Roots of modern family emergency planning reach back to the civil defense preparedness efforts of the early to mid 1900’s. In large part, family preparedness efforts were born from threats of global war and the possibility of targeted, strategic military attacks. These threats required citizens and families to effectively equip, organize, and train for disasters.

Growing up, I remember great emphasis being placed on fire and life safety. In particular, increased drills for school fires, bus evacuations, and fires in the home. My family developed an emergency plan with several ways to exit our home as well as a safe place to meet. We regularly practiced our plan and could count on neighbors for assistance.

As we fast-forward to 2011, our country’s threats have shifted to global terrorism and the emergence of asymmetrical threats that dominate news headlines. We have experienced a significant rise in natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes, and we have witnessed the devastating effects of technological events such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

The types of threats have changed, but the needs and principles of emergency preparedness remain the same. Today we are a vibrant, transient, global population. Our families must develop a comprehensive plan that is supported by technology in order to successfully prepare for the myriad of threats and hazards we face today.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website, Ready.gov, is a great place to start your family emergency plan. The site provides visitors an off-the-shelf resource that can be easily filled out. It captures details about every family member, including pets. The plan stresses identification of an out-of-town emergency contact as well as in- and out-of-town emergency meeting places. Ready.gov is your starting point, but don’t stop there. You’ll need to revisit your plan yearly and update it as things change.

Once you have a base plan, you’ll need to effectively communicate with your family. This means supporting your family’s plan with modern technology. Phone lines, cellular networks, and websites weren’t built to handle the heavy demands we place on them during or immediately following a disaster. However, with some patience, and creative thinking, your family emergency plan can still be executed effectively using modern communication devices.

There are a number of smartphone applications that can help facilitate communication during times of emergency, whether family members are across town or across the globe.

• I’m OK for BlackBerry allows a single keystroke to send an SMS text message from your smartphone to multiple users using pre-designated email, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
• J!ResQ application for iPhone, Android, and Windows7 smartphones–developed by Japanese engineers immediately following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster–allows users to email 10 seconds of audio, a picture, and GPS coordinates in under a minute.

Do you have a family emergency plan? Can you communicate effectively in an emergency situation? If not, consider developing and maintaining a plan with your family today.