Free printable guides
Free Printable Preparedness Guides
50 practical guides, free for personal use. Print what you need and keep it handy at home, in your vehicle, or on the road. New to preparedness? Begin with Start Here.
These guides offer general information. They are not a substitute for instructions from local emergency officials or medical advice. For immediate emergencies in the U.S., call 911.
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Guide 29
Emergency Preparedness for Beginners: 30-Day Plan
A calm, practical 30-day starting plan. Preparedness is not about expecting the worst.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 22
Emergency Preparedness on a Budget
Preparedness is a series of sensible decisions, not a shopping contest.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 3
Home Emergency Preparedness
A calm, practical household plan for interruptions to power, water, communications and everyday routines.
View or Download Guide (5 pages)Guide 15
Evacuation Planning & Emergency Routes
Evacuation plans are not predictions. They are decisions you make while you have time to think.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 28
Supply Rotation & Emergency Kit Maintenance
An emergency kit is not a one-time purchase.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Kits, Food & Water
Guide 1
Your Grab-and-Go Emergency Bag
A practical, personal checklist for leaving home or camp quickly and safely. Build it once, make it yours, and check it regularly.
View or Download Guide (4 pages)Guide 4
Food & Water Storage and Rotation
A practical guide to building a pantry you actually use, with inventory and rotation worksheets.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 44
Water Contamination & Boil-Water Advisories
A practical household guide to water alerts, safe alternatives, storage, sanitation, and recovery.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 49
Supply Chain Disruptions & Shortages
A practical household plan for temporary shortages
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Power, Utilities & Communication
Guide 9
Power Outages & Backup Power
Plan essential loads, use backup power safely, and prepare for the hours when the grid is unavailable.
View or Download Guide (5 pages)Guide 36
Extended Utility Outages
A practical 72-hour-to-seven-day readiness guide for interruptions to electricity, water, heat, cooling, internet, and communications.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 10
Emergency Communication & Family Plans
A practical guide to staying connected when everyday systems fail
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Weather & Natural Hazards
Guide 11
Severe Weather & Shelter-in-Place Readiness
Make a practical plan for storms, extreme temperatures and other hazards that may require you to stay put or leave quickly.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 14
Winter Storms & Cold-Weather Survival
Cold weather can turn ordinary disruptions into serious emergencies.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 18
Heat Waves & Extreme Heat Preparedness
Heat can become dangerous quickly, especially when humidity is high, cooling systems fail, or people cannot get to a cooler place.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 19
Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality
Know the conditions. Protect your breathing. Make a plan.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 37
Flooding & Water Damage Preparedness
Prepare early. Follow local instructions. Protect people first.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 38
Earthquake Preparedness & Home Safety
Earthquakes can happen with little warning. Planning before shaking starts can reduce injuries, confusion, and damage.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 39
Tornado Preparedness & Shelter Planning
Tornadoes can develop quickly.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 40
Hurricane Preparedness & Evacuation Planning
Hurricanes can bring damaging winds, storm surge, intense rain, flash flooding, tornadoes, and prolonged utility outages.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 41
Landslides & Mudslides Preparedness
A practical guide to recognizing slope hazards, leaving early, and preparing for safer recovery.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 42
Thunderstorms & Lightning Preparedness
A practical guide to recognizing storm danger, finding safe shelter, and preparing for disruptions.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 43
Tsunami & Coastal Evacuation Preparedness
A practical planning guide for coastal residents, travelers, and anyone visiting tsunami-hazard areas.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Home Safety & Special Emergencies
Guide 13
Fire Safety & Home Evacuation
Prevent what you can. Recognize danger early. Know how to get out.
View or Download Guide (7 pages)Guide 12
Emergency Sanitation & Hygiene
When water, sewer service, or electricity fails, a simple sanitation plan protects health, preserves dignity, and makes an emergency easier to manage.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 45
Hazardous Materials Incidents
A practical guide to chemical releases, spills, transportation accidents, and unknown airborne hazards.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 46
Nuclear & Radiological Emergency Preparedness
A calm, practical household guide to protective actions, emergency information, and recovery planning.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 47
Infectious Disease Outbreaks
A calm, practical household preparedness guide.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 50
Extended Evacuations & Temporary Displacement
A practical guide for the days or weeks when returning home is not yet possible.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Travel & Mobile Living
Guide 2
Vehicle Readiness & Roadside Emergencies
A practical checklist and decision guide for everyday driving, solo travel and camping.
View or Download Guide (4 pages)Guide 8
Solo Travel & Campsite Safety
A calm, practical field guide for independent travelers, van campers, RVers and tent campers.
View or Download Guide (5 pages)Guide 26
RV, Van & Mobile Living Preparedness
When your vehicle is also your home, a small mechanical or weather problem can become a shelter problem.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 27
Long-Distance Road Trip Preparedness
Plan ahead. Stay flexible. Travel with confidence.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 30
Hotel & Vacation Rental Emergency Preparedness
A calm, practical arrival-to-departure plan for staying somewhere unfamiliar.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 35
Public Transportation & Air Travel
A little preparation makes delays, disruptions and unfamiliar places easier to navigate.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
People, Pets & Homes
Guide 16
Pet Emergency Preparedness & Evacuation
Pets rely on us for safe shelter, transportation, food, medication, and identification.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 17
Seniors & Mobility Emergency Readiness
An accessible emergency plan for older adults and people with mobility needs
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 24
Emergency Preparedness for Children & Families
A calm family plan makes it easier for children and caregivers to know what happens next.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 31
Power-Dependent Medical Equipment
For people using electricity-dependent medical devices, caregivers, and support partners.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 32
Emergency Preparedness for People Living Alone
Independent living, supported by a plan. Preparedness without fear. Living with intention.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 23
Apartment & Renter Readiness
A practical guide for small spaces, shared buildings, and flexible living.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 25
Rural & Remote Living Preparedness
A practical guide to making your home, land, and travel routes more resilient when help, supplies, and reliable connections may be farther away.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Health, Safety & Records
Guide 7
First Aid & Medical Readiness
Build a useful first-aid kit, plan for medications, and know how to ask for help.
View or Download Guide (5 pages)Guide 6
Personal Safety & Situational Awareness
A calm, practical workbook for everyday life, solo travel and the unexpected.
View or Download Guide (5 pages)Guide 5
Important Documents & Digital Backups
Know what you have. Protect what matters. Make recovery easier.
View or Download Guide (5 pages)Guide 20
Financial Emergency Preparedness
A financial emergency can follow a storm, evacuation, illness, loss of income, or a disruption to banking and communications.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 48
Cyberattacks & Digital Disruptions
A practical household guide to protecting accounts, devices, records, and essential services when technology fails or is attacked.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)
Community & Work
Guide 21
Neighborhood Preparedness & Mutual Aid
A practical guide to helping one another before, during, and after emergencies. Prepare for tomorrow. Live today.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 33
Small Business & Home Office Emergency Preparedness
A practical, printable continuity guide for independent business owners, freelancers, makers, and home-based operations.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)Guide 34
Community Events & Gatherings
A practical safety guide for small events, neighborhood gatherings, family reunions, fairs, and volunteer-led activities.
View or Download Guide (6 pages)