The ICE number concept was introduced by a British paramedic. In the course of his experience, it was discovered that, though the majority of accident victims carry no next of kin details, over 80% carry a mobile phone. Reflecting on some emergent situations where the patient were unable to speak, it occurred to him that a uniform approach for identifying an emergency contact on a mobile phone would make life easier for everyone. As well as the quick identification of a contact, emergency services could be sure that the number related to a person who the accident victim would want to be contacted in such a situation, someone who could for instance give consent for emergency treatment or provide vital information about an individual’s medical history.

In April 2005, the ICE campaign was launched. It was not until the terrorist attacks in London however, that the idea of ICE numbers really began to take off, rapidly spreading across to the USA, Australia, and throughout the world. Global exposure of the concept occurred practically overnight, with international media coverage and a large-scale e-mail campaign helping to spread the word.

Many of you probably have heard of this, but the question was raided, so here it is;

ICE Number in Your Mobile Phone Helps Emergency Personnel Help You
Before traveling, consider adding to your mobile phone an emergency phone number, known to emergency personnel as an ICE (In Case of Emergency) number.
Follow these tips to get the best out of your ICE number:

1. Make sure the person whose name and number you are listing has agreed to be your ICE contact.

2. Make sure your ICE contact has a list of people they should contact on your behalf -- including your place of work.

3. Make sure your ICE contact person's number is one that's easy to reach -- for example, a home number on a land line could be useless in an emergency if the ICE contact person works full time (and is away from the home phone).

4. Make sure your ICE contact knows about any medical conditions that could affect your emergency treatment -- for example, allergies or current medication.

5. Make sure if you are under 18, your ICE contact is a parent or guardian authorized to make decision on your behalf -- for example, if you need a life or death operation.

6. If your preferred ICE contact is deaf, then type ICETEXT and the name of your contact before saving the number.

7. When your ICE contact's number is already in your phone, the Caller-ID feature may not display the ICE contact's name, because your ICE contact's number is a duplicate entry. If you have two identical phone numbers entered in your phone, your phone won't know which Name to display, so it just shows the number. Easy Fix on some phones: Simply type an * after the number listed for your ICE contact.

Char, I hope it helps

RN2B please pass it on to your family and fiends. Thanks

ICE does not have to be just about medical emergencies. It's a point of contact for any of the emergency services. I wish this feature would be added to all cell phone address folders along with a listing of allergies and list of medications. Thanks for forwarding this information.