fireproof

September 30, 2011


Where do you keep your important documents such as: social security card, birth certificate, passport, banking records, life insurance policy, etc?
A) All over the house
B) In a specific filing cabinet
C) Safe Deposit Box at the Bank
D) Don't know

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What was your answer? Do you know where those important documents are? Some people may have NO IDEA where they keep them. Others may have said, they have them in random places all over their house.
Then, there are the smart ones. The ones who have filing cabinets and/or safe deposit boxes and are all organized.

I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of people who are that organized, but they are doing things right.
If your apartment/house burns down, how will you get your important documents?


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There are two things you can do to protect yourself.
1) Invest in a safe deposit box at your local bank and store WICKED IMPORTANT documents there. These are documents you absolutely could NOT lose in a fire.
2) Invest in a fire-proof filing cabinet or at the minimum a metal filing cabinet. You can store important documents and have some peace of mind. {disclaimer: I am not a firefighter}

Personally, I do not have a safe deposit box at the bank, although I think about getting one. I do have metal filing cabinets. I'm not sure if they're 100% fire-proof, however they are more fire-proof than boxes or bookshelves or random places around the house. In the event of an emergency, I know where I can find our family's important documents. If we happen to come back to a torched home, because they are in a metal filing cabinet, they are more likely to survive. {disclaimer: I am not a firefighter}

Just a thought as you plan for the future.

Below are two links you can check out.
What I Own
In Case My House Burns
Both links give you tips on what to do to prevent serious loss to important documents and how to keep a log of what was damaged or decimated.

when in doubt
1) Contact your local Cape Cod insurance agent for coverage questions
2) Contact your local Falmouth Fire Department on how to prevent fires and how to prepare in the event there is a fire.
3) Check wikiHow on Fire Prevention tips