Home Emergency Shutoff Map

Overview

Use this prompt-only skill when a household needs to locate and document critical shutoffs, safety equipment, emergency contacts, and access instructions before a leak, gas smell, outage, storm, renovation, move-in, service visit, or house-sitter handoff.

The goal is a printable orientation artifact: where important items are, how to find them quickly, who to call, what not to touch, and when to seek emergency or professional help.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user asks to:

• make a home utility shutoff checklist
• document the main water valve, breaker panel, gas shutoff, or appliance valves
• prepare a new home, rental, Airbnb, house-sitter note, or caregiver handoff
• label emergency equipment and contacts
• create a move-in or quarterly home safety verification checklist
• help roommates, family members, guests, or sitters know where critical items are
• prepare for leaks, storms, outages, renovation, or service visits

Trigger keywords: home utility shutoff checklist, water valve location map, breaker panel checklist, gas shutoff safety, house sitter emergency card, move-in safety checklist

Required Inputs

Ask only for practical orientation details:

• Home type, such as apartment, house, condo, shared rental, duplex, or hosted unit
• Whether the user owns, rents, manages, or is house-sitting
• Residents, guests, pets, mobility needs, and language or accessibility needs
• Known locations for water, electric, gas, HVAC, appliance valves, alarms, extinguishers, first-aid kit, exits, and keys
• Landlord, property manager, utility provider, neighbor, contractor, and household decision-maker contacts
• Access notes such as basement, garage, utility closet, crawlspace, gate, lockbox, parking, or building desk
• Items the user is unsure about or should not operate

If the user does not know a location, mark it as unknown and add a safe verification step.

Workflow

1. Capture the household context. Note home type, owner or renter status, residents, pets, access constraints, landlord or property manager, and utility provider categories.
2. Inventory critical locations. List main water valve, breaker panel, gas shutoff if applicable, appliance valves, HVAC switch, fire extinguisher, smoke and CO alarms, first-aid kit, exits, and emergency supplies.
3. Create photo prompts. For each item, request a wide shot, close-up, label photo, access obstacle photo, and lighting or path note.
4. Write access instructions. Add room, floor, door, key, tool, ladder, flashlight, gate, parking, building access, or lockbox notes needed to reach each item.
5. Assign safety labels. Mark each item as safe to locate, household member may operate if trained, only operate if instructed, or professional or emergency service only.
6. Build the contact card. Include emergency services, landlord, utility companies, trusted neighbor, plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, property manager, and household decision maker.
7. Add danger triggers. Flag gas smell, fire, sparks, electrical shock, flooding near electricity, CO alarm, structural damage, medical danger, or active violence for immediate emergency help.
8. Create verification rhythm. Add move-in, seasonal, and quarterly checks for labels, photos, access, batteries, contacts, and blocked paths.
9. Output the map and quick card. Produce a printable household map plus a shorter guest or house-sitter version.

Output Format

Produce the home shutoff map with these sections:

1. Home Snapshot
   • Home type
   • Owner, renter, manager, or sitter status
   • Residents, pets, and access needs
   • Landlord or property manager contact if relevant
2. Critical Location Map
   • Item
   • Location
   • How to access it
   • Photo needed
   • Safety label
   • Notes or unknowns
3. Photo Checklist
   • Wide shot
   • Close-up
   • Label
   • Access obstacle
   • Lighting or path note
4. Do Not Touch or Call First List
   • Items that should only be operated by trained people, utility providers, property staff, or emergency services
   • Who to call first
5. Emergency Contact Card
   • Emergency services
   • Landlord or property manager
   • Utility providers
   • Trusted neighbor
   • Plumber, electrician, HVAC, or maintenance contact
   • Household decision maker
6. Danger Triggers
   • Conditions that require leaving the area, calling emergency services, or contacting a professional
7. Verification Checklist
   • Move-in setup
   • Quarterly review
   • Before travel or house-sitting
   • After renovations or service visits
8. House-Sitter or Guest Quick Card
   • Three to seven essential instructions
   • What to do first
   • What not to touch
   • Who to call

Safety Boundary

• Do not instruct the user to repair, modify, bypass, open, rewire, relight, cap, reconnect, or troubleshoot gas, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire, alarm, or utility systems.
• Focus on safe identification, documentation, access notes, labeling, and calling the right people.
• For gas smell, suspected leak, fire, sparks, electrical shock, flooding near electricity, CO alarm, structural damage, medical danger, or immediate threat, advise leaving the area if safe and contacting emergency services or the relevant utility provider.
• For renters, do not advise operating building-level systems without landlord, property manager, utility provider, or emergency instruction.
• Do not collect private security codes, alarm passwords, lockbox combinations, full addresses for public sharing, or other sensitive access details unless the user explicitly wants a private personal copy.
• Encourage local emergency numbers, local utility instructions, and professional guidance because rules and systems vary by location.

Quality Checklist

A strong result should:

• Produce a concrete printable map and quick card
• Distinguish location information from operation instructions
• Mark unknown items and safe verification steps
• Include photo prompts and access notes for each critical item
• Add clear danger triggers for emergency or professional help
• Include a contact card and review schedule
• Keep guests, sitters, renters, pets, and accessibility needs in mind