What is an emergency grab bag?
A grab bag holds the essentials your team needs if you have to leave the building quickly or manage an incident, such as a fire, flood or power cut. Keeping everything together means nobody has to search for keys, contact numbers or a torch in a stressful moment.
Suggested contents
Information
- Evacuation plan
- Emergency checklist
- Emergency contact list
- Notepad and pen
Equipment
- Spare keys and access codes
- Torch
- Whistle
- Walkie-talkies
- First aid kit
- Hi-visibility vests
- Blankets
Keeping your grab bag ready
- Keep it somewhere easy to reach on the way out, and make sure all staff know where it is.
- Give someone responsibility for checking it regularly, including torch batteries, the first aid kit and that contact lists are up to date.
- Think about the needs of everyone in your service. This is a suggested list, so add anything your staff and the people you support will need.
- Talk it through in fire drills and training, so the bag is part of your plan, not an afterthought.
Download and printPoster (PDF). Free to use in your service.
This is a quick-reference resource. Always follow the person’s care plan, your organisation’s policies and procedures, and current national guidance.
Checked 16 September 2026.
