Choose the people and places
Select one out-of-area contact who can relay updates, then choose a nearby meeting place and a second place outside your neighborhood. Include school, work, caregiving, and pet arrangements in the same plan.
Write the message before the event
Keep it short: name, safe or not safe, location, and what you need. A message such as “Mara — safe — at the north meeting point” is easier to send and read than a long explanation.
Plan for a busy network
- Send a text before trying repeated calls.
- Share only the location and information the recipient needs.
- Agree on a check-in window if the first message cannot send.
- Use an out-of-area contact as the central relay.
- Do not return to a damaged building to look for someone; use responders and the agreed meeting plan.
Configure the app around the plan
Earthquake Network - Panic can watch a saved place with a configurable alert rule and keep practical safety guidance close. Add your family communication plan while calm, review notification permissions, and make sure everyone knows which official channel to follow.
Practice once
Everyone knows the nearby meeting point.
Everyone knows the out-of-area contact.
Contacts understand the safe/not-safe message.
The emergency kit is reachable.
The route avoids elevators and obvious hazards.
The app supports your plan; it does not replace local authorities.
Follow your country’s civil-protection instructions during an emergency and confirm reports with official seismic sources.
Follow your country’s civil-protection instructions during an emergency and confirm reports with official seismic sources.
Reviewed October 10, 2026. Earthquake parameters may be revised after an initial report.