National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #8 - Emergency Documents

Are you ready to get back to National Preparedness Month? When I actually looked back over my blogs, I wasn't that far behind, but it was nice to take a break.

Today's topic is rather time consuming, so prepare yourself! It helps if you have a printer that is a copier, as a lot of our work will be copying documents.

I keep thinking about the Ike victims and how life must be upside down for them! Today's topic is very applicable to such disasters - having copies of important documents at your fingertips. Doing this and the things we've been talking about would make having to go through such a time a tiny bit easier, I think.

When we plan for an emergency, we need to plan for the worst. That would include loss of property and God forbid, loss of life of a loved one. To prepare for recovery following an emergency, it is important to have documents that will facilitate that recovery.

Homeland Security suggests copying the following documents, placing them in a waterproof container, and storing them in your emergency kit:
- family records
- medical records
- wills
- deeds
- social security number and contact information
- charge account numbers, expiration dates, and contact information
- bank account numbers and contact information
- tax records for the last five years
- medical insurance information
- Medicare cards and contact information
- the style and serial number of medical devices or other life-sustaining devices (include operating information and instructions)
- contact information of your medical providers
- the names and contact information of your support network (we’ll talk about your support network soon)
- if you have a communication disability, make sure your emergency information notes the best way to communicate with you.
- my addition: the name and phone number of your insurance carriers, lawyer

I would suggest keeping another copy in your safe deposit box, one in your safe, and giving a copy to a family member.

Any documentation we're missing?


Related Posts: National Preparedness Month - Making a Plan, National Preparedness Month - Determining Potential Emergencies, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #1: NOAA Radio, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #2: Landline Phone, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #3 - Water, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #4 - First Aid Kit, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #5 - Additional Supplies, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #6 - Food, National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #7 - Medications and Medical Supplies

Source: National Preparedness Month