Place ICE in your cell phone

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Ionne Barnes-Joshua
  • 452nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Recently, an e-mail was circulated regarding something the majority of us have and probably never think could be a lifesaver. Many of us carry a mobile phone with names and numbers stored in its memory. 

But, nobody other than the owner of the phone, knows which numbers belong to our closest family or who we want to be notified in case of an emergency. 

March Air Reserve Base does an excellent job making sure each of us has an emergency contact information sheet filled out and those of us, who need it, have a family care plan. However, if we were involved in an accident or taken ill, the emergency responders would have our mobile phone, but would not know who to call for notification.
Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored, yet which number is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign was initiated. 

This concept "ICE" is being used by more and more people each day. 

Let's face it, it makes sense, now doesn't it? It is a way to contact whomever you choose during an emergency situation. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a person or people of your choice that you wish contacted during emergency. 

You put the person's telephone number in the phone, the word "ICE" (In Case Of Emergency) and then the person's first name. This idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with injured parties, but he didn't know whose number to call to notify. He thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. 

In an emergency situation, emergency service personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE." 

Your March first sergeants ask each of you to please think about this information and consider following these simple steps; for more than one contact name, simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE and so on. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. Thanks to that paramedic, this is a great idea that will make a difference.