Home / The guide / Communications

Make paper contact lists, meeting points and a channel card

Phones hold everyone's numbers, but a flat phone holds nothing. FEMA and Ready.gov advise a paper contact sheet, one out-of-area contact for everyone to check in with, and set meeting places.

How

1. Write a paper contact sheet for each person: names, phone numbers, addresses, medical needs, and radio call signs or channel numbers where relevant.
2. Pick one out-of-area contact for every family member, as FEMA advises, because someone outside the affected area may be easier to reach.
3. Agree a neighbourhood meeting place and a regional meeting place, as the FEMA plan asks.
4. Add a channel card: which radio channel or frequency is used for the estate, for neighbours, and for emergencies, and the daily check-in times.
5. Laminate the cards or use waterproof paper. Keep copies in wallets, vehicles, grab bags and by the radios, and review them every year, as the FEMA plan suggests.

Sources

1. Family Communication Plan. FEMA / Ready.gov (hosted by New Jersey Office of Emergency Management), accessed 2026-11
2. Get Tech Ready (archived copy). Ready.gov, FEMA, accessed 2026-11

Open in the interactive guide