An emergency contact list template should cover your household, one out-of-state contact, a nearby friend, doctors, pharmacy, schools, work and insurance. Write it on paper, save it in your phone and set up Medical ID on iPhone. Keep copies on the fridge, in your wallet and in your emergency kit. In an emergency, call 911 first.
Think about who you'd need to reach, and who would need to reach you, on the worst day of the year. A useful list usually has these groups:
Your household. Cell numbers for everyone, plus work numbers.
An out-of-state contact. One trusted person who lives far enough away that the same emergency is unlikely to hit them.
A local backup. A neighbor or nearby friend who could check on your home, kids or pets.
Health contacts. Doctors, your pharmacy and, if you have pets, your vet.
Schools and care. Schools, childcare, and any caregiver or care home for an older relative.
Work. Each adult's workplace main number.
Home and money. Insurance company and policy numbers, your landlord if you rent, and your gas, power and water utilities.
Ready.gov advises creating a family emergency communications plan that has an out-of-state contact, and planning where to meet if you get separated. The idea is simple. If local phone lines are busy or your family is scattered, everyone checks in with the same person, who passes news along.
Ready.gov also says to save phone calls for emergencies after a disaster. So agree ahead of time that a short text to your out-of-state contact is the first way to say "I'm OK."
Example (for illustration only): "Aunt Rosa in Ohio is our check-in person. Text her first. If you can't get home, meet at the library on Main Street."
This is an example layout to copy, not an official form. Print it, fill it in by hand, and add or remove lines to suit your family.
Emergency: 911
Out-of-state contact: name, relationship, cell, email
Local backup contact: name, relationship, cell
Household members: name, cell, work or school number
Meeting places: one near home, one outside the neighborhood
Doctors: name, practice, phone
Pharmacy: name, phone, address
Schools or childcare: name, phone, pickup rules
Workplaces: name, phone
Vet: name, phone
Insurance: company, policy number, claims phone
Utilities: gas, power and water company phone numbers
Last updated: date
For a wider family plan that goes beyond phone numbers, see our sister site's family emergency plan checklist. If someone in your home takes regular medicines, a separate medication list belongs next to this one.
Medical ID is built into the iPhone Health app. Apple's steps, in short:
Open the Health app and go to the Summary tab.
Tap your profile picture, then tap Medical ID.
Tap Edit and add details such as medications, allergies and conditions.
Under Emergency Contacts, tap the add button, choose a contact and add their relationship to you.
Turn on the sharing options you want, then tap Done.
Two settings matter most:
Show When Locked. Apple says this makes your Medical ID available from the Lock screen without your passcode, so people who want to help can see it.
Share During Emergency Call. Apple says that when you call or text emergency services from your iPhone or Apple Watch, your Medical ID is automatically shared with them. Apple notes that Enhanced Emergency Data isn't available in all countries or regions.
Some people save a contact with "ICE" (in case of emergency) in front of the name. It doesn't hurt, but someone holding your locked phone usually can't open your contacts app. That's the gap Medical ID with Show When Locked is meant to fill, and why a paper copy in your wallet still matters.
On the fridge or by the phone. The CDC suggests writing down emergency numbers and keeping them on the refrigerator or near every phone in the house.
In your emergency kit. The National Weather Service suggests keeping a copy of your family plan in your supply kit or another safe place you can reach.
In wallets and backpacks. A folded card for each adult and older child.
With your out-of-state contact. Send them a copy so they have everyone's numbers too.
A list with an old number is worse than no list, because people trust it. Update it whenever someone changes phones, jobs, schools or doctors. A good habit is to check it on a set date you'll remember, such as New Year's Day or the first day of school, and write the "last updated" date at the bottom.
Someone who is likely to answer, knows your health basics and can act calmly. A simple setup is one nearby person and one out-of-state person, so there's a backup if the local contact is caught up in the same emergency.
Ready.gov recommends one in your family communications plan. Someone far away is less likely to be affected by the same disaster, so the whole family can check in with them.
If you turn on Show When Locked in Medical ID, Apple says people can view it from the Lock screen without your passcode. Your emergency contacts are part of Medical ID, so add them there.
Whenever a number changes, and at least on a regular check date you choose. Write the date on the list so you know how fresh it is.
Family Ready: Emergency Plan is a free iPhone app, with optional paid upgrades, whose free Emergency Card stores who to call first, allergies, medications and key health details. It opens without internet once your phone is unlocked, and its Emergency Mode shows a high-contrast, large-text screen where you tap a contact to start a call yourself. You can choose a review schedule of 3, 6 or 12 months, but keep Medical ID set up too for the locked screen.
Get Family Ready free on the App Store
Set up your Medical ID in the Health app on your iPhone (Apple Support)
What to Do Before the Tropical Storm or Hurricane (National Weather Service)