ICE (In Case of Emergency)

If you haven’t done it already, here’s a 5-minute tip that may save your life: add ICE to your cellphone.

ICE means In Case of Emergency. It’s a way to label your emergency contacts so rescue workers, police or medical professionals know whom to call if you can’t speak for yourself. Your ICE should be a family member or dear friend who knows your medical history, allergies if any, and doctor’s name if possible, and it’s fine to have more than one ICE contacts. All you have to do is change the contact name in your phone contacts list from “Mom” or “Tom” to ICE-Mom, ICE-Tom etc. If an emergency worker searches the list for ICE contacts, the listings will pop up immediately.

If your cellphone is password-protected, consider adding ICE info to the back of the phone instead. Set it up as ICE-Mom 123-123-1234. Some phones allow for text on the locking screen, which could also be a good place for your ICE information. There are also apps such as ICE Standard to download. If you know of another, similar app that you love, I’d love to hear from you. Alternatively, carry a card with ICE contacts in a prominent place in your wallet.

Adding ICE to your cellphone may save your life. I strongly encourage you to share this info with your family and friends.