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What to put in a family emergency binder

A family emergency binder — sometimes called an “in case of emergency” file — is one place that holds the information your family would need to find fast in a crisis. Here’s what to include, and a calmer, private way to keep it that people actually maintain.

What to include in your emergency file

Start with the information someone would look for first if you were unavailable. You don’t need all of it at once — even the basics give your family a head start.

Tip: record where sensitive things are kept — a location or hint — rather than full passwords, PINs, or account numbers. That keeps the file safe to hand to someone in a hard moment.

Binder, Google Doc, or app?

A paper binder or a shared document works — until it doesn’t. The hard part isn’t starting one; it’s keeping it current and making sure your family can actually find and use it.

A paper binderTangible, but easy to leave out of date, hard to hand off, and vulnerable to fire, flood, or simply being misplaced.
A Google Doc or NotesConvenient, but usually scattered, unstructured, and quietly forgotten — and it may live in an account your family can’t reach.

A calmer, private way to do it

Guided, not just a template. Private, not a subscription. One calm place, not hundreds of papers to comb through. Life on Track walks you through what to enter first, keeps everything on your own device, and gives your family a clear, printable handoff for the moment they need it.

Start with the free 5-Minute Family Readiness Check

A simple, printable starting point for the information your family would need first — no account required.