Ice

[flop]

The current thread on medical alert necklaces got me thinking about emergency contact information. I thought I should share a project that was launched here in the UK and promoted after the 7th July bombings in London the other year. During the disaster there were many unidentified people either those killed or too injured to give their names and next of kin details. It took days to reunite relatives with people they feared to be dead who were actually alive but injured.

Almost everyone carries a mobile phone these days, and most of them were still working after the explosions. Some staff spent hours trawling through lists of numbers in the phones trying to work out who to call. If your loved one is saved as "David" no-one would know they were your partner (Mum/Dad is a little easier).

A paramedic came up with the idea of everyone saving an entry in their mobile-phone as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) and putting the numbers of their next of kin in that entry (most phones let you store several numbers or attach a note giving details).

The idea is that staff only have to look in one place in your phone for the most important numbers and they can let relatives know what has happened to you.

I don't know if this system has been launched outside of the UK but it seemed like a good idea to me and I have made sure that my family all have "ICE" contacts in their phones.

Flop

[MightyMouse]

A similar urging by US authorities has been in effect since 9/11/02 b/c of the same reason. My cell phone actually has a spot pre-programmed at the very top of the opening screen for my "contacts" that says "In Case of Emergency".

For those who cannot afford a medic alert membership, you can buy an inexpensive medical emblem bracelet. They're available online at many jewelry suppliers--I know I've seen them at http:www.firemountain.com for relatively cheap ...btw, I have no financial interest in the company, it's just where I bought mine. I've also seen them up for auction on eBay in lots. You can have it engraved with anything you want at most jewelers--you can list a contact phone number on the tag in addition to a short description of your health problems. Mine just says Drug allergies, Asthma & Dysautonomia.

Nina