In case of an emergency, 'ICE' can be a lifeline

Cell phone entry may help a hospital locate victim's loved one

By DAVID ELLISON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Carolyn D. Allen recently programmed a little more comfort into her cell phone, just in case of an emergency.

Previously, she had, for example, "husband-John" listed in her phone's address book so emergency personnel could call him if necessary. Now, she has "ICE-John."

Allen is among a growing number of people who are putting ICE, or "in case of emergency," telephone numbers in cell phones that could assist emergency personnel in case of an accident or illness.

"It's nice to know that they (emergency personnel) know exactly what to look for," she said. "They know to look for 'ICE' rather than husband, son or daughter-in-law."

The practice requires a person to program ICE before a relative's or friend's number in the phone. If a patient is unconscious or nonresponsive, a paramedic or emergency room worker will look in the phone's address book for an ICE number.

ICE is known worldwide. In Houston, however, it is only slowly catching on.

"I think the ICE thing is very, very important," Allen said, "and I think it needs to be publicized more."

Emergency personnel in Houston are aware of ICE. But Houston paramedics don't use it as much as hospital emergency room workers.

Dr. David Persse, medical director of Houston's Emergency Medical Service, said most of the time patients are able to speak to paramedics. And if they are unconscious, he said, paramedics usually don't have time to look at cell phones because they are busy tending to the patient.

Also, Persse said a phone call from a paramedic tending to a person's loved one could cause panic.

"If you get the phone call from the paramedic that an ambulance has been called for your loved one, unfortunately they tend to get very excited," Persse said.

"We worry about them getting in the car and speeding down the road to go to the hospital or to show up at the scene and getting in a wreck on the way."

Persse said a better practice is to have emergency room personnel make the call.

Shannon Rasp, spokeswoman with the Harris County Hospital District, said workers at Ben Taub General and LBJ hospitals are trained to look for ICE numbers if a person is nonresponsive.

'A great lifesaver'

Steve Peardon, Ben Taub's director of nursing, said the hospital uses the numbers to contact relatives of victims of trauma or motor vehicle accidents who arrive with no identification.

"If there is a cell phone, our staff is trained to look for the ICE (number)," Peardon said. "We will go through the wallet. We will go through anything that's available that might have a phone number. ... But very often we find the use of the 'in case of an emergency' in a cell phone is a great lifesaver for the person as well as for us."

According to published reports, ICE was conceived in 2004 by a British paramedic who had years of frustration trying to reach relatives of people he was treating.

His initiative gained worldwide attention after the bombings in London, and information about ICE spread by e-mail.

ICE is placed before the names of people who should be contacted. For example, ICE-Dad, or ICE-Mary.

Seniors get assistance

In Houston, Marlene Matzner, director of OASIS Institute, a national nonprofit designed to enhance the quality of life for older adults, said the organization is asking its clients to put ICE numbers in their phones. She said people are told about ICE while attending OASIS computer or cell phone classes.

"Along with teaching them how to use the cell phone — whether it was the camera, whether it was programming — we make sure there was an emergency number put in," Matzner said.

Allen, who teaches a computer class at OASIS, said she had numbers in her phone identified as husband, son, daughter and daughter-in-law, but not as ICE.

"It's such a great thing for firemen, and policemen and emergency people," said Allen, an author and freelance writer.

No one in a recent class knew about ICE. But they said they will program the numbers in their phones.

"I'll go home to get the phone manual out and figure out how to do it," said Jake Mooney, who plans to program ICE numbers in his phone as well as in the one carried by his wife, Betty.