Here are some of our most Frequently Asked Questions. Questions address items in general, as well as in each of the sections. If you have a question not found below, please feel free to email us to info@preparewell.com or call us at 858.605.5205.
1. What exactly is the “PrepareWell Membership”?
We’ve incorporated an emergency preparedness plan you can customize to meet your family’s needs; a 24/7 emergency call center service, so the right people are contacted fast in case of emergency, and safe and secure online storage, so you can safeguard and protect everything you value from precious family photos to irreplaceable documents. All this and more is included in your PrepareWell Membership accessible from the PrepareWell website. Watch our "What is PrepareWell" tutorial for more info. Learn more...
2. What am I getting when I buy a PrepareWell Membership?
An all inclusive family emergency plan, which includes:
a) 10 sections of preparedness items you complete for your family; together with all the Family Emergency Plan Documents;
b) Family Safety Plan Index Tabs;
c) One-year subscription to EmergencyContacts.com;
d) One-year subscription to PrepareWellSafeDocs.com;
e) One Child Safety ID Kit;
f ) Member pricing on all store products;
g) Access to PrepareWell Advantage Club;
h) News and preparedness information.
Learn more...
3. What do I get for my $59.95?
You will have access to our site for one year. Although, once you complete the plan and download the Family Emergency Plan Documents they are yours to keep. You will have access to the services provided, such as EmergencyContacts.com, PrepareWell SafeDocs, Member pricing in the store (items are considerable cheaper for Members), and PrepareWell Advantage Club for a period of one year.
4. What time period does my purchase of my PrepareWell Membship cover?
Technically, one year. Although, once you complete the plan and download the Family Emergency Plan Documents they are yours to keep. You may or may not need to access them again. Additionally, you will have access to your accounts with the services provided, such as EmergencyContacts.com and PrepareWell SafeDocs for a period of one year; and continue to get great deals as a member in the PrepareWell Store (items are substantially cheaper for Members) and with PrepareWell Advantage Club.
5. Tell me more about the 10 step Family Safety Plan.
Through research we have determined the most important aspects of preparedness, presented to you in 10 organized sections or modules. When you purchase your PrepareWell Membership you will be guided through the steps which (i) explain what you are going to do and why in each section, (ii) guide you through gathering the information and completing each step, (iii) provide customizable Family Emergency Plan Documents to keep your information clearly outlined and organized, and (iv) guide you through creating your accounts with EmergencyContacts.com and PrepareWell SafeDocs. These accounts are immediately accessible upon purchase of your membership. Be sure to watch the "More About the Family Safety Plan tutorial. Learn more...
6. Are you mailing the Family Emergency Plan Documents to me?
No. The documents are only accessible as PDF’s from the member section of our website. They are customizable and easy to work with and are provided for each of the 10 modules. We also include easy instructions on how to work with and use PDF documents throughout the site. More information is available in our tutorials located on the footer menu of the website.
7. What exactly am I going to receive in the mail?
You will receive the PrepareWell Presentation Folder which contains (i) customized Family Safety Plan Index Tabs (ii) one Child Safety ID kit, and (iii) a welcome letter with instructions as to how to get started on your Family Safety Plan. Everything else you need to complete your emergency preparedness plan is accessible from the PrepareWell website.
8. Are there renewal fees to my PrepareWell Membership?
Yes. After one year your membership expires together with your accounts with EmergencyContacts.com and PrepareWell SafeDocs. Renewal is $59.95/yr ($4.99/mo)and includes everything you received with your initial purchase. See #2. PrepareWell continues to add new products and services regularly to which you will have access, as well. You will need to renew each year.
9. Does the renewal fee cover my accounts with EmergencyContacts.com and PrepareWell SafeDocs?
Yes. Not only does the renewal fee give you continued service for another year with EmergencyContacts.com and PrepareWell SafeDocs; it also offers you total access to our site; the Family Emergency Plan Documents; Member pricing on all store items; access to the PrepareWell Advantage Club; on-going preparedness news and tips.
10. If I open my accounts with EmergencyContacts.com and PrepareWell SafeDocs at different times how will I know when to renew?
You will receive notification that it is time to renew from each service after one year. Which ever account you opened first will obviously expire first. In order to get the PrepareWell pricing on these services, (substantially lower than if purchased separately) you will have to renew your membership at the time the first service expires.
11. How long will it take me to work through my Family Safety Plan?
Our comprehensive plan allows you to work at your own pace – so set goals for the completion of your plan in a time frame which works best for you. Since the process is effectively outlined, you should feel a sense of accomplishment working at your own comfortable pace. While a complete preparedness plan is the ultimate goal here, every step you take along the way will give you a great sense of satisfaction.
12. What is PrepareWell SafeDocs?
A secure online personal storage system which allows you to safeguard your vital documents, photos, even videos. Upload precious photos and other irreplaceable information, even your Family Emergency Plan. Perfect to use as a back-up for your computer hard drive. It is modeled after and works just like a traditional file cabinet.
