Family emergency communication plan: how to stay in touch when phones fail
Last reviewed 24 October 2026 · 6 min read
Quick checklist
Quick checklist
0 of 7 doneWhy a family emergency communication plan matters
Most of us rely on a phone to find each other. In a power cut, a network fault or a busy emergency, calls may not connect, and a flat battery ends the conversation altogether. A plan means you do not have to guess where everyone is or what they will do next.
Be Ready, the government campaign launched on 22 October 2026, asks households to make a plan, and communication is one part of it. Our household emergency plan covers the whole picture. This guide covers the part about reaching each other.
Step 1: choose your contacts
Write down three people who would help, such as a neighbour, a relative nearby and a friend. Then add one person who lives in a different area. When local lines are busy, a person further away can pass messages between family members. Everyone in the household should know that person's number.
Put all the numbers on one sheet. Our emergency contact list template gives you the layout.
Step 2: agree who contacts whom
Decide on an order. For example, the adult who is nearest to the children contacts the school, and the other adult contacts the out-of-area person. Then each person tells that contact how they are.
This is our practice, not an official rule. Keep the first message short: who you are, where you are and whether you are safe. A short text may get through when a voice call struggles, but we cannot promise it will, so have a second way. If a call does connect, keep it brief so lines are free for others.
Step 3: pick two meeting places
Choose one just outside your home, such as a neighbour's gate or a particular lamppost, in case you need to leave quickly. Choose another further away, such as a library, a relative's house or a community centre, in case you cannot get home. Walk to each once so children know the way. Be Ready suggests planning escape routes, and this fits with that.
Step 4: sort out schools and childcare
Ask each school, nursery or childminder what its emergency plan is. You want to know how it will contact you, where children would go and who is allowed to collect them. Make sure your details are current and that anyone who might collect your child is on the list. We cannot tell you what any school's policy is, so ask.
Step 5: plan for no network
If the mobile network is down:
- Go to the meeting place at the time you agreed. Our practice: if you have heard nothing by a set time, such as 6pm, go to the meeting place near home if it is safe.
- Leave a note at home saying where you have gone and when. A notebook and permanent marker (Retailer link coming soon) kept by the door is enough.
- Ask a neighbour. They may have a landline or a different network. Check on neighbours who may need help.
- Use a radio for news. A battery-powered FM/AM radio (Retailer link coming soon) works when broadband and phones do not.
- In a real emergency, call 999. Our guide to calling 999 when the mobile network is down explains what to try.
Step 6: bring children in
Children cope better when they know what to expect. Show them the plan, teach them the number of a grown-up they trust, and talk through what to say on a 999 call, without dialling. Keep it short and calm, and stop if it worries them. Our emergency plan for kids has ideas by age. Give each child a wallet card, such as a family emergency contact card (Retailer link coming soon), for their school bag.
Step 7: write it down and share it
A plan only helps if people can find it. Put one copy on the fridge or by the door and one in your grab bag. Take a photo of it on every adult's phone. A dry-erase planning board (Retailer link coming soon) by the door shows where everyone is, if your household will use it. A family emergency plan binder (Retailer link coming soon) can hold the plan with your important documents, but a folder will do.
Check the plan twice a year. Be Ready suggests checking supplies about every six months, which is a sensible time to look at this too.
Do this today (free)
- Pick one contact who lives in another area.
- Choose two meeting places and write them down.
- Write the plan on a sheet of paper and photograph it.
- Show everyone at home where the paper is.
If you have £10, £25 or £50
These are budgets, not quotes. Prices change, so check the current price first.
- About £10: a notebook and marker, or a pack of contact cards.
- About £25: add a dry-erase board for the hall.
- About £50: add a battery radio, and a binder for the plan and papers.
Questions people ask
What should a family emergency communication plan include?
It should include three trusted contacts, one contact in another area, who calls whom first, two meeting places, what to do if the network is down, school and childcare details, and where the written plan is kept. Keep it to one page so everyone can read it quickly.
What should we do if the mobile network goes down?
Go to the meeting place at the agreed time, leave a note at home, and ask a neighbour if they have another way to make calls. Listen to a battery radio for news. If someone is in danger, try to call 999, which may connect through another network.
Who should be my out-of-area contact?
Choose someone reliable who lives in a different area and is easy to reach, such as a relative or a friend. When local lines are busy, they can pass messages between family members. Make sure everyone in the household has their number written down.
How do I include children in an emergency plan?
Keep it simple and calm. Show them the plan, teach them a grown-up's number, and talk through what to say on a 999 call. Give older children a contact card for their bag. Stop if it worries them, and try again another day in smaller steps.
Sources and further reading
Sources
firesidefolk.com/family-and-home/family-emergency-communication-plan · Last reviewed 24 October 2026 · Fireside Folk