Disaster Tip of The Week: Have A Designated Meeting Place For Your Family

Last weeks disaster tip mentioned the importance of having an out of State contact. It also mentioned the possibility of being separated from family members which leads me the disaster tip of the week: Have A Designated Meeting Place For Your Family.

If you and your family become separated during a disaster, it is important to have a predetermined place to meet. This becomes especially important should you have no other means of communicating with your family members.

Some points to remember in choosing your meeting location,choose several locations so that if one or more are inaccessible you can meet at another (I recommend 6 locations). Make certain that each location easily accessible and easy to remember and that each family member knows where it is.

You'll also want to have a designated family member to check each location for other family members. Should the designated person not show up or rescue personnel suggest leaving, go with the rescue people and inform them of the other locations missing family members may be gathering at.

Have each family member carry a card with meeting place addresses on them, and if possible include times and frequency of how often the location will be checked by the designated family member. I also recommend having these cards laminated to protect them from the elements.

These suggestions should give you more than enough information to get you started in creating your own designated meeting place if a disaster occurs.