13. How do I open an account with PrepareWell SafeDocs?
You can sign up for SafeDocs one of two ways. A. SafeDocs is included with your purchase of the PrepareWell Membership. After you purchase the membership you will have immediate access to the site as well as be prompted in Module 7: Financial Preparedness to set up your account. B. Or purchase PrepareWell SafeDocs separately for $34.95.
14. Can I start using PrepareWell SafeDocs right away?
Yes! We recommend utilizing your account right away to begin safeguarding all your valuable documents and photographs. Upon purchase of your PrepareWell Membership you'll have access to the Member Home Page. Click on the PrepareWell SafeDocs logo under the Module Block OR go to Module 7:Financial Preparedness.
15. What is Instant Amber?
InstantAmber can instantaneously provide critical information and photos to law enforcement in the event your child is lost or missing. Developed in conjunction with law enforcement, InstantAmber is the best tool available to help parents and police successfully recover a lost or missing child. Watch the "Why Instant Amber" tutorial.
16. How do I sign up for Instant Amber?
Instant Amber can be purchased in the PrepareWell Store. If you are a member of PrepareWell, your price will be significantly reduced. Instant Amber is a valuable additional to your PrepareWell Family Safety Plan.
MODULE 1 – Emergency Contacts
17. What are emergency contacts?
Emergency contacts are people – the ones you trust to be contacted in case you or someone in your family is involved in some sort of emergency.
18. Why fill out the emergency contacts form?
This is a simple yet important step. Filling out the emergency contacts form is the foundation of your Family Emergency Plan. In the event something unexpected should occur, we all want to be assured the right people will be contacted with the right information. This information is now easily added and stored with your EmergencyContacts.com account.
19. Does everyone in the family need to have their own individual emergency contacts form or will one form work for the whole family?
A separate emergency contacts form should be completed for every family member. Here’s why - each person’s contacts will be different. The information for each family member can then easily be transferred to EmergencyContacts.com.
20. Tell me more about EmergencyContacts.com.
Emergency Contacts.com is an all-in-one call center service which helps make sure you are contacted fast if there's ever an emergency and a loved one needs you or medical treatment right away. One enrollment is good for the entire household from kids to parents to pets.
Click here for additional information on EmergencyContacts.com
21. How do I set up my account with EmergencyContacts.com?
Your account with EmergencyContacts.com is included with your purchase of the PrepareWell Membership. Set up is simple. Upon purchase of your Membership you'll have instant access to the Member Home Page. As you work on your plan you’ll be prompted in Module 1 to click a link and set up your account. This will take you to the EmergencyContacts.com sign up page. Fill in the appropriate information and proceed.
22. How do I access my EmergencyContacts account?
Once you’ve created your account with EmergencyContacts.com you can easily access it and your other accounts from your Member Home page. Everything you need to complete your Plan and keep your family safe is accessible from this page.
23. Can I include pets in my EmergencyContacts account?
Yes, definitely include your pets! Include emergency contact information for all family members, as well as all of your pets. Your membership comes with a complete ID Pack which includes 2 wallet cards, 6 key tags and 4 pet tags.
24. Which Wallet Card should I use?
You can use any of the 3 Wallet Cards found on the Prepare Well website, however, we suggest using the card issued by EmergencyContacts.com as the card you carry in your wallet. This offers no information other the EmergencyContacts.com phone number and your membership number.
Additionally, using either of the PrepareWell wallet cards to keep in your kid's backpacks or pass out to your emergency contact persons is a great idea.
MODULE 2 – Medical Emergency Forms
25. Why fill out the Medical Emergency form?
In the event something unexpected should occur we all want to be assured the right people will be contacted with the right information. By following the simple and straightforward PrepareWell process, this will all fall into place. Should emergency responders need to know the blood type or medications being taken by a loved one, EmergencyContacts.com agents will have access to this life saving information.
26. Does everyone in the family have their own individual Medical Emergency form? Will one form work for the whole family?
A Medical Emergency Form should be completed for every family member. Each person’s medical history and information is different. The information for each family member can then easily be stored with EmergencyContacts.com.
MODULE 3 – Child Safety
27. Do I need a child safety ID kit for each of my children?
Yes. One Child Safety ID kit is included with your Family Safety Plan. Others can be ordered for a minimal fee from the PrepareWell Store.
28. What is Instant Amber?
InstantAmber can instantaneously provide critical information and photos to law enforcement in the event your child is lost or missing. Developed in conjunction with law enforcement, InstantAmber.com is the best tool available to help parents and police successfully recover a lost or missing child. Be sure to watch the "Why Instant Amber" tutorial located on the footer menu of the website.
MODULE 4 - Hazards
29. Do I have to read all the hazard information?
No. We suggest familiarizing yourself with each hazard, but only printing and storing the forms for those hazards specific to your area. For example, living in Southern California we are particularly interested in being prepared for earthquakes and wildfires.
We actually found that our team did gain a sense of security just by knowing the basic "do's and don'ts" associated with different hazard and disaster situations. We think you'll find every member of your family, even kids, will benefit from knowing the basics.
