Flagler County launches 'File of Life' packets to make end-of-life wishes readily accessible
February 10, 2026 | Flagler County, Florida
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Vice Chair Kim Carney of the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners announced a county effort to distribute a "File of Life" packet to help residents make medical information and end-of-life wishes quickly accessible to first responders.
Carney said the effort was driven by a personal experience. "There was a form that I needed from the Florida Department of Health that I didn't have," she said, describing an October 2025 emergency involving her 92-year-old mother that led to interventions her mother had not wanted.
County community paramedics assembled the File of Life packet to hold medication lists, advanced directives, and other documents responders need. A community paramedic described the packet as a magnetic red 5-by-7 envelope intended for refrigerators and said it will be paired with a door or window sticker so paramedics can locate the record on arrival.
A community paramedic emphasized a state paperwork requirement: "If it is not on a yellow piece of paper, then it is not valid and we are not allowed to abide by that DNRO," the paramedic said, explaining that Florida's Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNRO) must be on yellow paper to be accepted by responders.
Carney and the paramedics said the packets are free. Residents who want a kit can contact the community paramedicine office by email at comparamed@flaglercounty.gov or by calling (386) 313-4260; staff offered to deliver packets and help residents complete forms when requested.
The initiative includes outreach through social media, local media and community events to encourage residents to assemble the packet and discuss end-of-life preferences with family and their primary care providers. Carney said the program aims to reduce instances in which a resident's documented wishes are unavailable at the time of an emergency.
The county did not announce a start date for wide distribution during the episode. For now, the program is being led by Flagler County's community paramedics, Tracy Farmer and Rob Arrett, who appeared on the podcast to describe the packet and related services.
Carney said the effort was driven by a personal experience. "There was a form that I needed from the Florida Department of Health that I didn't have," she said, describing an October 2025 emergency involving her 92-year-old mother that led to interventions her mother had not wanted.
County community paramedics assembled the File of Life packet to hold medication lists, advanced directives, and other documents responders need. A community paramedic described the packet as a magnetic red 5-by-7 envelope intended for refrigerators and said it will be paired with a door or window sticker so paramedics can locate the record on arrival.
A community paramedic emphasized a state paperwork requirement: "If it is not on a yellow piece of paper, then it is not valid and we are not allowed to abide by that DNRO," the paramedic said, explaining that Florida's Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNRO) must be on yellow paper to be accepted by responders.
Carney and the paramedics said the packets are free. Residents who want a kit can contact the community paramedicine office by email at comparamed@flaglercounty.gov or by calling (386) 313-4260; staff offered to deliver packets and help residents complete forms when requested.
The initiative includes outreach through social media, local media and community events to encourage residents to assemble the packet and discuss end-of-life preferences with family and their primary care providers. Carney said the program aims to reduce instances in which a resident's documented wishes are unavailable at the time of an emergency.
The county did not announce a start date for wide distribution during the episode. For now, the program is being led by Flagler County's community paramedics, Tracy Farmer and Rob Arrett, who appeared on the podcast to describe the packet and related services.
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