An organizer for the rest of us

We all know how it feels to be disorganized in everyday life. But what about in the case of an emergency?

One Ahwatukee Foothills resident has created a comprehensive organizer that will ensure finding a specific medical, legal or financial document for a family member will be the last thing someone worries about in the case of an emergency.

Laura Wallis calls her Prepared Binder the way to an "organized peace of mind." The inside of the blue binder contains specific sections for medical records and prescriptions, financial history and bank account information, as well as all types of insurance, including home and personal.

"It helps you organize everything in your life," Wallis said. "Unfortunately, emergencies happen, and when they do, the last thing you want to be thinking about is where all the necessary paperwork is."

Wallis said she spoke with doctors, lawyers, insurance agents and even a funeral director to find out exactly what information is needed in every type of emergency.

It may take you awhile to fill out every section in the Prepared Binder, but when it is complete, Wallis said it will definitely give you an "organized peace of mind."

"All the other organizers I saw like this were either too brief or too big and redundant," she said. "I have not seen anything as cohesive as this."

Wallis came up with the idea after the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005. She saw that in the occurrence of something like a hurricane, flood or fire, it can be difficult to find the most important pieces of documentation.

"A person can sometimes loose their head in the case of an emergency," Wallis explained. "After Katrina, you heard people say they couldn't get to their bank accounts because they had no documentation to prove who they were."

The binder comes with a CD that contains all of the documents inside in case a new one is needed. On her Web site, www.preparedbinder.com, are links to other Web sites that provide instructions and guides to help you fill out some of the more technical forms.

"Most people do not know that there are two different types of power of attorney," Wallis added. "You can find all that information and more on the (Web) site."

The Prepared Binder can be purchased online for $39.99. There you will also find more information about the contents and a guide to filling out the documents contained within.