Family Reunification: Reconnecting Loved Ones After an Incident

Before an emergency is considered ‘stabilized’ and the smoke clears, the task of relocating everyone impacted at the scene begins. Affected families will be searching for those relocated or injured as sirens sound in the streets and chaos ensues. Meanwhile, NewYork-Presbyterian’s team, alongside New York City Emergency Management, must also survey through the characteristics of those receiving treatment, simultaneously working to provide information to the surges of people calling in to locate their loved ones. Situations like this highlight the need for cross-functional team planning ahead of a potential event—whether you’re preparing a family reunification process from a hospital, emergency management agency, higher education, or healthcare coalition perspective.

Get the right people involved.

How to identify key stakeholders and other players in your family reunification plan.

Close gaps in plans.

Find gaps in plans in your reunification plan before an activation does.

Practice makes perfect: exercises.

Translate best practices from shared exercises with stakeholders to your plans.