Give Rescue Workers a Break: Just Add ICE

Cell phone entry lets them know who to call
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 27, 2007 5:53 PM CST
Give Rescue Workers a Break: Just Add ICE
Emergency vehicle entrance   (Getty Images)

The practice of putting the letters ICE—short for "in case of emergency"—in front of a person's name in a cell phone seems to be catching on. The idea is to help paramedics or other emergency personnel zip through the phone and find the right person to call, the Houston Chronicle reports. 

"If there is a cell phone, our staff is trained to look for the ICE (number)," said one nursing official in Houston. Typically, the entry will be along the lines of "ICE-husband or ICE-dad." Finding one "is a great lifesaver for the person as well as for us," he says. The idea reportedly began in London a few years ago and has been spreading worldwide since. (More cell phones stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X