Emergencies can happen at any time, so it’s important to have clear procedures in place. This guide explains how to use Famly to support your evacuation process, keep track of children and staff, and communicate effectively with parents. Following these steps helps ensure everyone stays safe and accounted for.
Assign a designated person
As part of your evacuation procedure, we recommend assigning a specific staff member to:
Bring a tablet with the app
Have access to a charged mobile phone
Communicate with parents during the incident
Having one clear point of responsibility helps avoid confusion in urgent situations.
Internet Access Outside the Building
Because Famly is cloud-based, you need an internet connection to access your data during an evacuation. If your tablets do not have built-in mobile data, there are a few practical options:
Install the app on a mobile phone with data so it can be accessed directly if needed. This is usually best suited to a manager or office-based staff member rather than practitioners on the floor
Use a mobile phone hotspot to tether your tablet to a data connection. Make sure the tablet has connected to that hotspot at least once beforehand, so the network is saved
Ensure designated devices are fully charged, and consider keeping a backup device available
Finding Your Evacuation List
You can quickly see who is signed in by using either of the following methods.
Option 1: Use the Evacuation List report
Go to Reports and select Custom Lists
Open the preset list Evacuation List
This shows all children currently signed in. You can customise the list to include additional details such as parent contact information. The data updates live as long as you are online. You can also create a similar list for staff.
Option 2: Use the live overview
Log in and go to Home → Overview
Open the All Rooms tab
Click the green tick icon beneath the graph
This shows all staff and children currently signed in.
💡 We recommend practising how to access this information during evacuation drills so staff know exactly where to find it in an emergency.
Contacting Parents During an Emergency
Once everyone is accounted for, you can notify parents directly through the app. Clear communication is important, but messages should remain calm and factual.
To message only parents with children currently signed in:
Go to Home → Overview
Open the All Rooms tab
Click the green tick icon to show signed-in children
Select Select all children
Click Send
Choose Post and write your message
This ensures you contact only the relevant families.
If Devices are Lost During an Evacuation
Do not worry about the data on your tablets. All information in Famly is stored securely in the cloud, meaning it can be accessed from another device once you are back online.