I.C.E.

First responders urge adding new cell phone contact

ICE, an acronym for “In Case of Emergency”, is entered into a mobile phone user’s address/contact book as the “In Case of Emergency” contact. ICE allows paramedics or police to be able to contact a designated relative/next-of-kin in an emergency situation.

More than 200 million mobile phones are in use today in the United States. Many people leave the home without identification, but nearly everyone carries a mobile phone with them. Below are the three steps to ICE your phone:

1. Choose a responsible person to be your In Case of Emergency contact and record their information.
2. Inform your ICE contact that they are designated.
3. Add the contact as a new entry and label it under the heading "ICE". For example "ICE-Dad".

Read this USA Today article for more information on how ICE has been used in emergency situations.

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 - 12:44 PM

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