Here are some things you might want to consider as you create your plan:

• Discuss what to do when the emergency alert is given.
• Advise children on what to do if they are home alone when the alert is given.
• Review the information in the Steps to Safety section, so every household member knows what to do for every type of emergency that could happen in the five-town district.
• Draw a house floor plan with escape routes, in the event of a fire.
• Establish two places for everyone to meet: one near the house and one outside the immediate area.
• Discuss how you might contact each other if you are not together when an emergency happens. Create contact cards to keep with you at all times.
• Have a friend or family member outside the area who you can contact in the event you are separated during a disaster.
• Assign responsibilities ahead of time, such as who will update emergency supplies or who will take care of pets.
• Identify the reception center in Bellows Falls and ones in nearby Keene, N.H., and Greenfield, Mass., in the event of a radiological emergency.
• Review possible evacuation routes. If you have children, discuss how they will be transported by bus if they are at school.
• Contact your childcare provider about the plan in place for transportation to a reception center.
• Make note of any prescription medicines you might need to take with you as well as any important papers.