An emergency plan
for your family.

In an emergency, there is no time for long discussions. A simple plan tells everyone where you meet, who picks up whom and whom you call. Here is how to make one in half an hour.

What goes in the plan.

Who belongs Everyone who belongs together in an emergency: family at home, relatives nearby, perhaps neighbours or close friends.
Two meeting points One nearby in case you can’t get into the house, and one further away in case the whole area is affected.
Who picks up whom Children from school or nursery, relatives who need help, pets. Decide who is responsible first and who steps in.
A contact person further away When everything is overloaded locally, it is often easier to reach someone in another town. Everyone checks in there, and that person passes messages on.
Important numbers Family, neighbours, work, school, your doctor’s practice and the contact person. On paper and on your phone.
What everyone takes ID, keys, charging cable, medicines and a copy of the most important documents. Ideally kept in one fixed place.

Copies of IDs, powers of attorney and insurance policies belong in the emergency folder. The plan itself stays short: it should fit on one sheet. What goes in the emergency folder

How it works

A plan in three steps.

Sit down together

Half an hour is enough. Ask everyone where they usually are during the day and what they would need in an emergency.

Write it down and share it

One sheet of paper for every bag and a copy in your circle’s storage, so everyone has the same version.

Check once a year

New school, new job, new number: a fixed date, for example the warning day in September, keeps the plan up to date.

How anynear helps.

In anynear, you create a circle for your family. Your plan lives in its storage, encrypted on every phone and readable without internet. When someone changes something, everyone has the new version. And you can message each other in the circle even when one path fails. More about storage

Good to know

Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) has a detailed guide with a printable checklist. It helps with your plan and your supplies.

BBK: preparedness guide and checklist (in German)

Get the app Stay reachable in a power cut

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