Preparedness
Emergency Alerts Family Plan: Phones, Weather Radio, Sirens, and Backup Contacts
How to build a family alert plan using phone alerts, weather radio, backup contacts, sirens, school alerts, and travel location settings.
Quick answer: A family alert plan makes sure everyone receives warnings and knows what to do even if power, cell service, or routines change.
Alert layers
Use Wireless Emergency Alerts, a trusted weather app, NOAA weather radio, local media, and school or workplace systems.
One alert source can fail or be muted.
Family roles
Decide who wakes children, gets pets, brings the kit, and checks on vulnerable relatives.
Practice the plan before storms arrive.
Travel and backups
Enable location-based alerts when traveling and keep an out-of-area contact.
Outdoor sirens are not designed to wake people indoors.