# Funeral home first call sheet

Template published by FuneralHQ, November 11, 2026. A blank fill-in sheet for the person who takes the first call. It follows the FuneralHQ first call intake checklist (https://www.funeralhq.com/resources/first-call-intake-checklist) and first call script (https://www.funeralhq.com/blog/funeral-home-first-call-script). Adapt it to your firm's policy and your state's rules. Keep completed sheets with the case record, not in a shared folder.

Tick "OK" once a detail has been read back to the caller or checked. Leave it blank if the detail is unconfirmed.

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**Firm / location:** ______________________________

## Call

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Date and time of call | | [ ] |
| Taken by | | [ ] |
| How the call arrived (staff / answering service / phone assistant draft / website form) | | [ ] |

## Caller

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Caller name and spelling | | [ ] |
| Relationship to the deceased | | [ ] |
| Callback number (read back one digit at a time) | | [ ] |
| Alternate number or email | | [ ] |
| Who has authority to make arrangements (if not the caller) | | [ ] |
| Language or interpreter needed | | [ ] |

## Decedent

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name and spelling | | [ ] |
| Preferred name | | [ ] |
| Date of birth | | [ ] |
| Date and time of death | | [ ] |
| Place of death (residence / hospital / facility / hospice / other) | | [ ] |
| Current location of the body (address, room or unit) | | [ ] |
| Facility contact name and phone | | [ ] |
| Veteran status | | [ ] |

## Circumstances

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Expected or sudden | | [ ] |
| Pronounced by, and time | | [ ] |
| Attending physician | | [ ] |
| Hospice involved (agency and contact) | | [ ] |
| Medical examiner or coroner involved; any hold and who confirms release | | [ ] |

## Care and authorization

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Authorization to remove and transport given by (name, relationship) | | [ ] |
| Embalming permission (who, when) or "not discussed" | | [ ] |
| Religious or cultural timing needs | | [ ] |
| Special handling requests | | [ ] |
| Known preneed or prearrangement | | [ ] |

## Removal

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Removal address and access (stairs, gates, elevator, parking, pets) | | [ ] |
| Who will be present | | [ ] |
| Clothing or personal effects to collect | | [ ] |
| Time promised to the family | | [ ] |
| Removal team assigned | | [ ] |

## Next step

| Field | Entry | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Arrangement conference date, time and place | | [ ] |
| What the family should bring (clothing, photos, documents, DD-214 for a veteran) | | [ ] |
| Director assigned to the case | | [ ] |
| Who will call the family next, and by when | | [ ] |

## Before you hang up, read back

1. The callback number, one digit at a time.
2. The name and its spelling.
3. The address, including the room or unit number.
4. What happens next: who will call, and by when.

## Handoff to the director

| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| What was promised to the caller | |
| Questions not answered on the call | |
| Details still unconfirmed | |
| How the caller sounded; who else is at the house | |
| Director acknowledged the handoff (name, time) | |