It is just after the first of the year and many of you are making resolutions. I implore you to please ADD “Gather ALL of my VITAL DOCUMENTS” to the list. 

In just the last few weeks a close friend and a dear client both suffered devastating home fires and 1000 homes were destroyed in Colorado! Be prepared and make January 2022 your deadline to use my FREE downloadable comprehensive checklist. 

Include original documents or copies, whatever you are most comfortable with, but the KEY is to have ALL of this crucial information in a sturdy water- and fire-proof “Grab-and-Go Bag”!  

Too often these papers are scattered, filed throughout the home, or entirely impossible to find. During an emergency situation, you will not be thinking clearly, so doing this in advance is essential! 

Let all your family members know where your Emergency Bag will always be stored. I suggest putting it someplace easy to reach in a crisis, like a mudroom!

A complete list of what you should include can be found HERE but some primary items are: 

• birth certificates or adoption records 
• social security card and passport (check the passport’s expiration date, make a note when to renew it)
• marriage or divorce papers
• identification like a valid driver’s license or Real ID card (which you will need by May 3, 2023)

You should also collect cash, financial, medical, and contact info to complete your grab-and-go bag. I also have a list of other important and sentimental items tucked into my bag to refer to IF I have more time to collect other things before evacuation. I purchased this waterproof tote bag to hold our laptops and phones and already have extra charging cords stored inside.

In addition, I suggest scanning a copy of everything to store in a secure cloud location, or at least on a flash drive that you can give to someone you trust.

See MY full checklist HERE and resolve to complete this task in January. If you think that your family and friends would benefit from this list as well, please share this link!