Make a Plan

Disasters can happen at any time and often without warning. Having a plan in place before an emergency strikes helps protect you, your family, and your community. A well thought out plan reduces confusion, saves time, and ensures that everyone knows how to respond.

When making your plan, take into account your family’s unique needs. This includes children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, pets, people with limited English proficiency, and others who may require additional support. Preparing ahead of time ensures that everyone has what they need to stay safe, healthy, and connected if disaster strikes.

Download the Family Emergency Plan

Create a Family Communication Plan

  • Choose a primary contact person outside your area whom everyone can check in with and report your safety status.
  • Make sure all family members know important phone numbers and have them written down on a piece of paper and place it in a water-resistant container.
  • Decide how you will reconnect if you are separated.

Map Evacuation Routes

  • Identify multiple evacuation routes and in opposite directions from your home, neighborhood, and workplace.
  • Know where local shelters are located and if they are accessible for your family’s needs.
  • Decide on safe meeting places inside and outside your neighborhood.

Unique Needs

  • Make a list of medications, medical devices, and supplies that must be included in your emergency kit.
  • Prepare extra supplies for children, older adults, pets, and individuals with disabilities or language needs.
  • Include items for comfort and emotional support, such as favorite toys or blankets for children.

Practice Your Plan

  • Review your plan with your household at least once a year.
  • Practice evacuation routes and communication steps.
  • Update supplies regularly and refresh expired items.
  • By creating and practicing your emergency plan, you are taking an important step to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community when disaster strikes.

Know Your Risks

San Joaquin County faces a wide range of hazards that can disrupt daily life and put our communities at risk. Earthquakes can strike without warning, damaging buildings and critical infrastructure. Hazards can be found in the County's Emergency Operations Plan.

  • Wildfires, whether local or in surrounding counties, can create dangerous air quality and force evacuations.
  • Flooding is a recurring threat in our region due to our complex rivers, levees, and low-lying areas, and even moderate storms can cause localized flooding that impacts neighborhoods, roadways, and businesses.
  • Power outages including a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs which can interrupt access to medical equipment, refrigeration, communication, and essential services, placing additional stress on residents.

These hazards don’t affect everyone equally. Community members with medical needs, those who are unsheltered, older adults, children, people with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and even pets may face greater challenges during disasters. That’s why preparation is so important.

PETS

In an emergency, pets will be even more dependent on you for their safety and well-being. Your family’s disaster plans must include your furry family members too. Do not leave your household pets behind. Take them with you if you are asked to evacuate from your home. Consider the needs for your pets in your emergency planning including their comfort items, food, separate water, and cages. For more pet preparedness tips, go to Ready.gov Prepare Your Pets for Disasters.

For tips on disaster planning for livestock, horses, birds, reptiles, or small animals such as gerbils and hamsters, please visit Hold Your Horses Livestock Emergency Evacuation Response Team and The Humane Society.

Emergency Plans by Location

No one knows when or where a disaster will happen. That’s why it’s important to think beyond your home and prepare for the places you and your family spend time every day. An emergency could happen while you’re at work, while your children are at school, or while you’re traveling. Each situation may call for a slightly different plan and a few different supplies.

Planning ahead helps make sure that no matter where you are, you and your loved ones know what to do, how to reach each other, and where to go to stay safe. Talking through these steps ahead of time also helps reduce fear and confusion during a crisis and gives everyone confidence that they won’t face an emergency unprepared.

Consider creating personal and household emergency plans for the following location including:

  • Home
  • Workplace
  • Vehicles
  • Regular methods of transportation such as trains, buses, and commuter transit
  • School and daycare
  • Places of worship
  • Sports arenas and playing fields
  • Entertainment locations such as theatres, amusement parks, and museums
  • Shopping areas such as malls and retail centers
  • Tourist and travel locations such as hotels

Learn more by going to https://www.ready.gov/plan-for-locations.