The very first thing that most families in the USA did when the attack on 9-11 happened was to contact each other. Phone lines were jammed. Information was bottle-necked. Planes were grounded and many were frustrated at trying to contact others in their families.
Our kids were younger, and we were outside playing when it all happened, and my husband was working in a neighboring county several miles away. We knew nothing until we came in and found there had been SEVERAL calls left on the voice mail of him trying to get in touch with us.
It’s natural in a disaster, attack or emergency to want to locate (or even huddle) our family together. The sad thing is, many of us are not prepared with that information before the tragedy happens and then we scramble.
In the past few centuries, with the aid cars and airplanes, families have spread farther and farther in geographical location. Contact information is absolutely vital in this day and age.
Do you know your adult son’s extension at work? What about his wife’s contact information if you can’t reach him? If you do, does anyone else if you were incapacitated?
Now, while life is peaceful (or at least relatively) is a good time to get this info on each person.
Remember that this information is not always just for you! Make it clear and easy for another family member or someone that is coming to your aid to see and use.
Feel free to copy and paste this into your own document file to make a sheet for each person that is important to keep current contact information:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RELATIONSHIP TO US/ME:__________________________________________
HOME PHONE: (_______)_______________________
HOME PHYSICAL ADDRESS:__________________________________________
CITY,__________________________STATE:_____________ZIP_____________
WORK PHONE: (_______)_______________________EXTENSION_____________
WORK PHYSICAL ADDRESS: ___________________________________________
CITY,__________________________STATE:_____________ZIP_____________
HIS/HER SPOUSE’S NAME:____________________________________________
SPOUSES’S WORK PHONE: (______)__________________EXTENSION_________
SPOUSES’S WORK ADDRESS:__________________________________________
CITY,___________________________STATE:_____________ZIP____________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make one page for EACH of your relatives and/or close friends that would need immediate contact in case of an emergency. Alphabetize in the front section of your RED book.
Keeping cool in an emergency situation is vital. Keeping contact with loved-ones helps calm the storm. Set up your RED book so you can do both!
Best Blessings and enJOY the journey!
The Millers
by » RED (Real Emergency Directions) Book – Next Step – Tab Markers, on 03.17.10 @ 11:18 am
[...] and you know WHY you need a book instead of relying on memory. Hopefully you’ve started with ‘Step 1′ and ‘Step 2′ and now see the need to organize it. It’s time to keep moving forward [...]