Back to school is a perfect time to review your family emergency preparedness plan

As you get your family ready to return to the fall routine and head back to school, don't forget to review your family emergency plan.

Summer break is ending, and families are getting ready for school. You may be buying new clothes, planning after-school activities, and packing lunches. This year, add one more key step: review your family emergency plan.

If an emergency happens while the kids are at school, they need to know what to do. Where they will meet you, who are trusted alternates, and reassurance that they’ll be safe. For example, if there’s road closures because of a winter storm, have you arranged a billet for them?

Including details like this in your family’s emergency plan helps alleviate stress. Talk to your children about the plan. Involve them in creating it so they know what to do. You’ll also want to make sure the school has up-to-date contact information for yourself and alternate care givers.

It’s also wise to familiarize yourself with your school board’s emergency policy. These are the processes they follow in case of a disaster or emergency:

Aligning your family plans with these policies can help things move smoothly in an emergency.

“The safety of our children, at home or at school, is essential. A family plan reduces stress in an emergency,” said Ray Lux, Bruce County’s emergency management coordinator. “If you don’t already have a plan, it’s time to make one.”

The province of Ontario has excellent resources for building a plan available online. For more information about emergency preparedness, visit our Community Emergency Management webpage.