Creating an Emergency Contact List

An emergency contact list can save precious time when needed the most. By creating an emergency contact list, you won’t need to scramble for a phone number when time isn’t on your side.

Which Numbers to Include on the List?

Your emergency contact list should include the phone numbers of the most essential people in your family’s lives, such as:

•    Your cell phone number
•    Your spouse’s cell phone number
•    Nearby relatives
•    Trustworthy neighbors
•    Pediatrician
•    Other physicians
•    Pharmacy
•    Veterinarian
•    Your employer
•    Your spouse’s employer
•    Your child’s school front office
•    Your child’s school nurse

Other phone numbers to include on your emergency contact list could be agencies or organizations, such as:
•    Poison control
•    Police department
•    Fire department
•    Ambulance
•    Closest hospital
•    24-hour clinic
•    Taxi service

Who Should Have a Copy?

Store the list in your cell phone, and keep a copy easily accessible at home. Consider taping it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet or posting it on a family bulletin board. So that, for example, if your child has an allergic reaction while you are out of town, your babysitter will be equipped to handle the situation in your absence.

Also, consider giving a copy to your child’s school or daycare center to keep on file. Any family relatives or other parents who may have your child in their care temporarily should also have a copy.

Additional Considerations

Update your contact list regularly. Upon moving to another town updating your emergency list should be one of the first things that you and your family do.

The same rules apply for traveling. Create a temporary emergency contact list that you can carry with you when traveling that includes the phone number of a local taxi company, the police department and a nearby hospital. Keep in mind that if you travel to a foreign country, dialing 9-1-1 may not connect you to an emergency answering service. Learn important phone numbers before you travel, to protect your family and yourself in the event of an emergency.