Regardless of whether you’re a planner or more of a “go with the flow” type, it’s important to have a good idea of what your family would do in the case of an emergency. Knowing where you would go, what you would take from your home, whom you would call and even how you would evacuate your furry friend ahead of time can save you valuable moments during an emergency and reduce stress.
That’s where an emergency preparedness checklist comes in handy. Luckily, we’ve made it easy (and even fun) to prepare your home for all sorts of unexpected events. Simply print out these checklists and keep them handy so that you can relax knowing that you’re prepared for almost anything that comes your way. (Also make sure your home is as protected as it can be — check to see if you have enough homeowners insurance.)
Build a family emergency preparedness binder
There are many specific emergencies that your family should prepare for — fires, hurricanes and earthquakes, for example. However, let’s first explore how to create a general emergency binder to prepare for just about any situation that comes your way.
This emergency preparedness binder should include important contacts and documents, evacuation plans and meeting locations. Everyone in your home should be very familiar with the binder’s contents and where it lives in your home. Ideally, you should store it in a safe that’s both water- and fire-proof.
Here’s an in-depth look at exactly what you should put in your emergency preparedness binder. You can download the templates below. (To get your kids involved, have them help draw your home’s floor plans and encourage them to go on a scavenger hunt locating important items like fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.)
- Emergency contacts: In some emergency situations, you might not have access to your phone. That’s why you should write down several important phone numbers in your binder — numbers for out-of-state loved ones; VIPs who live nearby; administrators at your kids’ schools; your colleagues at work; your doctors and dentists; your utility providers; and non-emergency police and fire officials in town.
- Reunion locations: Determine where your family members should meet up if you’re separated from one another. Is it a neighbor’s home? A park? Another building in town? Make sure that everyone knows how to get to this location and that you write down the address and phone number.
- Home floor plans: This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Simply draw out the rough outlines of the rooms in your home and note the locations of fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, first aid kits, gas and electricity shut offs, ladders and safe rooms to settle in during emergencies. Also draw all available evacuation routes from each room in your home.
- Important documents: Include copies of passports, birth certificates, recent photo IDs, Social Security cards, adoption documents, insurance documents (like your home insurance declaration page and life insurance documents), home and car deeds, and wills. You never know when you might need to fill out important paperwork with information from these documents.
- Medical records: You’ll also want to include copies of your immunization records, medical insurance cards and prescriptions. This will help ensure you can get your medications refilled as soon as you need them if you’re unable to return home.
- Financial information: Certain emergencies can leave you without access to your wallet or the internet. That’s why it’s smart to include your credit card information, bank routing and account numbers, investment and 401(k) information in your emergency preparedness binder. (Remember that your binder might be one of the only items you have time to grab from your home in the event of an emergency. You’ll want easy access to your financial information.)
- Pet emergency information: Don’t forget about your furry friend. Make sure to include the name and phone number of your veterinarian, copies of your pets’ medical records and vaccine information, current photos, microchip identification numbers and contact information for local animal shelters.
