The Happy Medic shares an experience where an unconscious person with an “ICE” number within her cell phone directory makes a big difference.

Read all about it in “You called 911 … for this?  HERE.

ICE – ‘In Case of Emergency’ (from the Los Angeles Community Policing webpage)

We all carry cell phones with names & numbers stored in their memory .. but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.

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 dialing the number you have stored as ‘ICE.’ 

For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!

Let’s spread the concept of ICE by storing  an ICE number in our mobile phones today! 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 .

ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.

On the other hand …. Snopes 2005 analysis HERE.

Los Angeles Fire Department is not as enthusiastic, here is their 2005 response.(click HERE).  The key point from LAFD:

The Los Angeles Fire Department supports the original ICE concept as a free and potentially helpful tool in the minutes and hours that follow an emergency.

However…

Contrary to several chain e-mail warnings, ICE is not something that Paramedics rush to look for the instant they arrive at an emergency, and is certainly not required in order for LAFD Paramedics to provide quick, focused and compassionate emergency care.

We tell people: Add ICE contact information in your cell phone only after you’ve affixed similar information to (or near) the official photo identification you routinely carry in your wallet.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

THE INGRAINED PROBLEMS OF THE FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, emergency dispatch center have led to the first defection from their coverage area.

The city of Milton in the north side of Fulton County announced Saturday that beginning October 1 they will have their fire, police and ambulance dispatching handled through the Alpharetta 911 Center.

[photopress:milton_truck.jpg,full,centered]

Disclosing that they have been planning this since December, Milton public safety director Chris Lagerbloom said that they signed the agreement earlier this month before the recent debacle at Fulton 911 (STATter911 report HERE) where an incompetent dispatcher sent an ambulance to the wrong address 35 miles away from a woman needing assistance.  She later died.

“Some of the catastrophic failures we’ve seen further solidify that we’ve made the right choice,” Lagerbloom said.  He also pointed out that the Alpharetta center has GPS technology working already that locates and dispatches the nearest units on all calls.  Additionally, the cost to Milton will be $100,000 annually less than they are paying now.

Milton and Alpharetta have also implemented a mutal-aid pact where the nearest units of any emergency, regardless of jurisdiction, will be dispatched.  Milton’s ambulance service is provided by the private firm Rural/Metro.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the complete STORY.

Atlanta’s largest EMS provider, Grady Hospital, has already removed all of their dispatching from Fulton. This AP video report covers the situation:

WHILE RESEARCHING A POLICE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY, Nashville, Tennessee, TV station WTVF came across an unusual 911 recording.

They were looking into a botched police call where it took three hours to get an officer to assist a woman who was being threatened by her boyfriend who was wielding a knife.

During the three hours waiting, she called the 911 center dozens of times begging for help.  One of her last calls was answered by a probationary employee who, after the call was terminated but the mic was still live, muttered:  “I don’t give a (crap) what happens to you.”

He was fired shortly after that night.

WTVF has the full story HERE.
This AP video report plays the tape: