Emergencies can happen anytime. It is important to have a plan in place to keep you and your family safe in case of an emergency.
How to get started:
Make a Family Emergency Plan
- Pick a safe meeting place your family will remember
- Give each family member a job they can do in an emergency
- Remember to help babies, older people, people with disabilities, and pets
- Teach your kids important phone numbers and what to do if they can’t find you during an emergency
- Practice your family emergency plan because knowing what to do can help keep your family safe
- Keep printed copies of your family emergency plan and emergency contact list at home and in your child’s backpack
For help making a family emergency plan:
- American Red Cross: How to Prepare for Emergencies
- ReadyOC: Family Emergency Plan Template English/Spanish
- Ready.gov: Make a Plan English | Spanish | Vietnamese
Additional information for pregnant persons and families:
- CDC: Safety Messages for Pregnant, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding Women during Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
- CDC: Special Considerations for Infant and Child Feeding in Emergencies
- Southern California Edison: Get Help if You Use Medical Equipment and Critical Care Backup Battery program, Select Language at bottom of page
Prepare a Family Emergency Kit
- Pack food (that won’t go bad) and water for at least 3 days for everyone in your household, including your kids and pets
- Include medicines and copies of your prescriptions
- Keep important documents safe and dry
- Put your family emergency kit somewhere it is easy to find and grab quickly
For more information on preparing a family emergency kit:
- American Public Health Association: Stockpiling on a budget English | Spanish
- American Red Cross: Preparedness Essentials English | Spanish
- CDC: Emergency Medical Checklist: Children (especially important for children and youth with special healthcare needs)
- ReadyOC: Additional Emergency Supplies English | Spanish
- ReadyOC: Basic Home Emergency Kit English | Spanish
Additional information for families with children and youth with special health care needs:
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Emergency Information Form. Fill out and update regularly with your child’s healthcare provider and keep a copy with your family emergency plan.
Sign up for Emergency Alerts
Stay informed about emergencies in Orange County that may need immediate actions. AlertOC is a mass notification system operated by the County of Orange in collaboration with local cities to keep Orange County residents and businesses informed of emergencies.
To register to receive time-sensitive voice, text, or email messages from the County or city in which you live or work, see:
- AlertOC: Sign up
- ReadyOC: Text Alerts
Know Your Child’s School or Childcare Program’s Emergency Plan
- Ask your child’s school or childcare program about their emergency plan
- Make sure the school/childcare has an updated emergency contact list, with multiple trusted contacts in case you can’t get there
- Talk to your child about what to do in an emergency to make emergencies less stressful
For tools and information to help before, during, and after emergencies:
Other Resources
- Access free downloadable materials for family emergency preparedness
- Order free printed copies of materials related to emergency preparedness through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s online ordering tool
