Accidents can happen at any moment, and sometimes the people involved in falls or car crashes aren’t able to talk to responding emergency personnel. But if emergency contacts are previously listed and easily accessible, cell phones can do all the talking for the victims.
Youth, adults and seniors can list “In Case of Emergency” or “ICE” contacts in their phones, making it easy for anyone responding to the scene to look up their emergency contacts. Just list the letters “ICE” at the start of the contact’s full name (i.e. ICE Heather Smith) so that paramedics, police or firefighters looking at the victim’s phone can type the three letters and immediately find the contact information of loved ones.
“We urge families to ICE seniors’ phones, or come by our offices and we will ICE seniors’ phones for free,” says Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels, an agency that provides services to elderly citizens across the U.S and Canada so they can continue to live in their own homes. “We care for thousands of older Americans, and we constantly hear stories about how families need an emergency plan for seniors.”
ICE contacts should be up to date on important medical information, including medications the person is taking, any medical conditions, doctors’ names and severe allergies.
It is also helpful to arm ICE contacts with a list of additional people they should call on the victim’s behalf in the event of an emergency, including work supervisors or coworkers. Minors should list ICE partners who are parents or guardians authorized to make decisions on their behalf.
Anyone can be a victim of a fall or car crash that renders them unconscious. To let emergency personnel know a cell phone has ICE contacts, place a sticker on the photo ID or cell phone that says “ICE” or set the banner of the phone’s wallpaper screen to say “ICE loaded.”
