Preview Topic 4. What is an Emergency Plan?

Emergency planning, and the concept of having an emergency plan, is not new.   Generations before us have long used the concept of emergency planning.  Today there is a large surge in “emergency planning” driven in part by the doomsday preppers, survivalist, manufacturers of survival gear, and current events.  This can be overwhelming.  The focus here is on practical emergency planning for you and your family. 

So, what is an emergency plan?   The internet is loaded with examples of family emergency plans, some are more thorough than others but all are worth looking at even if you reinforce what you learn in the course or learn something new.  Look for organizations that are not selling products or services as they will be less biased.  Such this downloadable Disaster Checklist for Parents and Families from SaveTheChildren.org below that, although very simplistic, reinforces many valuable facets of an effective emergency plan.

Bradley provides a good definition on page 22 of his book, remarking that there is not one single plan that is right for everyone.  [Note that although we use the term ‘emergency’ where he uses ‘disaster’, for the purpose of this course the definitions are identical.]  Simply put, an emergency plan is a summary guide to how you will meet your tribe’s needs in an emergency situation.  We believe you should apply this to whether you are at home, at work or in your car.   The basic components of an emergency plan are as follows:

• Understand what types of disasters are possible in your area.
• Keep informed of emergency situations.
• Develop emergency supply kits.
• Develop a plan to shelter in place in the event of an emergency.
• Develop an evacuation plan in case you need to leave your home in a hurry.  
• Develop a communications plan to enable you to get in touch with emergency response resources and loved ones in the event of an emergency.
• Develop a support group of like-minded, trustworthy individuals.

There are, of course, several facets to some of these principles and you will learn them all as you proceed through this course.

While we recognize there are other ‘categories’, such as the “fourteen needs” in Bradley’s book, the core components to focus on in your emergency planning are the following:

• Shelter – The ability to maintain your body’s core temperature
• Water – The availability of drinkable water
• Food – The availability of adequate calories
• Medical and First Aid – The ability to meet your medical needs
• Communications – The ability to communicate with your tribe and receive news from the outside world
• Transportation – The availability of transportation if it is required
• Sanitation and Hygiene – The ability to prevent infection and maintain your health
• Safety, Security and Personal Protection – The need to defend against intruders and predators
• Organizational and Financial Preparedness – Maintaining critical documents and financial reserve

Each of these topics, and more, will be covered in the lessons in this course, and as part of each lesson you will develop the emergency plan component for that topic.  Together these emergency plans will be printed and kept in your EP Binder, distributed to your tribe, kept at work, and in your car kit.

Many states and metropolitan areas offer Emergency Plan guidelines, specific to that region such as this downloadable Family Preparedness Guide from the State of Michigan.   Contact state and local governments in your area for EP resources available.

When developing your emergency plan, it is important to consider emergency plans that may be in place at your workplace, school, and community organizations so that you understand their procedures and make your plans accordingly.  Contact these organizations to discuss their EP planning and ask if you can receive a copy of the emergency plan.

Emergency plan worksheets from Bradley’s Handbook can be downloaded here.