuming phones will work. The fix: phones die, get lost, and lose signal. A paper wallet card and a memorized out-of-town number work when nothing else does.

“My kids are too young to understand.” The trap: leaving children out of the plan. The fix: even young children can memorize a meeting place and an out-of-town contact’s name. Teach them in simple terms and practice together.

Next Steps

Write the out-of-town contact’s number on a card tonight and put it in every wallet and backpack in the house, because the plan that lives in one phone is not a plan.
Walk the three meeting places with the family so the addresses are in their legs and not just on paper.
Read Part 2: The commuter emergency plan next, for the route home when disaster strikes during the workday.

Originally adapted from public FEMA guidance (public domain).