Emergency Notification Form

Now I want to take a minute to talk about something that almost none of us ever thinks about when we jump in our toad and go cruising around seeing the local sights, with the motorhome safely parked in an RV park "somehwere out there," with our dog locked inside.

Let's assume that you are out sightseeing and having a grand old time, when suddenly the idiot coming the other way crosses the center stripe and hits you head on. When the police and paramedics arrive, you and your companion are unconscious and seriously hurt with a heavy loss of blood. Sure, the police can look in your wallet and find out who you are—but it is unlikely that they will know where or how to contact your next of kin, or what your blood type is (without delays for testing). In this case, lets also assume that you are unconscious for almost a week before you regain consciousness. Imagine what has happened to your pets in the meantime.

OK, folks, now that I have gotten you thinking a little bit, let me talk to you about what I call an Emergency Notification Form. You won't find this form in an RV supply store, a stationery store, or a drug store—it is a form, just a piece of paper, that you make up to fit your personal situation.

To me, this form is a "must-have" every time my lady and I jump in the toad and head off for some exploring or sightseeing. It contains some very important information about who we are, what our medical problems are, and where our motorhome (and dog) is currently located.

Let me share with you the type of information that is on our Emergency Notification Form.

First it lists the name, address and home telephone numbers of both me and my lady. It lists our next of kin, their current addresses, and their home and work telephone numbers.

The form also lists our individual blood types and any medical allergies that we have, any prescription medications that we take on a daily basis, and a statement of our general health. The form also shows our medical coverage provider and our ID numbers, as well as a telephone contact number.

The form also tells emergency personnel that we are covered in the event of the need for a med-evac flight for either of us, along with the company and a telephone number contact.

The form then instructs the emergency personnel that we are travelling in a motorhome with a harmless dog, and gives a description of our motorhome, along with the license number and state of registration. The form instructs emergency personnel to look on the back of the sheet to see where our RV (and dog) is currently located.

We carry our Emergency Notification Form in a clear plastic cover and keep it in the passenger side door. When we get ready to go out in the toad, we simply slip another piece of paper in the back side that lists the RV park, its address and telephone number, and our site number.

Since the front side of the form is seldom changed (unless one of our kids moves), we only have to print it out occasionally. However, the back side always lists our current location—just in case. When we arrive at a new RV park or even a boondock camping sight, it takes only a minute to write down how to find our RV.

This form gives us peace of mind while we are out enjoying the wonderful sights of our great country. If we are incapacitated, our important information is always available to emergency personnel, and hopefully, someone will take care of our pets.

We treat our Emergency Notification Form just like our credit card—we never leave the RV without it.