I've just moved into our new home, almost 1200 miles away from my family. Now, I'm not used to living alone, nevermind in a strange house without any furniture. And there's still two weeks to go before the rest of my family can join me. So, when on a Saturday night at 3:00 am, I heard a rattle at the back door, like someone was trying to get in, I panicked and dialed the the local police station.

While the police didn't find any suspects, and I still don't know to this day if there really was someone at my back door or if my over-paranoid mind got the best of me, I was certainly glad that I'd prepared myself by creating an emergency contact list that I keep posted on the fridge.

This should always be the first thing you do whenever you move into a new neighborhood or city; it's important that all family members know where to find this list when needed. Use this guide to put together your emergency list so if you hear a strange noise in the middle of the night or have a sick child or even if you're not quite sure if the medication you're taking should be swallowed with food, you can get in touch with the right person - quickly.