By Johnny MendezA one-page emergency sheet every household should complete.
Here’s a question most homeowners have probably never considered: If you weren’t home and a pipe burst, would anyone else in your household know where to shut off the water?
A lot of us keep important information about our homes in our heads. We know where the electrical panel is, which breaker controls what, who serviced the HVAC system, where the insurance information is and who to call when something goes wrong.
That works until someone else needs the information quickly.
I created the Gold Star Home Emergency Sheet to help you keep the essentials in one place. It includes space for your home’s shutoffs, insurance information, emergency contractors, HVAC details, alarm company, trusted local contact and other instructions your household may need.
Download it, complete it and keep a copy somewhere accessible. Make sure everyone in your household knows where it is. I would also give a copy to anyone who regularly watches your home, children or pets.
One important reminder: Don’t write passwords, alarm codes or sensitive financial information on a copy that could be easily found. Instead, note where that information is securely stored.
Hopefully, you never need to use this sheet during a real emergency. But if something happens while you’re traveling, unavailable or simply not the person standing closest to the problem, having everything in one place could make the situation much easier to handle.