Emergency Grab ‘n’ Go Binder (free printables)
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Why should you have an Emergency Grab 'n' Go binder?
In an emergency, you may have to leave your home suddenly. Having all of your vital information in one place will provide you with peace of mind. It is best to remain calm in the face of an emergency, but not always our first response. With a grab ‘n’ go binder you will have the important documents to get benefits or help, if displaced, or be able to get replacements if destroyed. It may provide you with the proof you need to rebuild your life after a disaster. The information kept in the binder can also be used in your day to day life.
Where do you start, to put your grab 'n' go emergency binder together?
There are many great down-loadable forms available on the internet, such as the Canadian Red Cross, government sites and others. They all have some things in common. I have created my own forms which you can download here. Everyone’s situation is a little different, so just print out the ones you need.
Know your risk...
1. Do you live in a flood zone? Are you living in an area prone to earthquakes, forest fires, storms or other severe weather situations? Power outages can also wreak havoc on many aspects of our lives. There isn’t always time to get anything in an emergency. If all you can grab is your Emergency bag and binder you will be able to survive a few days and rebuild your life without too much difficulty. How likely is an event likely to happen where you are?
Make a plan...
2.Who will you call first? What will you do? Where will you go? Designate a meeting place for your household members if you get separated. Who will be responsible for doing what?
Have a 72 hour kit for each member of your family...
3.Include clothes, toiletries, medications, water, snacks, or other items that you think are essential to make the first few days more tolerable. Don’t forget to include any essentials for your pets.
(I will do a separate post on this.)
No one expects disaster to strike and it is not a good idea to get paranoid in anticipating the worst. We can mitigate some of our fears by being prepared, in a small way. Having an organized binder ready to go in an emergency will make your life easier to put back together when it is over.
How to make a grab 'n' go emergency binder...
First you will need a binder. It can be a basic binder, large enough to put all your documents in. A zippered binder with a handle or one that has it’s own case can be extra reassurance when you have loose items. Use plastic page protectors for lists and a ringed pocket envelope for USB drives and other small important documents. ie. passports, immunization cards, etc. or you may just want to photo copy these. You may want to photo copy driver’s licenses, health cards and other things you would normally keep in your wallet.
1.Make an info sheet for each person in your household.Include a picture and important facts about each person – name, birthdate and place, medical information, health insurance #, etc. (*Don’t forget to make one for your pets too.)
2.Family and friends contact list. So many people rely on their cell phones today that they don’t even remember their own number! What would you do if you didn’t have your phone with all the numbers you needed?
3. Medical contact list. Include phone numbers, emails, website addresses and any other pertinent information.
4. Important Service Provider contact list.
- Gas company
- Hydro company
- Police
- Fire Department
- Local Hospital
- Other
5. Utility shut-off information and location of tools, if needed. Know where your water and gas shut-offs are and the master switch for hydro.
6. Insurance providers.
- Health
- Life
- Disability
- Car
- Home
*Include a home inventory – list valuable items and serial numbers, if applicable. You could also take a video and save it on a flash-drive.
7.Copies of Important Documents.
- Wills
- POAs
- passports
- birth certificates
- marriage certificates
- adoption papers
- deeds
- current income tax records
- other
9. Financial Contacts
- Banks
- Investments
- Credit Cards – you can also photo copy front and back of cards.
- Business Partners,
- etc.
Where to keep a grab 'n' go emergency binder...
With all this personal, important information you don’t want it to be obvious to anyone coming into your home. It still needs to be somewhere that you can get it quickly if you have to evacuate. You could have it in a regular binder that blends in with others, stored in a closet or drawer, or it can be kept in a fireproof safe if it fits.
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