Create a Shared-Home Emergency Contact and Safety Plan
Build a practical roommate emergency plan with contacts, exits, meeting points, supplies, responsibilities, and a simple review routine.
A shared-home safety plan should tell every roommate who to contact, where to meet, how to leave, and what to take during an emergency. The American Red Cross advises choosing two meeting places: one immediately outside the home and another outside the neighborhood if returning home is impossible. Source: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html
Make the plan together, store it somewhere everyone can reach, and practise the parts that need to work under pressure.
Build one emergency contact sheet
Start with the information a roommate might need when someone else cannot speak or unlock their phone. For each person, record their preferred name, phone number, one emergency contact, relevant accessibility needs, and only the medical details they freely choose to share.
Add the property's full address, landlord or building manager, utility emergency numbers, and local non-emergency services. Emergency numbers vary by country, so confirm them from an official local source rather than copying a generic list.
Consent matters. Do not collect diagnoses, medication details, or family contacts without permission. Decide who can view the sheet and when it may be used. Review it every six months and whenever someone moves in or out.
Keep a printed copy in a known place, such as inside a kitchen cupboard, plus a digital copy available offline. A dead battery or internet outage should not make the plan disappear.
Map exits, meeting points, and responsibilities
Walk through the home instead of planning from the sofa. Identify at least two possible exits where the building allows it. Check that paths are clear and that everyone knows how door and window locks work. Never block fire doors or improvise an escape route that official guidance says is unsafe.
Choose the two meeting places recommended by the Red Cross. Make the nearby point precise, such as “the lamp post opposite number 24,” not “outside.” Pick an out-of-neighborhood location everyone can reach by a familiar route.
Assign only useful roles. One person may take the emergency folder if it is safe and immediately accessible. Another may help a roommate with an agreed accessibility need. Nobody should delay evacuation to collect belongings, find a pet, or complete a checklist. Once outside, count people and tell responders if someone may still be inside.
For a general move-in review that can catch access and contact gaps, use HomeCo's shared-home checklist: https://homeco.app/blog/moving-in-with-new-roommates-checklist
Prepare for likely local risks
A good plan reflects the home. Discuss fire, power cuts, severe weather, flooding, earthquakes, or heat according to credible local advice. Apartment residents should learn the building's alarm, evacuation, and shelter procedures. Houses may need a plan for shutting off utilities, but only if the provider says residents should do so and everyone knows how.
Build a shared supply kit around official recommendations in your area. Common items include water, shelf-stable food, torches, batteries, a radio, first-aid supplies, chargers, and copies of key documents. Each roommate remains responsible for personal medication and supplies.
Check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms according to manufacturer and local fire-service guidance. Report faulty building equipment rather than trying to repair it casually. Record the next test or replacement date where the household can see it.
Practise and maintain the plan
Run a short walk-through when the household is calm. Each person should locate the contact sheet, name both meeting points, and explain the safest known exit. Do not stage surprises, set off alarms without warning, or create realistic scenarios that could distress someone.
Afterward, ask what was unclear. Perhaps a key was hard to find, one route was cluttered, or a contact number had changed. Fix those issues and date the revision.
Should roommates share medical information?
Only voluntarily and only information that could be useful in an emergency. A roommate might choose to share an allergy or where they keep an emergency medication. Respect a decision not to disclose private health information.
Where should we store emergency contacts?
Use at least one printed location everyone knows and one secure digital location that is available offline. Avoid a single roommate's private account as the only copy.
How often should we review the plan?
Review it at least twice a year, after a move, and after any event that exposes a gap. Update contacts, access needs, supplies, and building instructions.
How HomeCo helps
HomeCo gives a household one place to keep safety reminders, assign preparation tasks, and confirm agreed meeting points. Set up your shared home at https://homeco.app, then keep a printed backup for power or connectivity failures. The app supports the plan, but official emergency guidance and immediate calls to local services come first.