Tools and Calculators
Update Ohio Police with Emergency Contact Information Before an Emergency Occurs
If you live in Ohio, you can take five minutes now to make sure your loved ones can be reached quickly in case of an emergency by providing the information to the state’s new Next-of-Kin Registration System.
Anyone who holds an Ohio driver’s license, temporary permit or state identification card can provide two contact names and numbers with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles as part of the Next-of-Kin system.
“In an emergency situation, time is critical to saving lives,” Ohio Department of Public Director Henry Guzmán said in a press release. “This is yet another way we can all work together to be prepared to respond, or help the public respond, to any emergency.”
Before the new system went into effect, police and firefighters often spent hours trying to track down family members or other emergency contacts in an urgent situation. Now, they can reach out within minutes so loved ones can know what is happening during such critical times.
Add your emergency contacts online
Simply visit the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website where you can enter your information online or, if you prefer, print out a form to return by mail. You’ll need to have your Ohio driver’s license number ready to type it into the form.
If you’re over 18, you don’t have to designate an immediate family member as your emergency contact. You can pick another relative, close friend or coworker if you prefer. Minors, however, must add a parent or guardian as the primary emergency contact.
Next-of-Kin Project started by two mothers
This new Next-of-Kin registry is free, voluntary and part of a secure database accessible only by law enforcement. The system stems from the efforts of two mothers who lost their children in a car crash, and then brought the idea of coordinating an online database to the Ohio BMV. After their devastating loss, these women also started ParentGrief in 2007, the Ohio nonprofit group that organizes emergency contact information as an educational program to better serve Ohio residents.
To learn more about ParentGrief, visit the ParentGrief website at myemergencycontactinfo.org. If you are an Ohio resident, make sure you have the proper car insurance policy, so you are protected in the case of an emergency. To learn more about getting a comprehensive car insurance policy, or to request an auto insurance quote, visit nationwide.com.
