August 11, 2005
Police, firefighters lukewarm to 'ICE' mobile-phone contacts
"ICE" for In Case of Emergency urges cell phone users to program a contact number under the name "ICE" so that responders to a chaotic scene would be able to quickly contact a family member or someone else whom the victim would want to inform about the situation.
But Glencoe News reports that North Shore police and fire departments are taking a cautious approach to the idea.
"We haven't decided how to approach it," said Mikel Milks, director of Glencoe's Public Safety Department. "It sounds like a good idea. (But) I can't ever see a paramedic picking up (someone's cellular) phone."
Police Chief George Carpenter said officers are learning to recognize what ICE is, but he also doesn't see a pressing need for it.
The idea has some possibilities, but also there are some drawbacks.
One practical problem is that many people lock their phones with a code to discourage thieves or prevent accidental dialing in a purse or pocket. Notification is usually not handled by paramedics, who are busy helping the person and could not give any definitive answers on their condition in any case.
For a backup form of identification and another level of medical safety, Wilmette Fire Chief Joe Robberson favors the Medi-Alert bracelets, necklaces or wallet cards that give professionals a toll-free number to learn about a victim's existing medical conditions or allergies if the patient cannot speak.
Meanwhile, ICE is getting an enthusiastic endorsement from fire chiefs in Winnetka and Northfield.
"Every kid I see has a cell phone, but they don't all carry wallets and IDs," Winnetka's Fire Chief Scott Smith said. ICE "would be greatly beneficial to us if we had a child that was knocked unconscious with no identification on him," he said.
Northfield Fire Chief Michael Nystrand said an ICE contact would help paramedics check the medical histories of patients so they don't treat them with potentially conflicting drugs or drugs that might trigger allergic reactions.
Related:
-- Hoax leaves people cold on ICE.
-- Mobiles 999 contact idea spreads.
-- Emergency contact campaign starts.
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