New Security Initiative: Put ICE on Your Cell Phone
The idea began with paramedics, who often find victims unconscious after car wrecks and other accidents. The paramedics frequently pick up victims’ cell phones in an effort to contact a relative, but must spend valuable time scrolling through the phone directory trying to figure out who a spouse or nearby relative may be.
The solution: Consumers are being asked to standardize by adding a phone-book entry simply called ICE, and the number of their emergency contact. The idea is brilliant and simple. Here are tips for getting the most out of the system:
Make sure the contact has agreed to be your ICE partner.
Give your ICE partner a list of people they should contact on your behalf: family members, workplace, etc.
Select an ICE number that is most likely to be picked up. For example, a friend’s home phone number is a poor choice if that friend works fulltime.
Fully inform your ICE partner about any medical conditions, including allergies and medications.
Minors’ ICE partners should be a parent or guardian empowered to make life-or-death decisions on their behalf.
Not A Scam!
In a bizarre twist, hackers have launched an e-mail hoax suggesting that the ICE program is a cell-phone virus. This is absolutely not true; ICE is a legitimate grassroots program and will not unleash any sort of virus.
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