An emergency
Someone close to you is suddenly unwell or unavailable, and you need to gather their belongings and reach the right people.
Free printable download
Free Emergency Checklist
A calm, step-by-step guide for the person who steps in when someone has an emergency, can no longer manage their own affairs, or has passed away. It helps you know what to do first, and what can wait.
If someone is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first. This checklist is for the practical steps that come after. It is a general guide only; laws and agency names vary by location, and it is not a substitute for legal, medical, or financial advice.
Who the checklist is for
Anyone who ends up helping: a relative, partner, friend, neighbor, caregiver, or executor. You do not need to be family, and you do not need to have everything figured out.
Incapacity
A person can no longer manage things themselves. The checklist points you to healthcare proxies, powers of attorney, and the documents they may need.
A loss
Someone has passed away. The checklist spreads the notifications and paperwork over the days and weeks that follow, and reminds you to look after yourself.
What is inside: six sections, in order
The most urgent steps come first, followed by tasks for the days and weeks ahead. Timing depends on the situation; check any deadlines with the appropriate professionals. A notes page at the end gives you room for names, reference numbers, and dates of calls.
Secure personal belongings
- Wallet or purse, mobile phone, and keys
- Glasses, hearing aids, or mobility aids
- Handwritten notes, letters, and notebooks
- USB drives and memory cards
Notify the people who need to know
- Next of kin and the nominated emergency contact
- Executor, healthcare proxy, or power of attorney holder
- Primary care physician and employer
- Any person or animal who depends on them for daily care
Locate important documents
- Identification and insurance cards
- Life insurance and retirement account documents
- Advance directive and power of attorney documents
- Property, vehicle, trust, and business papers
Practical steps
- Secure doors, windows, and locks
- Check the mail for time-sensitive letters
- Do not cancel accounts or subscriptions right away
- Attend to perishables, plants, or animals
Accounts and organizations
- Banks and financial institutions first
- Retirement and insurance providers
- Government benefit agencies
- Subscriptions, memberships, and rewards programs
Take care of yourself
- You do not need to do everything at once
- Accept offers of help
- Keep a simple log of what is done
- Reach out for support if you need to talk
How to use it
Simple enough to keep in a drawer until the day it is useful.
Open the PDF directly. There is nothing to sign up for.
Keep a printed copy somewhere the people around you can find it.
Let the people you trust know where the copy is kept.
Pass it on freely. It costs nothing and may help someone a great deal.
The checklist is easier when the details already exist
Be Sure They Know is one private place for the information, instructions, contacts, and meaningful details you want the people around you to know. The checklist works on its own; an account is entirely optional.
Included with Essentials, free
- My Contacts: the people who matter, in one organized place
- My Life Logistics: accounts, insurance providers, subscriptions, and utilities
- Where to Find My Things: where each important document is stored
- My Instructions and Pet Care: your arrangements in your own words
Optional Pro Plus sharing tools
- Go Team sharing roles: choose who can access which records, and when
- Emergency access, a wallet card, and notifications for contacts you choose
- Full Shared View and Release Confirmer controls
- You decide what is shared and under which conditions
Record where sensitive items are kept rather than listing passwords. Be Sure They Know is not a medical alert or monitoring service. Features depend on your plan.
Questions about the emergency checklist
Is the emergency checklist really free?
Yes. The PDF downloads directly with no form, email address, account, or credit card. You are welcome to print it and share it.
Who is the checklist for?
It is for anyone who steps in when someone has an emergency, becomes unable to manage their own affairs, or passes away. That might be a relative, partner, friend, neighbor, caregiver, or executor.
What should I do first in an emergency?
If anyone is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first. Once it is safe, the checklist starts with securing personal belongings and notifying the people who need to know.
Is this legal, medical, or financial advice?
No. It is a general guide only. Laws and agency names vary by location, so check with the appropriate professionals for your situation.
Related Resources
Keep a copy where it can be found.
Download it now, print it, and tell the people around you where it is.