Kilgore PD promotes emergency contact system

Kilgore police are urging residents to include ICE in their cell phone address books.

ICE -In Case of Emergency -recommends that cell phone users store emergency contact information in their address books.

“One of the difficulties faced by emergency personnel is how to locate the next of kin of a victim who is unconscious, dead, or otherwise unable to respond to questions,” said Kilgore Patrol Officer Angela Burch. “By using the ICE program we can use their cell phone to call the person they’ve designated to contact in cases of emergency.”

Burch said, “This would give paramedics a way of getting hold of the appropriate person in a few seconds.”

Burch also said it’s a good way of identifying the owners of lost cell phones turned in to the police department.

The in-case-of-emergency issue has been addressed through a variety of means over the years, as many people have taken to carrying lists of emergency contacts (and vital medical details) in their purses and wallets, or wearing items such as bracelets and necklaces with such information engraved on them.

“Making ICE a common practice for cell phone users will help make it a routine measure for police, fire and other emergency personnel to check cell phones when necessary” Burch said..

ICE is free and only requires a cell phone to use it. Even when carrying personal identification, such as a driver's license, it is recommended to use ICE, because an ID does not contain the names and phone numbers of next-of-kin, medical history or any other information that emergency personnel may need in assisting a patient.

Individuals can program a new contact in their cell phone address book with the letters “ICE” followed by the name and phone numbers of their emergency contacts. If adding more than one ICE contact, mark the primary contact as “ICE1,” such as “ICE1 – John Doe,” “ICE2 – Jane Doe” and so on. These individuals should agree to be the ICE contact and they should be supplied with the individual's family contacts, primary physician, work contact and medical history, which should list allergies, current medication and previous medical procedures.

Individuals under the age of 18 should list their guardian, mother or father as their ICE contact.

Burch said ICE entries in cell phone address books should be used in addition to (not in place of) more standard forms of identification.

“Even if the victim is carrying one or more forms of identification which have remained with him (such as a driver's license), those items don't necessarily provide information about where and how relatives or other interested parties can be reached, resulting in delays as officials try to track those people down,” she said. “As simple as this is, it can save a life. Spread the word. Enter ICE as a new contact just as an acronym. Input two or three telephone numbers of emergency contacts, and keep the keypad unlocked.”

Burch said persons having difficulty entering the ICE number in their cell phones can contact the Kilgore Police Department for assistance.