What should you do if you have no emergency contact you can list? Your family is gone. You're alone. Your friends who might be willing live in a different country, and they don't necessarily speak English. You're new to the town that your work has sent you.

What does your emergency contact do for you anyway?

As I understand the question, your emergency contact is someone who knows you and something about you, the more the better. This person would be an individual who knows you went hiking (or whatever) and should have returned. Ideally, they would be able to give a clear description of your route and plans.

I was suddenly the emergency contact for a close friend and colleague years ago,attending a significant national conference in Washington, DC. I was presiding at our seminar and all of a sudden my friend, in the back of the room, went into a full blown grand mal seizure. The first paramedic reaching the scene said, "Forgot his medicine, right?"

I was able to state, " I know this guy very well. This is not normal. There is no medicine." My friend couldn't communicate and I rode in the ambulance to the ER where I answered questions, etc., called his wife, etc. and hopefully provided insight and information. Quite a memorable experience.

We talked a bit about wills, trusts and estates in another thread. One thing the attorney that sets it all up for you can do is agree to be your emergency contact. You can also ask the executor of your will to act as your emergency contact, or the substitute/contingent trustee of your trust to act as your emergency contact.

Fill out an organ donor card.

Seriously though, you could become active in a church in your new town. That might be a good place to make friends and gain support (while you also help support others). You may develop friendships/relationships there that could act as personal contacts. If you're not religious, joining a volunteer organization that supports the local community is another path you could try.

These kind of contacts would not be able to make medical decisions for you or manage your estate. But they could probably at least intervene to get you buried. Or advocate for you in a court of law.

+1 on the organ donor - It is a good thing to do anyway. My instructions are to recycle everything possible when I am through with my body.

We seem to be talking about somewhat different contacts. There is the legal version, Medical Power of Attorney, Estate Trustee, who can make crucial decisions on your behalf, and the expedient version - someone who knows something about you and can provide information about you if you are unable to communicate. Nothing worse than trying to render aid to a mute body with no significant information - no history, no symptoms, no feedback.