ICE Your Cell Phone for Emergencies

While looking up numbers for our pets in case they have an emergency, I thought about ways we can help ourselves in case of emergency. We might not always be able to use our cell phone, especially if we are in an accident or are taken seriously ill. If a police officer or paramedic finds our phone, it would be helpful to them and us if they could identify our next of kin on the list.

The ICE campaign was started by a paramedic who noticed there were usually cell phones at the scenes of accidents, but he never knew which number to call. His idea is to store your "In Case of Emergency" numbers in your phone list to make contact with relatives or friends easier for emergency personnel. If you have more than one contact, simply use ICE1, ICE2, etc. It's a good idea to have more than one ICE number in case the first contact doesn't answer.

My mother used to have us keep our phone number in our wallet or backpack. It was just one name and number that was found quickly in an emergency. With cell phones, there are too many numbers for emergency personnel to choose from. They don't know if they're calling your hair stylist or your plumber, so taking away the guess work will speed things up if you're unable to make the call yourself.

Once you've put your ICE numbers in your phone, it's also a good idea to put a list of your medications and allergies to food and medication in your wallet. This simple task will make your emergency care easier for paramedics or hospital staff. Some people have more medication than they can remember along with the dosage. If you've been in an accident or taken ill, you might not be able to recall this information. It would be much easier for everyone if a list was available that you prepared earlier. If your personal doctor isn't one of your ICE numbers, write the name down with your list of medications and allergies.

This is so simple and quick that everyone should take the time to do it. It could save your life and certainly bring any unfortunate news to the attention of your contacts more quickly. Have your friends and loved ones do the same so your own mind will be at ease knowing you'll be contacted if something goes wrong.

It seems that if you're prepared for the worst, it never happens. So, be prepared!

Source:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_in_case_of_emergency.htm