File of Life

The File of Life program is an initiative that assists EMS personnel when they respond to an emergency.  This program uses clear plastic, magnetized envelopes to store pertinent medical information in plain view on refrigerator doors. The magnetized holders contain a standard medical form on which the homeowners record medical history, medications, etc.

History of the Program

Previously this program was known as the Vial of Life. The idea was to place valuable medical information on paper and in a location that everyone had in their home. The "vial" was nothing more than a prescription vial which held the medical paperwork and the standard location was deemed to be the freezer compartment of refrigerators. This program was in place for a few years in Novi but there were some flaws, one of which was that many times the vial would be lost in the freezer section among the frozen foods.

Based on this flaw and other problems a new program began a few years ago. Currently the Novi Fire Department has used up all of the old style vials and begun the new program called the File of Life. The new program uses clear plastic envelopes to store pertinent medical information in plain view on refrigerator doors. The magnetized holders contain a standard medical form on which the homeowners record medical history, medications, etc. EMS personnel automatically check refrigerator doors when a homeowner is unconscious or unable to communicate with first responders.

How Do I Get a File of Life?