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EMERGENCY ESCAPE PLAN
An Emergency Escape Plan focuses on things you can do in advance to be better prepared in case you must suddenly leave an abusive situation.
Note: If you have children, plan to escape with them if you can. If you try to get them later, police won’t be able to help you remove them from their other parent unless you have a valid court order
Here are steps you can take to prepare your personalized Emergency Escape Plan:
1) Photocopy the following items and store the copies in a safe place (e.g. at the home of a friend or family member, with your lawyer or in a safety deposit box). Hide the originals somewhere else if you can.
- Passports, birth certificates, immigration papers, for all family members
- Proof of cohabitation (envelope with your name and your partner’s name) and proof of income
- School and vaccination records
- Driver’s license and registration
- Medications, prescriptions, medical records for all family members
- Welfare identification
- Work permits
- Divorce papers, custody documentation, court orders, restraining orders, marriage certificate
- Lease/rental agreement, house deed, mortgage payment book
- Bank books
- Insurance papers
- Address/telephone book
- Picture of spouse/partner
- Health cards for yourself and family members
- All cards you normally use (e.g., banking, credit, telephone, Social Insurance)
2) Try to keep in your wallet all the cards you normally use:
- Social Insurance cards
- Credit cards
- Phone card
- Banking cards
- Health cards
- Driver’s license
3) Keep your wallet and purse handy, and have in them the following:
- Car/house/office keys
- Checkbook, bank books/statements
- Driver’s license, registration, insurance
- Address/telephone book
- Picture of spouse/partner
- Emergency money (in cash) hidden away
4) Also keep these items handy so you can grab them quickly:
- Emergency suitcase with immediate needs
- Special toys, comforts for children
- Jewelry
- Small saleable objects
- Items of special sentimental value
- Anything else important to you and your children
- A list of other items you’d like to get later if possible (police may arrange to bring you back later to remove additional personal belongings)
5) Also take these important steps as you are able:
- Plan and rehearse the steps you’ll take if you need to leave quickly, so you know them well. Consider your emergency exits, where you’ll go next and how you’ll get there. Just as each woman’s situation is different, so each woman’s plan will be different. Consider what steps would be right for you.
- The first step in any safety plan should be to get children out of danger. See Child Safety Plan for more on how to increase the safety of your children.
- Create and keep handy a telephone list including numbers you are likely to need (e.g., local police, closest shelter or our Crisis Line if you live in our area, family members, counselors, friends and children’s friends).
- Make arrangements with friends or family so you can stay with them if necessary. Otherwise plan to stay at a shelter. Call our Crisis Line at one of the numbers shown elsewhere on this page if you have questions about this (e.g., how to get to one of our shelters or what to bring).
- Open a bank account in your own name and arrange that no bank statements or other calls be made to you. Or, arrange that mail be sent to a friend or family member.
- Save and set aside as much money as you can – out of grocery money if necessary.
- Set aside, in a place you can get to quickly, $10 to $15 for cab fare, and change for the telephone.
- Hide extra clothing, house keys, car keys, money, etc. at a friend’s house.
- Consider getting a safety deposit box at a bank that your partner doesn’t use.
6) To review ways to increase your safety during a violent incident, click here.
7) For last-minute tips in case you should need to escape to one of our emergency shelters, click here.
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