The Department of Public Safety is offering tips each week of National Preparedness Month. This week covers emergency contacts.
Do you know who is listed as your emergency contact?
Maybe it is a parent whose phone number changed, a former roommate you have not spoken with in years, or no one at all. Emergency contact information is easy to enter and just as easy to forget about.
National Preparedness Month is a good time to take two minutes and make sure yours is current.
Choose someone you trust
An emergency contact does not have to be a family member. You can choose a partner, roommate, friend, neighbor, colleague or another trusted person.
A good emergency contact should be:
- Someone you trust.
- Generally reachable by phone.
- Willing to serve in the role.
- Familiar with information that may be important during an emergency.
A person who lives nearby may be able to respond more quickly, but proximity is not the only consideration. If your most dependable person lives farther away, consider listing that person along with a trusted local contact when the system allows it.
Most importantly, ask before adding someone. A quick conversation helps ensure the person is comfortable serving as your contact and knows what you may need from them.
Share what they should know
Your emergency contact does not need every detail of your life, but they should know how to help if someone calls them.
Consider sharing:
- Important medical conditions, allergies, or medications
- The names of other people who should be notified
- Information about dependents, service animals, or pets who may need care
- Where you keep important medical or emergency information
Review this information whenever something significant changes.
Update your Boise State information
Faculty and staff can manage their contacts in Bronco Hub.
Students can update an emergency contact through myBoiseState:
- Go to Bronco Hub; you can access it from the my.boisestate.edu page.
- Select “My Activity Center” under the “Me” tab.
- Select “Family and Emergency Contacts”
- Update preexisting contact information or click the “plus” button to add a new contact.
- When filling out the information, make sure you select “This person is an emergency contact.”
While you are checking your information, confirm that your own phone number is current so you can receive BroncoAlert emergency notifications. BroncoAlert contact information and emergency contacts are different: One helps the university reach you during a campus emergency, while the other identifies someone who may be contacted if an emergency directly involves you.
Take two minutes today
Open your account and look at the name listed. Is it still the right person? Is the phone number correct? Does that person know they are your emergency contact?
If the answer to any of those questions is “I’m not sure,” today is a good day to update it.