Joe: Do you have an “Emergency Notification Card” in your wallet? It probably provides the name, home address and home phone number of your spouse. But, what if both of you are injured together? Is there an alternative person to notify? What if you are on an RV trip and one of you is injured while away from the RV while the other is waiting in the campground? How will the non-injured person get notified?
Create your own “Emergency Notification Card”. One that provides:
Spouse’s name,
Spouse’s home, work and cell-phone numbers.
Names and phone numbers of one or two adult children or relatives.
Name and phone number of your primary physician.
A brief description of any serious medical conditions you may have.
A list of the medications you are taking.
A list of any medications to which you are allergic.
Location of your Living Will (Advanced Health Care Directive).
This Emergency Notification Card should provide emergency-response and medical personnel with the information they need to give you emergency aid without doing further harm. They will also be able to notify your loved ones of your situation.
You can make your own Emergency Notification Card. Cut 3/4 of an inch off the end of a 3”x 5” index card. Fold it in half. You now have a 3”x 2 1/8” folded card that will easily fit into the card-holder section of your wallet. Write “Emergency Notification” in red ink on the portion of the card that is visible when the wallet is opened. You can type or print a lot of information on the four “pages” of this card
Vicki: Some RVers like to carry an additional card or paper with the name and location of the campground where they are staying, the description and license number of their RV, and information about pets that may be inside the RV. Carrying this additional information makes sense if you are staying in the same campground for a period of time. Keeping it updated on a daily basis while traveling, however, could get real tedious.
In this case, it might be easier to just have a card with your name, description and license number of your RV, and information about any pets that may be inside. You could clip it to the campground’s brochure and place it on the center console of your transportation vehicle when you temporarily leave the campground. Keep the card in your glove box when you don’t need it.
You should also carry your medical insurance card in your wallet. Be sure to ask your insurer if you are covered and what procedures you should follow if you need medical care while traveling.
A Living Will tells medical personnel and others your wishes regarding the use of life-prolonging procedures. Be sure to inform the individuals listed on your Emergency Notification Card of the existence and location of your Living Will. You could also note its location on your Emergency Notification Card. We keep ours in a fire- resistant safe in our RV.
The stress of a crisis may prevent you from remembering the license plate number(s) of your vehicles and the phone numbers of close friends, family members and even your work phone number. You might want to list them on a separate card for your own reference.
It is a good idea to inventory the contents of your wallet occasionally. Be sure your emergency notification information is up to date. Make a photocopy of important cards and papers. Know what is in your wallet ... just in case.
From the book “Personal Security Tips For RVers”
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