AN74 / PREPARE FOR TOMORROW
Emergency document folder: make an index you can actually use
A folder full of paperwork is useful only if you know what it contains and what is missing. Keep a short index with the copies you need, and check that an authorised person can find an item without guessing how you filed it. Do this as ordinary preparation, well before an emergency.
People come before paperwork. In a fire or immediate danger, do not delay leaving to collect a folder or return for it. This preparation supports an organised departure when the situation and official instructions allow one.
Use national guidance as a starting point
The UK government’s Prepare guidance suggests keeping the household plan with important papers, but says to leave belongings behind when escaping a fire. France’s Géorisques checklist includes protected essential photocopies. Germany’s BBK guidance distinguishes originals, certified copies and ordinary copies for different documents.
A checklist from another country does not establish what a UK organisation will accept. Ask the receiving organisation which document and format a particular process requires. This index helps you locate information; it does not certify a copy or guarantee acceptance.
Make each entry useful
Select the paperwork relevant to your own circumstances, such as identity, housing, insurance, necessary health information or family administration. There is no need to photocopy your entire archive. For each selected item, complete the four columns below.
| Document or need | What is ready | Where to find it | Action and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity | Selected, readable copy | Folder section A; original stored separately | Review after renewal |
| Home insurance | Useful reference and contact | Section B | Update after a policy change |
| Necessary health document | Relevant version for that person | Compartment with restricted access | Review when circumstances change |
| Digital copy | File readable on the intended device | Storage location known to authorised people | Record the last actual check |
This is an organisation example, not a list of compulsory documents. A location such as “section B” is more useful than “somewhere in my email”. Keep the index private: even without document numbers, it may reveal personal arrangements.
Check retrieval without sharing your documents
- Choose one index entry and retrieve the corresponding document.
- Check readability, necessary pages and whether it is the intended version.
- For a digital file, open it on the intended device. Seeing its filename does not prove that its contents are available.
- Record the missing step: a reader, authorised access, an updated copy or a clearer location.
Fictional example: someone sees their insurance PDF in an email app but discovers that opening it requires a download. They arrange an offline copy and check that it opens. This illustrates an access problem; it is not an AN74 test.
Keep accessible copies protected
The French public-service resource Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr recommends checking backups, protecting access, keeping a separate copy elsewhere and disconnecting unused backup media. Protect sensitive backup files as carefully as originals. Plan authorised access to encrypted files without putting passwords on an exposed checklist.
A pouch described as waterproof is not automatically protection against submersion, fire or theft. Check the storage product’s documented limits and its closure; do not immerse genuine papers to test it. Clear filing and a separate backup solve different problems.
When an identity document or policy changes, update the affected entry rather than rebuilding the whole folder. Connect this index with your offline contact sheet, small-home emergency-kit storage and phone-alert checks. You do not need to send any personal document to AN74.
Sources checked on 15 September 2026. This is a practical filing method, not a certified safe, legal advice or a guarantee that records can be recovered after an incident.