Make a Plan
Four Steps to Emergency Planning
Start your emergency planning by learning what types of disasters will affect your area. Tennessee has 13 specific hazards TEMA has identified in our agency’s statewide emergency planning process.
Step 1: Put together an emergency plan. Begin with a discussion of these four questions with your family, friends, or household.
1. How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
2. What is my shelter plan?
3. What is my evacuation route?
4. What is my family/household communication plan?
Step 2: Consider the specific needs of your household.
Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets, or specific needs like the operation of durable medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:
• Different ages of members within your household
• Responsibilities for assisting others
• Locations frequented
• Dietary needs
• Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
• Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
• Languages spoken
• Cultural and religious considerations
• Pets or service animals
• Households with school-aged children
Step 3: Fill out a Family Emergency Plan
Download and fill out a family emergency plan or use as a guide to create your own.
Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household.
Your County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is a great resource for preparedness planning.