[Closed] Any Emergency Services folks here? ICE and other emergency ID tags

Emergency details in the iPhone health app is a good one these days.

Or something in the location that is normally checked for medical conditions like a bracelet for diabetes modified to show ICE details.

For those in the 'trade', are there any that you notice to be particularly effective?

No, I always just look for a wallet or such like with ID in. A plasterised card with any essential details on is good.

How do they access the emergency details in an iphone?

(On a separate note, if you lose your phone there's no obvious way to get the finder, if they're a good natured soul, to find the owner easily. Always thought that was a flaw. Unless of course you put some text on the wallpaper)

just tattoo your ICE details on your forehead and just in case you get decapitated get your limbs done.

How do they access the emergency details in an iphone?

if you've enabled it, its on the emergency tab from the lockscreen.

I wear a RoadID bracelet, once you get in the habit you rarely forget. Not sure if the emergency services would look there but it reassures me, and more importantly, my wife.

I ordered a RoadID bracelet the other day, but also just enabled the medical emergency thing on my iPhone too. I wonder how many emergency services are aware of that feature and how to access it?

Cheers, Rich

@lunge, that's the problem, reassurance is useful but I'd like it also to be effective!

@drac - My wallet is in a pocket in my commuting bag, so if I get knocked off you'd have to look for it, it's not hidden though. Would you look for anything on the helmet?

I think a bracelet or necklace would stand a fair chance of being spotted as the Medic Alert ones have been around for a while. Wallet first though, like Drac says. Not sure I'd remember to look for a sticker in a helmet even having read this thread.

Embossed butt plug.

[quote=benp1 ]@lunge, that's the problem, reassurance is useful but I'd like it also to be effective!
@drac - My wallet is in a pocket in my commuting bag, so if I get knocked off you'd have to look for it, it's not hidden though. Would you look for anything on the helmet?

what if you skid along the ground on your head and the sticker is ground off?

Hospital staff liked these when they saw them on my wrist at my last appointment.

http://www.theidbandco.com/Customisable-Silicone-Bracelets

I've had two made up, one with Name, Address and NHS Number. The other has that I'm Diabetic, No allergies and the Mobile Numbers of two contacts.

I did have one with my medication on but keep changing tablets so left that off until the meds are more stable.

On the lock screen of my phone and startup screen of my Garmin

Excellent, I've learnt something with the Medical ID, complete doddle to do too, thanks

@drac - My wallet is in a pocket in my commuting bag, so if I get knocked off you'd have to look for it, it's not hidden though. Would you look for anything on the helmet?

Helmets can often get discarded at scene. A bag the Police would look after or we would take with us.

I have the Medical ID thing set up on my iPhone as well as a contact number and email address on the lock screen wallpaper.

I wouldn't rely on that if I actually had any alertable medical conditions mind you - but I figure it might be useful for a Next of Kin contact as I've heard of folk going through victim's phones looking for "Mum" or "Wife" contacts.

Thats the challenge, you'd need to unlock my phone to find the contacts. Although the medical app is quite good, never knew about that

Drac, thanks, just the sort of info I was after, hadn't thought about a cracked or damaged lid getting binned. I'll just stick a card in my wallet, or as my driving licence is already in there, might just put a sticker on the back

I do have a minor allergy but it's not life threatening, I just want something there for emergency contact details

Driving licence is good as the Police can trace it. A few additional details won't do any harm.

Thanks, already have driving licence in my wallet but have added wife's phone number to my [url= http://dottech.org/175094/how-to-add-an-emergency-contact-info-to-the-android-lock-screen-tip/ ]Android lock screen[/url]

If you do parkrun a lot you can get your ICE + parkrun barcode on a wristband

[url= http://www.parkrun-barcode.org.uk/parkrun-wristbands-ra3.aspx ]linky[/url]

Just get "If your colleagues are performing CPR on me, please call ******* and inform my wife/husband/sheep" tattooed on your chest. The medics won't miss. 🙂

For good measure, have instructions telling your coworkers where an AED actually goes (because most of your colleagues will be prats who will clam up and forget their training, no matter how basic it is) if you ever conk it at work. 😆

I have a post-it note with my details in a freeby plastic zip lock wallet. I keep it in my pocket. Ambo and old bill will always pat down pockets.
Cost 2p.

To be fair; if the punter is in such a state as to not be able to tell me who he/she is; I'm not overly worried about finding out, there are more pressing matters at hand. Probably better asking the police or ED nurses amongst us what they do; it's more their bag.

Ice on all our phone lock screens, including kids. In addition I have activated android device manager, so like this afternoon I could track eldest Oab as he took a solo bike ride up Dumyat.

I also have ID in wallet - name, address, mrs_oab number, and it is in lid pocket of all my rucsacks.

I have a sticker on my phone and in my wallet, "in case of emergency call...", figured that was way more immediate than any tech cleverness.

