Emergency numbers sheet for the fridge
A clear sheet for the fridge with numbers for emergencies, utilities, school and family.
Emergency services (000 in Australia)
Home address, to read out
Poison information
Family doctor
Vet
Electricity fault line
Gas leak
School or childcare
Neighbour
Family contact outside your area
Using this page
A sheet everyone can find
Fill in the numbers and stick the sheet on the fridge, so that a visitor, a babysitter or a child can find them quickly. In Australia the number for police, fire and ambulance is 000. Write your home address clearly, so that it can be read out to the operator if someone cannot remember it.
Keeping it up to date
Update the sheet when numbers change, and review it at the start of each year. Add numbers for the school, the neighbours and a family member who lives outside your area. Save the key numbers in each adult's phone too, and show children how to make an emergency call.
What to put on the sheet
Write the numbers in large print and keep the sheet at eye level for children. Add your street address and the nearest cross street, because a caller who is upset may forget them. You may also like to add the poisons information line, your electricity and gas companies' fault numbers, the water authority, the school and a trusted neighbour. If your family speaks another language at home, add the number for an interpreter service, and keep a spare copy in the car.
Using the sheet
Print the sheet, fill it in with a pen and keep it somewhere that everyone can see, such as the fridge door or beside the home phone. A second copy near the front door or in the car can also help. Write clearly, and use the lines to add the name beside each number. Check the numbers each year, and update them when they change. Remind children that in a real emergency they should ring the emergency number first and then follow the operator's instructions.