Create a Family Safety Binder at Home

You don’t want to be caught off guard by an emergency. Anything from an urgent medical concern to a storm-fueled power outage can put your family at risk. That’s why it’s so important to be ready with a family safety binder. 

Read on as we explore the key items to include in your safety binder so you can navigate an emergency well. 

Understand What a Family Safety Binder Does

It can be helpful to view a family safety binder as your central hub for key details about your home. It can be a literal binder, or it can be a digital folder that’s easy to access. Ultimately, what’s housed within the binder should be well-organized and clear. 

Whether your spouse needs to use it or a babysitter, they should be able to open the binder and select the right section quickly. Place your binder in a common space, like a kitchen drawer. Or place it in your office on a bookshelf. Make sure it’s highly visible and don’t lock it. 

Include Key Contact Information

If there’s an emergency, quick and clear communication is key. At the front of your binder, designate a section where you list important contact information. This could include names, phone numbers, and addresses for parents, grandparents, and other relatives. Indicate how each person is related or connected to your family. You can include neighbors, as well. 

Add names and contact details for any doctors or dentists your family sees. Similarly, pertinent school staff members, workplace managers, and other names associated with daily activities should be kept in this section. And don’t overlook service technicians, like electricians or cleanup services. If your basement starts flooding, you’ll want to know how to reach your plumber immediately. And if your furnace goes out in the middle of the night, you’ll need to reach an HVAC specialist right away. 

Devote a Section to Important Documents

It’s smart to have copies of critical financial and travel documents gathered in a section of your binder, as well. For instance, you should place copies of social security cards and driver’s licenses in plastic sleeves. If you have an emergency stash of cash hidden in your home, provide directions to it. 

Include information related to any bank or brokerage accounts, plus insurance policies. Specify vital details like the policy number and names of institutions where you have accounts, like Everly Life. For life insurance policies, indicate the names of beneficiaries and key policy details. 

Provide Clear Directions

Sometimes, emergencies can involve evacuations. You may smell gas or experience a fire, and anyone in your home will need to get out quickly. Detail a few exit route options, and print out maps that you store in the main rooms of your home. You should have a plan to account for any pets in your home, too. If you need to leave the home, make sure you have a designated meeting spot for your family members. And if you’re in a region that sees natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes, indicate the names and locations of any emergency shelters. 

Add Medication Lists and Medical Details

In a medical emergency, it’s important for those helping you to know about your health situation. Your emergency binder should list all medications and dosages for each member of your family. It should indicate where those medications are stored, too. If anyone in your household has a chronic illness or other special consideration, like a nut allergy, also mention that information in your binder. 

Add copies of health insurance cards, and write down the phone number of your pharmacy. As your health situation evolves, plan on updating the binder. If you start taking a blood thinner, for instance, you’ll want to add that to your medication list. Plan on revisiting this section of your binder every six months to ensure accuracy. 

Provide Peace of Mind

Yes, developing a comprehensive family safety binder will take some thought and time. But you’ll be glad you have it when the moment comes to make quick decisions. Make sure you organize it clearly and update it throughout the year. You’ll feel at ease knowing you and your family members have a central source of information when an emergency occurs.