Fire and safety · Write and practise emergency plans · safety-27

Decide: stay or go, and how to shelter in place

In most emergencies you either leave early or get inside and stay. Decide the triggers now, so nobody has to work it out under stress.

How

Leave at once when officials order it, when the house is on fire or flooding, or when a wildfire threatens your route (safety-22).
Also leave if the home can no longer keep people safe: no heat in deep cold, no cooling in a heatwave, or a medical device with no power. Ready.gov advises going to another place for heat or cooling if safe.
Otherwise follow the UK rule 'Go in, stay in, tune in': get indoors, close all doors and windows, and stay until emergency services or local radio say otherwise.
Do not go into a building that is itself unsafe, such as one on fire. Do not collect children from school unless told to; staff will care for them (UK advice).
Radiation emergency (CDC): get inside fast and go to the basement or middle of the building, away from outside walls and the roof.
Take off your outer layer of clothing before you go in, if you can. If you cannot get inside at once, cover your mouth and nose with a mask, cloth or towel.
Close and lock windows and doors, and stay inside for at least 24 hours or until it is safe to leave (CDC).
Learn your country's warning signals and alert channels, and keep a receiver that works without mains power (comms-5, comms-6).
Practise one shelter-in-place drill and one timed 'go' drill with grab bags and pets each year (safety-24).

Safety: Official instructions come first. If you are told to evacuate, go, even if your plan says stay.

Go in, stay in, tune in. Warwickshire County Council (UK example), accessed 2026-11
What to Do: Get Inside (radiation emergencies). US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 2026-11
Power Outage Safety Tips (Ready.gov fact sheet, hosted copy). Ready.gov (FEMA), via Cal Poly Pomona Emergency Management, accessed 2026-11