A kit without a plan is only half the preparation. The plan answers what nobody thinks about until it happens: who picks up the children if phones are down, where you meet if you can’t get home, who has grandad’s key. Spain’s Protección Civil published a family plan template in 2025; this is the practical version for a flat.
- 1. Two meeting points
- 2. A contact outside the city
- 3. Who looks after whom
- 4. Where the kit is and who checks it
- 5. Phone numbers written on paper
- Extra: rehearse it once a year
1. Meeting points
Choose two: one near home (the building entrance, a park) in case you have to leave the building, and another in the neighbourhood (a relative’s home, a school) in case you can’t get back. If the mobile network goes down, everyone knows where to go without talking.
2. A contact outside the city
In a local emergency, phone lines in the area get overloaded. A relative in another province (or back home abroad) acts as the switchboard: everyone lets them know they’re fine.
3. Who looks after whom
- Who picks the children up from school.
- Who checks on older people or anyone living alone.
- Who looks after the pets.
- Who has keys to whose home.
4. The kit: where it is and who maintains it
Everyone at home needs to know where the 72-hour kit is. One person is in charge of checking it every time the clocks change.
5. Phone numbers on paper
No battery, no contacts list. Write the important numbers on paper and keep them in the kit and in your wallet.
Template to fill in
Print it, fill it in by hand and stick it inside a cupboard door. You can use the table below or the PDF (in Spanish). Download PDF template
| Meeting points | |
|---|---|
| Near home | |
| In the neighbourhood | |
| Contacts | |
| Emergencies | 112 |
| Contact outside the city | |
| Doctor / health centre | |
| School | |
| Trusted neighbour | |
| Who does what | |
| Picks up the children | |
| Looks after older people | |
| Pets | |
| Checks the kit | |
| Health details | |
| Regular medication (who and what) | |
| Allergies | |
| The home | |
| Where the kit is | |
| Water stopcock | |
| Fuse box | |
| Gas shut-off valve | |
Rehearse it once a year
One afternoon: switch off the mains for an hour, use only the kit and see what’s missing. Whatever fails in the rehearsal won’t fail on the real day.
Source: Dirección General de Protección Civil y Emergencias (Spain), family emergency plan template (2025).