Put an 'ICE' Entry into Your Phone With Emergency Contact Information-Truth!
Summary of the eRumor
The eRumor says that after the terrorist bombings in London in July, 2005, an ambulance service started a campaign to encourage you to put an 'ICE' entry into your cell phone that contains the names and numbers of people to be contacted in case you are in an emergency.
The Truth
The campaign is true, although it was not prompted by the London terrorist bombings.
It was started in April, 2005 by a paramedic based in Cambridge in England.
His name is Bob Brotchie and he is a clinical team leader for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust.
He said he got tired of trying to figure out who to contact when dealing with shocked or injured patients who can't give the information themselves.
The campaign encourages people to put an entry in their cell phones and other portable address devices under the name of 'ICE' (In case of emergency).
Emergency personnel can quickly check the cell phone for the ICE entry and reach whoever's name and contact information is there.
It also gives the cell phone owner the opportunity to choose who will be contacted during an emergency when that person may not want Mom, Dad, or some other same-named relative to be called.
The announcement of the campaign in April was made by Brotchie, a British war hero named Simon Weston, and the Vodafone Life Saver Awards.
Vodafone is a cell provider in the UK and says that its research has shown that more than 75 percent of the people it surveyed don't carry any information about who they would want contacted on their behalf in case of an emergency.
In July, 2005, an email started circulating saying that an email about ICE should not be opened because it is a virus.
There has not been a virus discovered using 'ICE' as a subject message.
The virus warning was a hoax, perhaps circulated by someone who was afraid that the email could be a virus.
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Following the disaster in London, the Ambulance Service have launched a national 'In case of Emergency (ICE)' worldwide campaign.
The idea is that you store the word ' I C E ' in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted 'In Case of Emergency'.
In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's so simple that everyone can do it. Please do.
Please will you also email this to all the people you know, 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 ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.
It’s a great idea, store it in your phone then pass on the message to your family and friends.
