Important Documents
While it is not possible to list everything needed for every individual, the lists will function as guidelines and jog your memory to include certain basic items. These decisions should not be made last minute.
- Emergency contact list and phone numbers
- Family emergency contact list and phone numbers
- Copies of important documents such as insurance
- Photocopies of identification (driver license etc.)
- Photocopies of credit cards
- Maps of local area and places you might evacuate to
Take advantage of digital technology and place as much information on USB flash drives to make storage easier. For that matter, you could lay out documents and take close up pictures with a good digital camera for record keeping. This is not ideal, but it will work!
Having physical copies of credit cards, personal identification and vital documents is a good idea, but has greater risk of falling into the wrong hands. If this information is on a USB drive in your personal pouch, there is less chance of it being lost or stolen. Each responsible adult could have his or her own flash drive with individualized information.
Original documents of important papers need to be stored in a safe/lockbox at home that is water and fire proof or else need to be stored off-site in a place such as a bank safe deposit box. Exceptions would be the personal identification documents that you either carry on your person most of the time or need frequent access to. Copies of these documents need to be placed in the safe/lockbox or bank safe deposit box. Password protect digital information.