Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
CSTS | Department of Psychiatry | Uniformed Services University | 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799 | www.CSTSonline.org

Planning, Preparation, andResponse to Emergencies:
How to Minimize Distress and Disruption for
You and Your Family
Risk is a part of everyday life, athome and at work. Motor vehicle
accidents, natural disasters, breaches
of information, terrorist threats,
and other high risk and emergency
situations routinely make headline
news.

information available before, andeven when, emergencies occur. The
following can help prepare for anemergency:■ Develop a Family Emergency
Plan. This will help yourfamily know what steps totake in the event of an actual orthreatened emergency. Planning together, in role and age
appropriate ways, can enhance family communication
and allow everyone to feel invested in adhering to theplan. The plan should provide specific, detailed, ageappropriate guidance for all family members on actions
to take during an emergency. Make sure your planaddresses situations in which your family is together andwhen geographically separated. Being apart from family
during an emergency is extremely stressful and having aplan to communicate and connect helps reduce anxiety.
Update and rehearse the plan at least once a year, or
when situations change (e.g., a new job or the additionof a family member) to ensure everyone remains awareand ready to respond. An example Family Emergency
Plan can be found in the Additional Resources section.
■ Have an Emergency Go Kit at home. This kit provides
commonly needed items in the event of an emergency,
particularly things that may be unavailable as a result ofpower or communication outages. Review your kit andreplace expired items at least once a year. An example
Emergency Go Kit can be found in the Additional
Resources section.
■ Know and understand other Emergency Plans thatare relevant to your family. This includes places ofwork, schools your children attend, and local or regional
plans that affect your neighborhood.
■ Ensure access to credible sources of information
through official news media and community leaders.

Preparation is most effective when you
have helpful resources and credible
information available before, and even
when, emergencies occur.

Possible Emergencies
In some cases, an actual emergency has occurred,
such as a hurricane or mass shooting. In other situations,the concern may focus more on the potential risk of anemergency occurring, such as the spread of an infectious
illness or threats of terrorists targeting military personnel
and their families. Though all emergencies have thepotential to increase anxiety, threats that target specificpeople can be particularly stressful for those individuals.
Why Are Planning and Preparation Important?
When emergencies occur, most people want to knowwhat they should do and if they and their loved ones aresafe. Feeling unprepared can result in increased confusion
and anxiety, which can lead to harmful behaviors suchas increasing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use or
overreliance on prescription medication. It can also leadpeople to become irritable and withdrawn, limiting socialsupports. These behaviors reduce our ability to function
effectively at work and provide care for ourselves and loved
ones. Planning in advance and being prepared can reduce
anxiety that results when emergencies occur. It can also
help us respond more effectively to make safer and healthierchoices for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Steps for Planning and Preparing Your Family
Planning for the needs of your family will help you be
more prepared in the event of an emergency. Preparation ismost effective when you have helpful resources and credible

Continued

■ Credible information allows us to accurately assess

the real risk and respond appropriately. Be cautiousof taking action based on informal information sharedthrough email, social media, and even neighbors.
During emergencies, rumors spread quickly but may
contain false information that only increase anxiety andlead to poor courses of action. Also, a radio that can beused without electricity can ensure access to important,useful information during power or network outages.
■ Ensure access to critical medications and devices.
Work with your primary care provider to ensure you
have at least 1–2 weeks of these medications at all
times to avoid running out during emergencies. If yourmedications need refrigeration, or you rely on electric
medical devices, consider a small portable generator
and a supply of fuel for your home to keep yourrefrigerator and other critical devices working when thepower is out.
When emergencies occur, the following can help you
respond in a safe way:
■ Ensure basic needs for food, shelter, and sleep are met
first. This helps people feel safe.
■ Listen to concerns your loved ones may have and seek
credible information to answer any questions. This cancalm anxiety and worry.
■ Be friendly and compassionate to loved ones, neighbors,and strangers. Your support goes a long way toward
helping others.
■ Make sure the family stays together or in touch as muchas possible and keep children near you.
■ Help people when you can, but encourage them to gettheir own basic needs met whenever possible. This gives
people confidence during stressful situations.
■ Be aware of normal reactions to emergency and otherstressful situations. These include: trouble sleeping,difficulty concentrating, irritability, and nightmares.
Understand and share with your family that these■

■

■

■

■things usually go away in a short time. Talk to yourprimary care provider if they persist for too long,continue to worsen, or cause problems at work or
home.
Ask kids about their concerns and listen to what theysay. Sometimes they have fears that seem unusual or“magical” about what is causing an emergency to occur.
Make sure they know it’s not their fault that something
stressful is happening.
Tell kids what they need to know about what ishappening using age-appropriate information; foryoung children, this usually means providing only basic
facts using simple language, while older children andadolescents will need more information.
Limit exposure to television, radio, and other media.
Because of its often graphic and repetitive nature, anover exposure to media during emergency situations
can increase anxiety, particularly for children.
Avoid using alcohol or other drugs to manage stress orworry. If your anxiety feels too high, call your primarycare provider to discuss safe options for helping you feelcalmer.
Avoid simple reassurance like “everything will be okay,”making promises you cannot keep, telling people what
they should feel, or forcing people to talk who are notready. These can undermine trust and social connection
and increase peoples’ stress and worry.

Additional Resources
Family Emergency Plan sample:
https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/
PDF_s/Preparedness___Disaster_Recovery/General_
Preparedness___Recovery/Home/ARC_Family_Disaster_
Plan_Template_r083012.pdf
Emergency Go Kit sample:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/documents/
familyemergencykitchecklist.pdf

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org