To be fair; if the punter is in such a state as to not be able to tell me who he/she is; I'm not overly worried about finding out, there are more pressing matters at hand. Probably better asking the police or ED nurses amongst us what they do; it's more their bag.

mate of mine was out cycling & had a stroke (fell off his bike for no reason & couldn't get back on), managed to get a lift but then got chucked out coz the driver thought he was a weirdo, got himself home, then drove himself to hospital but couldn't tell the staff who he was luckily there was a policeman who was able to id him by my mate showing the pc his car - some sort of ID would have helped

Dickyboy - completely agree, and kind of my point. Doesn't help ambo types particularly, because we will defer IDing tasks to those with more time and resources. We don't routinely do the NOK contacting either, unless it helps in the specific case. Wasn't suggesting that it wouldn't be potentially useful, just not particularly useful to ambos, contrary to popular assumption, in my personal experience. (Disclaimer - Obviously exceptions prove the rule etc)

I wrote "I.C.E. 07xxxxx" (GFs phone number) on the white activation sticker on the front of my debit card when I was out in Garda and realised I didn't have anything on me in case of an accident. Have left it on now just in case as it's right at the front of my wallet or in my camelbak when on rides. Should probably sort something properly but it was a quick solution at the time and if I ever lose my wallet and someone honest finds it I figure it might be useful then.

if you've enabled it, its on the emergency tab from the lockscreen.

That's useful if the emergency responder has his iPhone user guide handy.

That's useful if the emergency responder [s]has his iPhone user guide handy[/s].
Knows how to use a potentially very relevant feature on the world's second most popular mobile OS.

FTFY. It's not rocket surgery.

It's a shame more folk aren't aware of it as it is a pretty useful feature.

For DrJ's sake: it's positioned to be found by someone trying to access a locked iPhone in an emergency.

You do the normal [b]"Slide to unlock"[/b] then on the passcode screen you hit the link that says [b]"Emergency"[/b]. That takes you to a screen where you can dial emergency numbers (999, 112, 911 etc).
On that screen there is a [b]"Medical ID"[/b] button that gives you whatever medical information they have chosen to share, including an emergency contact that you can call from the phone without unlocking it.

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All true V8 its handy but not routinely something we look for, certainly not next of kin.

All true V8 its handy but not routinely something we look for, certainly not next of kin.

The whole ICE thing started as an Internet meme / chain mail anyway, it's interesting to hear a first-hand opinion.

It's a nice idea, but speaking as a "what else can I make my phone do" tech-head, I still hold it's an unnecessarily complicated way of doing it. "Swipe this, click that, press the other, simples" is all well and good, but if you're involved an accident which has left you so ****ed up that you can't tell them who you are then there's a good chance that your iPhone has suffered a similar fate. And if you're lucky enough that it survives the accident, can you guarantee that still going to be ticking when the hospital staff eventually get around to looking for ID? "Oh sure, it's easy, everyone has an iPhone charger don't they, just plug it in, wait a while, then swipe this..." whilst you're breathing your last?

Just write it down somewhere obvious. Far simpler and more reliable.

Or, you know, they could just press the power button and an emergency number could be on the lock screen (the worlds most popular mobile OS).

I'd can think of an almost unlimited number of scenarios where a phone would survive an accident, especially if it is carried somewhere safe (e.g. not strapped to the bars as a GPS)

[quote=njee20 spake unto the masses, saying]That's useful if the emergency responder has his iPhone user guide handy.
Knows how to use a potentially very relevant feature on the world's second most popular mobile OS.
FTFY. It's not rocket surgery.

No it's not. But as owner of said phone, it took me a moment to remember where that feature is hidden. Much as it pains me to say so, the Android implementation is better.

Just write it down somewhere obvious. Far simpler and more reliable.

Yup far easier and no paying out to someone cashing in on the ICE fear.

Just write it down somewhere obvious. Far simpler and more reliable.

I put a sticker on the back of my drivers licence - I figured that is an obvious thing they will look for to ID me.

I've gone off the ICE ID on my helmet now, having read the real life advice above

If it's not going to be used, then what's the point?

I nearly always have my wallet with me. I've moved my driving licence so the top is immediately obvious when you open the wallet (in a card holder), i've put "ICE-PTO" on a little bit of cut up post-it note on the front, and the phone numbers for my wife and my dad on another piece of cut up post-it note on the back. It already has my name, address and DOB on it

The only time I don't take my wallet is if I'm out with the dog for my local loop, and if I'm bikepacking. For the latter I'll probably just take my licence with me, for the former I'll just take the risk, it's only round the park

If something on your smartphone is really what you're after, Windows phones have an app called "Lock Screen Text" which displays whatever text you want it to on the lock screen, maybe there is something on Android or iOS that is similar? I always have "Allergy - Penicillin" and my partners phone number on this, and seeing as lock screen never truly turns off, its always visible.

BUT... I do also have all of this on a piece of paper on the ID window in the side of my camelbak, and also on a piece of paper in my wallet, stuck to my driving license. I will always have at least two of these on me, so thought this was a sensible option.

And as others have said, if I am in such a state that I can't tell them who I am, I would much rather the people attending to me actually get me into a state where I can instead of worrying about telling her indoors that I forgot to get the milk and I might be late home.

