Documents and contacts

The Be Ready checklist has a category called money and documents. Its reasoning is practical: when the phone is flat and the internet is down, a printed copy is the only copy.

What to copy

Be Ready asks for printed copies of important documents, naming passports, birth certificates, insurance policy details and instructions for any medical equipment you rely on. The flooding page adds that important documents such as birth certificates should be stored in resealable water-tight plastic bags to protect them from water damage, and sentimental or valuable items moved upstairs or to a high shelf. Be Ready also suggests the household emergency plan be kept with passports, birth certificates and insurance policies, so everything can be gathered quickly if you have to leave.

If you can, Be Ready suggests helping someone else by photocopying or printing their important documents for them.

What to write down

The checklist's line is important phone numbers and information. Be Ready's fuller list, from its household plan advice, is:

• The number to report a power cut: 105 in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own number, given on the Be Ready page.
• The phone numbers of anyone you would want to contact in an emergency, including anyone who might need checking on.
• A list of your regular medication and doses.
• The frequencies of the radio stations you use for news.
• Your insurance policy details.

The phone and broadband page names the people whose numbers matter most: family, neighbours, doctor and utilities. The disabled persons and carers page adds the clinical care team, meaning the GP, the pharmacy, any hospital specialist and any mental health support worker, together with details of ongoing treatment and instructions for where and how to switch off the gas, electricity and water.

On the phone as well

Add emergency contacts or medical information to the phone's ICE or Medical ID feature so the emergency services can reach it without the passcode. Be Ready asks you to think about how sensitive the information is, since anyone with the phone could see it, and to tell the person you have named. Store one or more emergency contact numbers in the phone and keep a written copy in a wallet or purse when travelling.

Where to keep them

Keep the written notes with the torch and the radio, in a place that is easy to find in the dark. That is Be Ready's advice for the power cut notes, and it serves for the rest. A grab bag of items you would take if asked to leave quickly is a natural home for the copies; Be Ready's flooding page lists important documents among its grab bag contents, alongside medication, a first aid kit, a torch, bottled water, warm waterproof clothing and baby care items.

Schools and workplaces

Check your child's school or childcare provider holds the correct contact numbers for you, in case they need to reach you during an emergency. Be Ready says schools should have plans for severe weather, loss of utilities and fire. Check too whether your workplace has a plan for what you should do if you cannot contact it during an emergency, for example in a power cut.

The downloadable Be Ready household emergency plan, which has space for these details, is at https://beready.campaign.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/252/2026/10/Be-Ready_Household_Emergency_Plan_English_Final.pdf. See the household emergency plan page for what to decide.