Rather than just simply printing out your Hazard Preparedness & Survival Guides, go through each one with all members of the family and put your plan into an actual practice session. You may feel silly but this is an activity you can have fun with and feel better prepared at the same time. Enjoy it!
MODULE 5 -Family Communications
30. What is the benefit of completing the Family Communication module?
This is actually one of the most valuable parts of the PrepareWell Family Safety Plan. If I could complete just one aspect of the Family Safety Plan with my kids it would be to create a family communication plan. Should any emergency occur your family will know:
• locations and shut off directions for your main water and gas valve, etc;
• the safest places in the house - depending on the situation;
• the places to meet outside your home (if you are not at your home or able to get back home);
• the names and phone numbers of your electric, water and cable company;
• contact info for the fire department; poison control, etc.; and
• evacuation routes and who's responsible for which young children and which pets in case of evacuation.
So many good things are gathered together on this one form. This is an awesome tool!
31. Is it really that important that my family members know how to shut off the gas and water?
Yes! This is very important. Consider this:
• If a water pipe were to break and your home began to flood, would you and your family know how to shut off the water? The same applies to a gas leak.
• What if this happened at a time when you weren’t home, but your children were?
• Suppose there is a situation where you would also want to shut off the electricity coming into your home, do you know where the circuit breaker is located? Do your children know?
The most important part of the PrepareWell process is helping make sure you and your family are on the same page on how to best approach an emergency situation. Your plan will be so much more effective if the entire family is educated and involved in the process. And putting this information together is a great family project!
32. What are generally the safest places in the home?
The safest places in your home will vary in different situations. For example, different places are safe during a tornado, as opposed to a flood. Different places are safe during an earthquake, as opposed to a severe thunder storm. As you review different Hazard Preparedness Guides you’ll discover which safe places apply to each situation.
Module 7 – Financial Preparedness
33. Why do I need to complete the Financial Preparedness documents?
In the event you are physically unable to handle your finances, you’ll want to make sure you have an alternative plan in place so your financial needs can be met. Keeping all of your financial information together in this document is the best way to prepare for such an event.
34. How can I safely store sensitive financial information?
Carefully storing your financial information is especially important. If there is one thing you take away from PrepareWell, we hope it is a safe storage system for your financial information. In this day and age you cannot be too careful as hackers and identity thieves are everywhere just waiting for you to post a key to data. PrepareWell strongly recommends you DO NOT store your sensitive financial information on your computer. We suggest a program such as SafeDocs — to safely store your online documents and any other digital information.
35. Why does PrepareWell offer a Financial Preparedness Plan on PDF if they do not advise storing financial information online?
Here’s how we suggest you do this:
a. First, completely fill out the Financial Preparedness Plan PDF found in your membership area.
b. Save these documents to your personal computer.
c. Upload these documents to PrepareWell SafeDocs where they will be securely stored and readily available to you.
d. Delete these documents from your personal computer.
36. What exactly is PrepareWell SafeDocs? How do I get started?
Watch the tutorials on the footer menu of PrepareWell or visit the PrepareWell SafeDocs site and watch the quick video on the Home page. It will give you terrific insight as to the capability and simplicity of SafeDocs. You won’t want to be without SafeDocs!
Module 9 – Home Inventory
37. Why is it important to have a home inventory on record?
If you have ever had to file an insurance claim for damaged or stolen property, you know the time, effort, and frustration involved. You have to prove ownership; show proof of purchase; show what you paid for it. And chances are you didn’t keep the receipts.
38. How do I create a home inventory? I don’t even know where to begin.
Within the 10 step PrepareWell Emergency Preparedness Plan you’ll find a useful Home Inventory Planning PDF to establish goals for completing an inventory in each distinct area of your home. This will keep you on task making sure you follow through and complete a Home Inventory List for each area (this PDF is also included). Additionally, whenever you make a new purchase, keep the receipt until you have recorded that new item in your home inventory. If you follow this rule you will ensure that all of your possessions are recorded properly.
39. Why is it so important to have food storage?
This is a hard one, because everyone thinks they will never be in a position to need food storage. In the event of an emergency or disaster, food and water will disappear from store shelves within a few hours. How will your family survive without an adequate supply of food and water? Emergency officials such as the Red Cross may have tens of thousands of people to assist. You don’t want to be waiting in line, you want to be ready.
40. How do start my Food Storage?
As with all of your emergency preparedness planning, begin collecting your food storage in a manner consistent with your budget. Don’t feel like you need to gather everything right away, but at the same time don’t hesitate to start. When your favorite canned foods go on sale buy a few extra; pick up a case of something you normally eat at your local Costco store. Getting started is easier than you think!
41. What should I know about food storage?
Perhaps the most critical component of a complete food storage plan is sufficient water. In a natural disaster the water trucks are the first to arrive followed by food supplies.
• A healthy adult can only survive three to four days without water, but can survive much longer without food.
• Water is the cheapest preparedness item to acquire and the easiest to store, but is often the most overlooked item when preparing for an emergency.