What ICE means and why you need it

What is I.C.E.? 

I.C.E. stands for In Case of Emergency.  Hopefully you already know this, and you may already have I.C.E. contacts marked in your phone. As a back up, you should also have a physical card with names and phone numbers.  Carry one in your wallet, and keep one with your car registration, if you drive. For kids, consider pinning on in their backpack.

Emergencies are by definition unpredictable. By taking a few minutes today, you can prepare yourself, or those caring for you to be able to identify you and contact family members or friends in a time of trouble of need.

My mom has been a nurse for 40 years.  She loves her job, but she has seen a lot of things - and had a lot of bad days as witness and caregiver to terrible disease and destructive accidents.  Her job doesn't stop when the patient has been admitted. As a professional care giver, she is also responsible for contacting emergency contacts or relatives. Not only does it make her job harder when there is not quick access to that information, but it makes it more painful. She wants you to have this in your wallet and and in your car.  She's really smart, so I know it's a good idea, and I want that too.

The point of ICE information is not because you think something bad is bound to happen.  It's so that IF something bad happens, it isn't made worse because emergency response and caregivers cannot get ahold of your emergency contact or family members. Caregivers in emergency situations are already working hard, in a heightened environment. By making sure this information can be easily found, their hard job is made easier - or at least not harder. And you will have someone to speak for you, lend comfort, and take care of outside issues.

We are lucky to live in a time of handy technology. A world of knowledge is available at the touch of a finger, or saved in our pockets. By adding in ICE to your emergency contact people, you give a direction to those helping you. Technology is so convenient, but it isn't full-proof.  You may not have your phone, it may be lost, or broken. Batteries die. Ever lock your phone in your car? This way, you have phone numbers in your wallet to call for help, even if you don't have them in your head.

Click to the right and download this free page. Print it and fill it out for yourself, your spouse, your children, your parents - anyone you care about. Put a copy in your wallet today, and put a copy with your car registration if you drive. By doing this you help ensure that in the case of an accident, you can be identified and your emergency contacts can be contacted. 

And pass on the page to anyone you care about. Print them a copy, send them this blog post, or email them your downloaded copy.  

Do this with the hope that neither you nor anyone you love will ever need it, and the peace of mind that if it is needed, it is there.