# Family emergency plans and drills · Dark Grid Prep

> Source: https://darkgridprep.cc/family-plan

## Family emergency plans

The written plan: who does what, where everyone meets, kids, older parents, pets, documents and drills.

Other sections

* [ Threats and scenarios](/threats)
* [ Grid-down living](/grid-down)
* [ Stockpiling](/stockpiling)
* [ Home defense and security](/home-defense)
* [ Bug-out and evacuation](/bug-out)
* [ Communications](/communications)
* [ Medical when help is delayed](/medical)
[See all eight on one page](/topics) 

### The plan is the cheapest prep you will ever make

A stockpile without a plan is a pile of stuff. The plan is what turns it into a family that knows what to do at 2 a.m. when the lights go out and the phones do not work. It costs paper and an evening, and it covers nearly every threat on this site.

Ready.gov's planning pages are the official template: how the household will get alerts, where it will shelter, how it will evacuate and how it will reach each other ([Ready.gov, make a plan](https://www.ready.gov/plan)). This section goes further for the longer, rougher emergencies preppers plan for.

### What this section covers

#### Roles

Who turns off the utilities, who gets the kids, who checks on the older neighbor, who handles the radio. Each person, written down.

#### Where everyone meets

One spot near the house, one in the neighborhood, one out of town, and what to do if someone does not show.

#### Kids in class and parents across town

School release policies, who is authorized to pick up, and walking routes home.

#### Older adults and pets

Medications, mobility, carriers and food, and who is responsible for each.

#### Documents and money

Copies of IDs, insurance and deeds, both on paper in a waterproof container and stored electronically, plus a cash reserve in small bills.

#### Drills

A plan you have never practiced is a guess. We cover simple drills, including a weekend with the main breaker off.

### Where to start

Sit down with the household this week and answer three questions on paper: where do we meet, who do we call, and what makes us leave. Then read [communications](/communications) and [bug-out](/bug-out) to fill in the details.

### Common questions about Family emergency plans

What should a written emergency plan include? 

How you get alerts, where you shelter, how you leave, the rally points, an out-of-area contact, each person's job, and copies of key documents.

How often should we practice the plan? 

At least once a year and whenever the household changes. A weekend with the main breaker off is a good test.

Should kids know about the plan? 

Yes, in age-appropriate terms. Children should know where to go, one contact number by heart and who may pick them up.

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Dark Grid Prep is a survival magazine for American families who want to be ready when the grid, the economy or the supply chain fails: the threats (EMP, long blackouts, collapse, civil unrest), and how a household plans, stockpiles, communicates and secures its home through them.

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* [Grid-down living](/grid-down)
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* [Home defense](/home-defense)

### Plan

* [Bug-out and evacuation](/bug-out)
* [Communications](/communications)
* [Medical](/medical)
* [Family emergency plans](/family-plan)
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