[Phillip Beall (W5EBC)]

All,

Just a quick share of a solid, no-nonsense resource from Ready.gov (FEMA’s official preparedness site):

https://www.ready.gov/plan

It’s their “Make a Plan” page. The core idea is simple and worth revisiting:

1. Sit down with your household and talk through the basics:
   • How will you receive alerts and warnings?
   • What’s your shelter plan?
   • What’s your evacuation route?
   • What’s your family/household communication plan if you’re separated?
   • Is your emergency kit up to date?

2. Customize it for your actual situation (kids, medical needs, pets, work locations, etc.).

3. Write it down (they have a fillable form).

4. Practice it.

Nothing fancy or extreme — just the foundational stuff that most people never actually do.  As radio operators we already think about communications when the cell network or internet goes down, so this is a natural fit.  Having a written family plan that includes how you’ll reach each other (and when/how you’ll fall back to radio) is worth the 20–30 minutes it takes.

If you haven’t looked at the official family communication plan form in a while, the link is right there on the page.  It’s a good checklist even if you’ve already got most of it covered.

Feel free to share any tips or local considerations that have worked for your household.

73

Phillip Beall (W5EBC)

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