A Family Communication Plan That Works Without Cell Service

In a tornado, blizzard or big outage, everyone grabs their phone at once. Cell networks get overloaded, towers lose power, and calls don't go through. If your family is at work, school and home when it happens, how do you find each other? A simple plan, written down, solves most of it.

011. Text first, call second

When networks are jammed, text messages often get through when calls don't, because texts use less network capacity. FEMA recommends texting during emergencies. Keep messages short: "I'm OK, at school, heading home."

022. Pick an out-of-area contact

Local lines may be jammed, but a long-distance call or text to someone in another state may get through. Choose one person, like a relative far away, that everyone in the family checks in with. They become the family's message center.

033. Write it on paper

Most of us don't know our family's numbers by heart. If your phone dies, you're stuck. Make a small card for every family member with:

• Each family member's cell number
• Work and school numbers
• The out-of-area contact
• A neighbor's number
• Doctors and any medical info
• Your meeting places

Keep one in every wallet, backpack and car, and on the fridge.

044. Choose meeting places

• Near home: a spot outside, like a neighbor's mailbox, in case of a fire or the house is unsafe.
• In the neighborhood: a church, school or friend's house if you can't get home.
• Out of town: a relative's house if you have to leave the area.

055. Know the school and work plans

Find out how your kids' schools and your workplaces handle emergencies: where kids go, how parents pick them up, and how they'll communicate.

066. Have a backup way to communicate

• NOAA weather radio for warnings. See NOAA weather radios explained.
• Two-way radios (FRS/GMRS) for short range around the neighborhood. GMRS requires an FCC license; FRS doesn't.
• A car charger and a power bank to keep phones alive.

077. Practice it

Walk through the plan with the family. Make sure kids know the meeting places and can text the out-of-area contact. Review it once a year.

08For older parents and family members with needs

Include anyone who might need help, like elderly parents or a family member with medical needs. Who checks on them, and how?

09Use the free template

Ready.gov has a free family emergency communication plan you can fill out and print.

When the cell network goes down, the families who planned for it find each other fastest. Add the plan to your 72-hour kit.

Sources (2)

Ready.gov: Make a plan; FEMA: Communicating during an emergency.

Photo by StockSnap on Pixabay.

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