Emergency responders endorse using ICE for your 'first contact' call

When seconds count, ICE tells rescuers who you want them to call

Put ICE in your cell phone is the advice from Billy Ted Smith, emergency management coordinator for Jasper, Newton and Sabine counties.

ICE stands for "in case of emergency," an idea that started as an email campaign and picked up momentum. It is now being promoted by first responders as the most efficient way for them to make the first contact with your loved one in an emergency.

What if you're in a car accident and rendered unconscious? At the mall or work and become incapacitated? The question posed by Smith is, who do we contact first?

B.C.P. (before cell phones), ambulance personnel rifled through a purse, wallet or glove box looking for clues- your name, an address, some way to contact a family member, either for notification or to find out vital health clues that may help them treat you.

Now first responders dive for the cell phone first, but with expanded memory, they may face 50, 100 names or more. Is Joe P. your partner or your plumber?

Put your most important contact numbers under ICE. Most phone memories can handle at least 32 characters, so you could actually do: ICE 1-Joe's cell, ICE 2-Joe's work, ICE 3-Joe at home.

It's recommended that you list a secondary contact as well, maybe ICE-Mom, or if you have a medical condition, ICE-my cardiologist.

"It's free and easy and could one day save your life," Smith said. "It makes it easier for emergency personnel to contact loved ones to get your medical history or allergies to any drugs."

If you are putting someone as one of your ICE contacts, be sure that person knows your medical history and will be able to help with emergency decisions. Your best friend may not be your best ICE number.

"We are hoping to promote this through the news media, organizations and other local outlets such as schools," Smith said.

Smith also recommended that individuals without cell phones carry an identification card with emergency contacts and any pertinent medical information in their wallet or purse.