Cell phones have become a permanent part of our society, and they are constantly being updated with new and exciting technology.  One of the most basic updates, however, have nothing to do with technology.  ICE, an acronym for  “In Case of Emergency” is one update that anyone can do right now, and it might just save your life one day.  Paramedics across the nation are advising that all cell phones have this update, and this article will explain why and how to do it.

Here is a scenario to consider:

You are driving to a relative’s house, and are in a terrible car wreck.  The wreck has rendered you completely unresponsive.  Your cell phone is found by the paramedics.  In your phone you have hundreds of phone numbers saved, but who should the paramedics call?  This is where ICE comes in.

What is the ICE plan? 

It is now standard procedure for all paramedics to follow the ICE plan when coming across cell phones at the scene of an accident.

This is a standard procedure all paramedics follow at the scene of an accident when they come across your cell phone. The paramedics will check the cell phone for contacts.  When they do, they are taught to check for listings under the heading ICE.  If there are more than one contacts, they will be listed as ICE1, ICE2, and so on.  This allows the paramedics to know which friends or relatives that should be contacted in the case of an emergency or illness.

How do I update my cell phone to ICE?

Simply go into your contacts and add in your emergency contacts.  Instead of putting the name of the contact, list them as ICE.  This will signal the paramedics that they are the one to contact in case of emergency or illness.  This can be very important.  Many times we will need blood, or allergy history, or even a list of current medications to get the proper treatment in these emergency situations.  This will allow emergency personnel to get this information when you are unable to give it.  Most cell phones will still allow you to put in a seperate listing for those contacts under the normal names as well.  For those that use blue tooth technology, this will still allow you to call them via name and voice recognition.

How widespread is ICE?

Most every paramedic and emergency personnel is aware of ICE and a growing number of people are doing this.  It takes five minutes to do, and might be the key to you surviving a dangerous situation in the future.  It would be well worth it to take the time to update your cell phone with ICE.