Let ICE speak for you

The following e-mail forwarded to me contains a message that could save a life or put a loved one’s mind at rest:

"We all carry our mobile phones with names and numbers stored in the memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn’t know whom to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this ICE (In Case of Emergency) campaign.

"The concept of ICE is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name ICE.

"The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents there were always mobile phones with patients but he didn’t know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. Emergency services personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number stored as ICE. Store an ICE number in your mobile phone today.”

RASHID MEDORA

Ahmedabad

rashid@medoraindia.com