As for her indoors, she is allergic to Lidocaine, so responders knowing that would be extremely useful - when she had it before, she ended up in anaphylactic shock and nearly died.

As for her indoors, she is allergic to Lidocaine, so responders knowing that would be extremely useful - when she had it before, she ended up in anaphylactic shock and nearly died.

It's very rarely used these days.

To put your mind at rest; very few (if any?) paramedics in the UK carry or administer lidocaine, and the circumstances in which they would be giving you penicillin whilst you are unconscious are somewhat unlikely to coincide with your mountain biking trip.

Drac; natch 😉

Even hospitals don't really use it.

Assumed it was still widely used as a local anesthetic? I have no specific knowledge either way TBH.

I'm a copper. When I road ride i wear a wrist band with basic details and NOK on it. Clearly visible to anyone attending to or treating me.

Knows how to use a potentially very relevant feature on the world's second most popular mobile OS.

I nearly always have my wallet with me

And as others have said, if I am in such a state that I can't tell them who I am, I would much rather the people attending to me actually get me into a state where I can instead of worrying about telling her indoors that I forgot to get the milk and I might be late home

Others might have said it, but it's massively simplistic; the 2 exercises aren't mutually exclusive, you know. Medical First responders might not be interested, but the hospital and the police will be.

Recently dealt with a collapsed male. Took us 5 days to identify him and trace NOK - they turned the life support off before his parents got to him. He'd had an I-phone and a wallet, but both had been stolen from him as he lay there unconscious.

I've also been to traffic accidents for 2-wheelers where the phone came off about as badly as the owner.

Assumed it was still widely used as a local anesthetic? I have no specific knowledge either way TBH.

If you're not able to tell them your allergies you're not really going to need a local.

Lidocaine? I have some on my table in front of me right now.

Rachel

The minutia that me and Drac are discussing is that it used to be a cardiac arrest drug a long time ago (ie; unconscious patient, unable to communicate allergies, therefore relevant to carry something suggesting not to give it) but it isn't any more. Lidocaine still in general use, but only in situations where the question "are you allergic to lidocaine?" Can be reliably answered, rendering having a tattoo of it on your forehead (or whatever ICE floats your boat) redundant.

Yup long gone in cardiac arrest cases or arrhythmia problems.

When I [s]road[/s] ride i wear a wrist band with basic details and NOK on it. Clearly visible to anyone attending to or treating me.

+1

Road ID here, used once in earnest by staff at Glasgow Velodrome when I was knocked out in a crash. They phoned the ambulance, then used the ID band to call my wife.

They'd have worked it out pretty quick though without the band, given that it was a booked session so I was registered in their computer anyway, but it goes to show what could happen out on the road or hills if riding solo.

Yay for me, but I had to run this test through in real life two years back. The police attending the scene found my details from my wallet and drivers license. I'm not sure, but I don't think my wallet was in an obvious place, but a pocket in my softshell jacket hidden away - but they found this. Fortunately I had kept my address details updated, having just moved, so all worked and wife was alerted quickly. Have ICE number in phone etc, but it was the license that was sought first.

Perhaps if you need specific information conveyed to the police or ambos in this circumstance, stick a post-it with the details to your license?

And I hope that for all of you this remains a diverting academic exercise!

I sometimes wonder what would happen if I keeled over in the gym where I carry neither phone nor wallet, and the key to my locker is a combination in my head? Maybe that is a good argument for a wrist band of some description.

Yeah I never carry a wallet at all. But I am never without my phone so it works well for me. As I said I have basic information on my lock screen wallpaper (as much for a lost phone as for ICE) but the Medical ID thing is still useful because it lets folk (that know about it) dial your emergency contact even if the phone is locked.

worrying about telling her indoors that I forgot to get the milk and I might be late home

Bear in mind that if you are in a state that you can't communicate then that phone call might be a tad more serious than that:
"we have your husband. Call off the mountain rescue search.", "Come pick up your daughter that was with him." or the worst "Come in and say your goodbyes. Is he an organ donor?" 🙁

stick a post-it with the details to your license?

Doesn't your driving license have your address on it anyway? Phone number might be useful though. Again not something I regularly carry.

The post-it on my licence has the phone numbers of my wife and dad and a minor allergy I have, which wouldn't be life threatening if triggered

Being mugged for your phone and wallet while unconscious isn't something I've thought about to be honest. In the two emergencies I helped out with, as a passer by, I did the first response type stuff until the ambulance got there. But I can now see how you could easily get separated from your stuff in the immediate chaos, even if unlikely

http://www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/2198082.htm

Carved my name, dob, couple of phone numbers on the back.

Driving licence with other half's phone number on it. I for one would bother carrying a phone with me just for this situation.

Dog tags are an option but better off with these than paying that much to do the work yourself.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MILITARY-TAGS-EMBOSSED-PERSONALISED-FREE/dp/B00P6S4GJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455211550&sr=8-1&keywords=army+personalised+dogtags