Why You Need an Out of State Contact for Emergencies


If an earthquake or other disaster strikes, you'll need to get into contact with family members once it's over. Maybe your kids were on a field trip, or maybe you were at the gym. Who knows? But we can't guarantee we'll be with our family when these things happen. So, what do you do?

Establish an out-of-state contact. If there's an emergency, chances are local phones aren't going to work. They may go down or there just may be too many people trying to use them at one time. That's why it's essential that your contact person lives in another state.This should be someone in your family, but could also be a close friend. Make sure everyone in your family memorizes her phone number and has it with them at all times (perhaps in a cell phone or an emergency card). Go over the plan with your kids regularly so that they're prepared. Here's the plan:

• Make sure  your kids have access to a phone when they're not with you.
• Make sure to tell them if an emergency occurs and they're separated from your family and cannot reach them, call the out-of-state contact. The contact will help you all relay messages to one another and find a way to get back together.
• It's also a good idea to have a local meeting place outside of your home in case of emergencies. You should put this into place beforehand as well.

*Make sure to set up an out-of-state contact ASAP and call them to explain your emergency plan to them to make sure they're willing to take on that responsibility. I know it can be frightening thinking about these things, but think how frightening it would be if it happened and your kids were helpless.