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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

(Newser) – 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.

Emergency vehicle entrance
Emergency vehicle entrance   (Getty Images)
  (Shutter Stock)
  (Getty Images)
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