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As was mentioned in the September 2005 Culver City CERT Newsletter, ICE stands for In Case of Emergency.The idea is to add an entry into the contacts list in your cell phone entitled ICE.If, in an emergency, the paramedics or other first responders find your cell phone in working order, they can use ICE to contact a loved one or friend. This has been adopted by the California State Assembly, ACR 86, introduced by Assembly-member Nicole Parra.
See http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0051-0100/acr_86_cfa_20050822_120634_asm_comm.html for the text of the bill. Below is information from the Torrance Fire Dept. about their first experience using ICE:
On Saturday, January 14, about 2:30 p.m., there was a single car traffic accident on the northbound 405 freeway.The driver and a dog occupied the vehicle.The 76-year old female was in a lot of pain. The patient was treated and transported to the hospital.Looking through the drivers personal belongings, the Fire Dept. found a cell phone.When reviewing the contact numbers, they came across ICE, a person named Wendy along with two phone numbers. The ICE numbers were called and the driver's daughter was informed about the accident.The paramedics informed the Emergency Department staff that they would bring the dog back to the station and to tell the family that they could pick up the dog at Station 1.Around 10:30 p.m., the family stopped by the station to retrieve "Willie" the dog.The family asked if the FD used ICE all the time.One family member continued to say that just a couple of days before, they all had entered ICE information into their phones.
ICE--In Case of Emergency is being used by more and more people in the community.It is another tool for first responders to use when there is an altered patient and information is needed.It is recommended that the contact person should be able to confirm the injured person's date of birth, name, and address. Additional information such as blood type, allergies, and relevant medical history can also be helpful.
In addition, please note, you should carry written emergency contact information with you at all times.Just because you have a cell phone doesn't mean it will work after being involved in a car collision or other emergency.Keeping written contact information in your wallet (near your photo identification) improves the chances of emergency personnel being able to contact your loved ones quickly.