Emergency contact preparedness

Many parents are frantically trying to get in contact with their kids after the Manchester attack.
In case of an attack, hurricane, or car accident, first responders stress the importance of children having identification on them. This could help officials reunite kids with their loved ones while avoiding stress and panic.
There are forms available online where you can teach your kids to draw a map from their home to an emergency meet-up spot. This also helps children memorize a parent’s cell phone number and home address for first responders. Sergeant Josh Bromen with Gulfport PD said, “Sit down in a controlled environment and say ‘hey, what is the number, what is our address, what is the phone number, how do you get here, where is the hospital, where would you meet?’ Right now you have all these flash floods taking place, a lot of people don’t know how to get home if that one street is closed. This is an opportunity to sit down, make a plan of if we cannot get to our house, we will meet here, if we cannot get there, we will meet here.”
You can download and print these forms on ready.gov/kids. Officials encourage kids to keep them in their backpacks or somewhere safe where first responders can find them in case of an emergency.