Build a household needs profile: pregnancy, babies, children, older, disabled and power-dependent people, pets
Some people need specific supplies, more help and earlier action. Record each person's needs in one profile, then feed it into grab bags, the Autonomy check and the Lights out plan.
How
- For each person, note mobility, sight, hearing, memory or understanding, diet, infant needs and any medical device that needs power (medical-2).
- Write down what each person needs to leave the house quickly: who helps them, what they carry, and how long it takes. Practise it in the drill (medical-9).
- Register for priority help with your power and water companies where a scheme exists. In Great Britain, Ofgem's Priority Services Register covers older people, pregnancy, young children, disability, long-term illness and powered medical equipment.
- Pregnancy: talk with your provider now about where prenatal care and birth can happen if the usual clinic or hospital is unreachable. Learn the signs of labour and urgent maternal warning signs, and tell any clinician you are pregnant before taking any medicine.
- Pregnancy supplies from the CDC checklist: prenatal vitamins and medicines, clean towels, sanitary pads, gloves, maternity and baby clothes.
- Babies: vaccination records, thermometer, nappies, wipes, formula, bottles and teats if used, a manual or battery breast pump, a carrier.
- Young children: spare clothes, nappies or pull-ups, an ID wristband with your contact details, quiet activities.
- Older adults: spare glasses, hearing aid batteries, mobility aids and a written medicines list, checked with their doctor.
- Pets: an extra supply of regular pet medicines in a waterproof container, vaccination records, several days of food and water.
- Power-dependent people: plan how each device is powered in an outage with the doctor now (Ready.gov). If the device cannot be kept running, that is a relocation trigger (medical-33).
Safety: This step is planning, not medical advice. Decisions about medicines, doses and treatment belong to your own clinician.
Sources
- Emergency preparedness during pregnancy. CDC, accessed 2026-11
- Emergency Kit Checklist: Pregnant Women, Infants, and Children. CDC, accessed 2026-11
- Build A Kit. Ready.gov (US FEMA), accessed 2026-11
- Prepare Your Pets for Disasters (Ready.gov leaflet, hosted by Cal Poly Pomona). Ready.gov (US FEMA), accessed 2026-11
- Join your supplier's Priority Services Register. Ofgem (Great Britain), accessed 2026-11
- Power outage safety tips (Ready.gov leaflet, hosted by Cal Poly Pomona). Ready.gov / FEMA, accessed 2026-11