Updated 2020-11-08
This Family Contingency Binder is part of your Family Emergency Plan. A Family Contingency Binder annex form is being developed as part of the Family Emergency Plan documents and will be made available to Patreon subscribers when completed.
The Family Contingency binder is your collection of important documents all in one place. It can be a physical binder or a USB flash drive or similar. Obviously a flash drive is more convenient to store and can be kept in your bug out bag, but original documents will need to be in a binder, especially those that might be difficult to replace, such as birth certificates.
In this section we will look at some of the documents and information that should be part of your contingency binder.
Important Documents
There are some documents that you will want to have the originals of. This does not preclude having a scanner copy on a USB drive that can serve as a backup and be kept in your bug out back and perhaps also in your get home bag.
You could also have a copy on a cloud base storage, however make sure that you have a complex password to protect your files.
Original Documents
This should include:
- Property deeds
- Vehicle titles
- Insurance documents; life insurance
Other Documents
These are documents that will help you recover from any disaster and should include:
- Tax documents – at least the past 3 years but longer if you are still paying the IRS
- Bank & credit card account information
- include a copy of your credit cards which includes the number to report loss/theft
- Insurance policies (many are now electronic)
- List of all utility company account information
- Telephone, cell phone, internet
- Electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash
- Vehicle titles (e-copies)
- Valuable property, list & photographs, receipts & valuations
- Passport: copy of the information page
- Licenses:
- professional
- firearms permits
- Additional family documents (see below)
Family Documents
While these are still important documents we have categorized these as family documents:
- Birth certificates
- Social Security cards
- Will’s, Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, Medical Directives, Deeds of Trust, etc.
- Medical records
- Immunizations
- list of doctors, dentist
- surgeries
- medication lists
- School records
- Child ID kit information
- school records
- regular pictures
- Pets
- Chip ID information
- veterinary information
- immunization records
Genealogy Records
These are records of your family. Some families have a family bible, that has records of births, marriages and deaths. Others have done research to record their family tree. Much of this is web based but some might have original paper copies of birth certificates etc.
Pictures are also important. Again you might have original documents, but also scan and keep copies on a USB and cloud backup drive.
Mind Map
If you are a Patreon member you can get the mind map here.
Emergency Plans
We show you how to develop a family emergency plan under the planning section. You should have a copy (electronic) copy of your plan with you at all times. The best way is a USB flash drive as well as a cloud drive.
As we discuss under planning your plan will include the following:
- Trigger points
- Action items
- Meeting locations
- Communications Plan
- contact numbers
- radio channels/frequencies
- Amateur Radio
- FRS/GMRS channels
- Area assessment
Final Thoughts
Having a family emergency and communications plan is important. Having a bug out bag for each family member is also important. As we have seen with the wildfire season this year you might have minutes to get out of your house. Many people got out with just what they were wearing.
So create yourself an action plan today, collect the documents, pictures, etc., and put a contingency binder/USB drive together TODAY.