A message from the NSW ambulance service - emergency numbers

Team Pathfinder · Post by **Team Pathfinder** » 10 January 08 8:38 am

A Message from NSW Ambulance Service

We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than 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 who 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' (In Case Of Emergency).

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 they 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.

In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialling the number you have stored as 'ICE'.

Please forward this.

It won't take too many 'forwards' before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc.

Gunn Parker · Post by **Gunn Parker** » 10 January 08 9:50 am

That sounds like a good idea, I wonder if many paramedics know of this or would think or have the time to check though.
Andrew

zactyl · Post by **zactyl** » 10 January 08 9:55 am

Having the same number with more than one entry messes up caller ID.

psychokat · Post by **psychokat** » 10 January 08 10:52 am

In my phone I put down ICE-Dad so the paramedic's or police know who they are talking to. I think it's a great idea but imagine if you got a phone call saying I'm contacting you about an accident, a person has been hurt and you are their ICE contact. I'd prefer them to know they are talking to my Mum or Dad and that my ICE person knows who they're talking about.

Gunn Parker · Post by **Gunn Parker** » 10 January 08 2:14 pm

I did a bit of googling around and found "ICE" on a hoax page, but it looks good

Hoax-slayer
and this
ice-contact

Team Wibble · Post by **Team Wibble** » 10 January 08 2:35 pm

Gunn Parker wrote:I did a bit of googling around and found "ICE" on a hoax page, but it looks good
Hoax-slayer
and this
ice-contact

And this resource too: http://www.snopes.com/crime/prevent/icephone.asp

Team Pathfinder · Post by **Team Pathfinder** » 10 January 08 3:43 pm

Gunn Parker wrote:I did a bit of googling around and found "ICE" on a hoax page, but it looks good
Hoax-slayer
and this
ice-contact

Hmmm....

If it had said in the message to forward it to everyone in my phonebook I would have been instantly suspicious - I got this info from the Jeep Forum (where it has been placed as a sticky) and thought what a good idea. seems like I have been suckered

Maybe should think about withdrawing the thread.

Sorry guys.

Gunn Parker · Post by **Gunn Parker** » 10 January 08 9:38 pm

No Sue
Your ok, as long as I have read the hoax paged correctly, you have nothing to worry about and all is good. Although that last link from Team Wibble was last updated on that page in 2005 so this could be an old thing.

Richary · Post by **Richary** » 10 January 08 10:06 pm

Sounds to me like it started as a hoax thing, but could in fact be useful.

Does anyone have a contact in any of the emergency services who they could ask if in fact it is checked by officers at the scene? It's listed on wikipedia at here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_case_of_emergency

Of course this only works if you haven't set your mobile to need a password to unlock it to use.

GIN51E · Post by **GIN51E** » 10 January 08 11:35 pm

It's a good idea but if you look in anyone's phone you will likley see numbers stored under, Mum, Dad, Home.

I'm sure they would look for these type of stored contacts first.

Would be interesting to hear this topic from the Police Ambo's Themself.

I know there is a couple within this community

GeoScrubers · Post by **GeoScrubers** » 11 January 08 9:57 am

The "ICE" concept has been around for some time. <br>
Can't speak for the police, but from an Ambulance point of view, <br>we don't normally ring family/friends etc of an person that's <br>injured/unconscious etc - will only ring if the patient requests it, in which case they can tell us where to find the number...<br>If needed contact is normally made by hospital/police once they are in hospital

unbreakables · Post by **unbreakables** » 13 January 08 6:07 pm

I'm going with geoscrubbers, as a Firie, we are concentrating on the job we are there for. As are the Ambo's, rescue etc etc, It is not a policy for us to do the contacting.
We leave it up to the Police. who generally look for a wallet for a license for Id.
But it is a good idea to do the ICE thing.
My 2 bobs.
Cheers

Map Monkey · Post by **Map Monkey** » 18 January 08 11:02 am

Just read about this in another forum today.....there is a media release by ASNSW denying their involvement in this email campaign. The release can be found here ==> http://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/docs/re ... 117ice.pdf

The media release on 11/01/08 mentions the following:

==============================================

Enquiries regarding ICE

The Ambulance Service has not launched any campaign supporting ICE (In Case of Emergency). Ambulance supports any method of contacting family in a critical medical emergency. Methods that can be used include information in diaries, wallets, drivers' licences, and mobile phones. The concept of ICE has merit and would be another source of information to assist with identification.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE: in cases involving more than one patient or a where a mobile phone has been borrowed from someone else, it may be difficult to confidently match personal belongings to any one individual. This may in turn lead to unnecessary distress. The Ambulance Service also advises that as with all stored personal information, individuals need to be mindful of confidentiality issues.

Graham McCarthy
Acting General Manager,
Operations

==============================================

Whether you decide to use the ICE concept or not, and whether it is used by the AS is dependant on the situation at the time.

mm

zactyl · Post by **zactyl** » 18 January 08 1:17 pm

The new QLD Licence to be introduced later in the year has a smart chip that holds the Driver's Address details (they're no longer printed on the card) and it is proposed that Emergency Contact information could optionally be placed on this chip:
New licence features
It'll be nice to have a decent looking licence again. It was painful to hand over my NSW one and get back something that looked like a highschool library card.

Map Monkey · Post by **Map Monkey** » 18 January 08 1:21 pm

Can it be used on the Bus, Ferry, Rail system in Brisbane at the same time?

mm