Improve you insurance plan.

Make A Plan!


The Best Insurance

Every family should have an emergency plan as insurance coverage in an emergency. After all, you have home insurance, health insurance, and car insurance, but do you have an insurance plan for disaster coverage? What protection can insurance policies provide when they are out of service? What would you do in a major catastrophe? With terrorism and natural disasters in the news almost every day, now is the time to think about what your family would do in the event that you find yourselves in a major emergency.



Far too many families rely on emergency services to come to their rescue. You can't expect to be provided with immediate food, shelter, and medical attention in the aftermath of any large-scale disaster. Roads, utilities, and communication services may be down, and it is possible that help won't arrive for days. According to survival experts, households should have enough supplies to survive at least a week with no outside help. Though this seems like a lofty goal at first, it is actually not that hard to implement with careful planning.

Take Action Today

In addition to the usual emergency supplies and stock of nonperishable food, your family also needs a plan of action. Where will you go in the aftermath of an emergency? What if you're not all at home when it happens?

Here are the 6 most critical steps to take when making your emergency and disaster plan:

1. Call a family meeting. All of the family members should be involved in the creation of your emergency plan. Yes, even your kids! Including kids in the planning process makes it more likely that they will remember what to do in an emergency.

2. Keep the plan simple. You may feel more comfortable planning out every detail, but chances are good that in an emergency situation your brain will be in panic mode and you'll forget most of it. Instead, focus on a few main points such as what must be done as you exit, and where you should go. Your emergency plan should be adaptable for a variety of emergencies, from a fire in the kitchen to a major natural disaster.

3. Memorize important information. It is critical for all family members to know what phone numbers to call, including 911 as well as the cell phone numbers of all relatives, including a few relatives that don't live in the home in case you get separated from each other and must leave the area.

4. Choose a meeting place. It is important for your meeting location to be safely away from the home. For example, choose to meet a the neighbor's house, or at a park down the street. Don't meet right out the front door, as it may not be safe to do so. In the event of an emergency, all family members should stay at the meeting place until you've all been accounted for.

5. Have an out-of-town plan. In addition to your local meeting spot, choose somewhere further away from the home, such as a relative who lives several miles away or even out of state, in case the entire neighborhood must be evacuated. Make sure that you all have the phone number to this location memorized so that you can find each other if you are separated.

6. Practice escape drills. This step is especially important if you have kids in the home, as you'll need everyone's help to get the family out safety. Become comfortable with the plan you've made so that you don't forget it in a time of panic. Everyone must know all of the escapes from the home. This can also help you spot potential problems such as the need for a fire escape ladder for upstairs windows. At least twice per year, practice your drill to keep the information fresh in your mind. This step can also remind you to update your plan, if needed, to account for household changes.