"14 year old female, unconscious"
Getting sent to an unconscious 14 year old in a park on a Saturday night means drunk! OK, I'm sure there will be an anonymous commenter who will list all the other possible causes of unconsciousness in a teenager and tell be it is negligent to suggest it's alcohol but let's face it. She's drunk. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat!

Her blood pressure was extremely low so we raised her legs and gave her some fluids. We only had her first name and she was well and truly out of it. If I was her, I'd be on the hunt for some new friends when I came round! Useless! We opened her vomit covered bag and got out her mobile phone to hunt for 'Mum' or 'Dad' in the phone book. If we were really lucky we'd find an ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact. For those not aware, ICE contacts was something that started in 2005 and the idea is that everyone has a contact in their phone book called ICE so that in the case of an emergency an ambulance crew, police or hospital staff can contact your next of kin. A very easy, simple solution, especially as everyone has mobile phones these days! There is however, a problem! Screen Lock!
Most people have their phone locked. Despite the issue being brought to the attention of phone companies no solution has yet been found and therefor we were left in a situation like tonight. An unconscious teenager, no idea where she is from, no way of contacting her parents and no access to her phone! Luckily, she was drunk and it was more than likely that within the hour she would be awake enough to talk to hospital staff. Suppose though, she had been hit by a car and was fighting for her life. How would her parents find out?
We got her to hospital and left her in the safety of the staff. All we had for them was that she was possibly 14 and her first name. 1am is no time for a girl of that age to be out, let alone drinking. I wonder where her parents thought she was!

Do you have an ICE contact in your phone?
Do you have a phone lock on?
Perhaps now, you'll ensure your children have them on theirs or at least have the ICE contact on their screen saver. Let me know! I'd be interested to hear if the novelty has warn off or if it never got going.
OH and I both have Ice contacts but we both have screen locks too...I took mine off a while back but his is still on. Will have to tell him!
ReplyDeleteHaha! Good!
DeleteI have I've and all my kids (now grown up) do but never gave the screen lick a second thought doh! Will be making sure we add some detail to the screen saver! Why can't they link it into the emergency dial option you get on an iPhone?
ReplyDeleteNo one does lol
DeleteYou know what! I NEVER thought of the screen lock either!!!
ReplyDeleteSee, the difference between you and me Kel is that clearly i'm saying what you're not thinking ;-)
DeleteI have ICE contact on my mobile and have for years. I also have it as text input on my lock screen and have made my family do the same.
ReplyDeleteExcellent!
DeleteGot ICE but also a screen lock! Doh!
ReplyDeleteSchool girl error! Me to!
DeleteNever heard of ICE on a phone but has made me ponder the screen lock issue too!
ReplyDeleteClearly the campaign needs re-igniting!
DeleteHad ICE for ages but need a screen lock, surely it can't be beyond the whit of phone companies to make ICE contacts unlockable, something like ICE999 could unlock them surely
ReplyDeleteUntil then add it to your screensaver!
DeleteNo ICE contact in phonebook...because of the screen lock. Do have a card in my purse though :)
ReplyDeleteScreensaver?!
DeleteBeing the technophobe I am...I'm not sure I have a screensaver, but will definitely look into how to do one!
DeleteI have a card in my purse, OH has one in his wallet, we both have an ICE contact and no screen locks lol
ReplyDeleteWell, you're covered then!
DeleteI have ICE in my phone and it has a phone lock. However at the bottom you can still select emergency dial or emergency contacts. All my info will pop up if it is needed!
ReplyDeleteOoh what phone do you have?!
DeleteDroid RAZR but I'm pretty sure my last few droids have had that option
DeleteMy Android Samsung Galaxy S3 has the same - I can click on Emergency Call, click on the icon with peoples heads, and it lists all the contacts I've listed as ICE. It's not the most obvious (I found it by accident) but it's nice that some companies do use it!
DeleteI have to have my screen locked as my 5 year old girl has a fantastic way of getting on my phone and spending money I don't even have! It's crazy but true. Think I will put something in my purse with contact details on it just in case.
ReplyDeleteAdd it too screensaver!
DeleteWhat Fiona said! My ICE contacts are still available regardless of the screenlock!
ReplyDeleteWhat phone do you have?! Clearly one manufacturer has listened!
DeleteThe Samsung Galaxy S3 has this feature :)
DeleteSadly im a slave to Apple!
DeleteWow drinking at 14 I didn't drink until I was 18 and was in by 11pm everynight until i finished college I'm 24 now sounds like Ive not missed much but I've led a sheltered life :-/ I don't ICE or my parents under mum and dad in my phone maybe I should change that :-/
ReplyDeleteIm guilty of starting young lol but never needed an ambulance!
DeleteI must say as a family we have a dyno name label thingy which I made ICE with mobile numbers on & stuck it each of our phones on the back.. :-)
ReplyDeleteGood work!
DeleteHey chick,
ReplyDeleteI have the S3 Mini that has the option for ICE numbers and important info to pop up when locked too. Handy feature :)
Apple need to catch up!
DeleteMy phone is screen locked. But not with a number or code.. You just slide the padlock in direction of arrows. Presumably this is ok?
ReplyDeleteYeah if anyone can open, should be fine!
DeleteNo screen lock on mine (as I keep it in my bra)& 2 ICE contacts, have had them since I first heard of it years ago, brilliant idea & the whole family has them too
ReplyDeleteIf you were unconscious though I probably wouldnt think to go hunting around in your bra lol!
DeleteI have an iphone, and definitely keep it locked (my friends and coworkers have been known to send embarrassing messages from my phone if they can get ahold of it!) There is an option for emergency call without unlocking it, but I'm pretty sure it only works to call 911, doesn't give any information of of my emergency contacts. Good idea on the screen saver
ReplyDeleteI have also been a victim of the Frape! Mine is now on a screen saver using the free app Ride ID :-)
DeleteThe ICE123 iPhone app by acedotx allows you to save your ICE contacts as your locked screen for this exact purpose. It is an excellent app I would highly recommend.
ReplyDeletemy Android lets me set wallpapers on the lock screen, so have put my ice contact as an image using inkscape on the PC. now my ice appears as soon as you switch it on, behind the lock pattern.
ReplyDeleteMy Samsung note 2 also has the ice contacts under the emergency call bit when the screen is locked. Never knew till someone said above! It's good to know.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of ICE sorry & I have password lock on my phone - there are apps for iPhone (I've looked into although wear medic alert) where screen saver of phone can be ICE. Maybe similar need for other phones if doesn't already exist but to make it popular is another thing.
ReplyDeleteI have an emergency contact but not listed as ice mine is 1 emergency and 2 emergency that way they are the first numbers on my phone list. My phone isn't locked.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit late as usual, but I was really pleased I saw this post. I've put ICE contacts in both mine and my husband's phones, but on several occasions wondered if it was silly. Besides the very first news stories that advertised the idea in 2005, I've never heard it mentioned again. I was starting to suspect it was just a passing fad and that emergency crews wouldn't be looking for ICE contacts any more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know they are still useful! (P.S. I don't have a screen lock on my phone)
Yep, there are a few apps for Android phones that add a button to your lockscreen labelled ICE. I use one as I have a complex medical history and it's easier to just point and have them read!
ReplyDeleteI have it as aICE so it's the first contact when you open my phone book,
ReplyDeletei also have a card in my purse with a USB key (although i'm pretty convinced its useless as half the time i can't find the damn card.)
My dad also has a phob (Utag) he wears round his neck. This came in really handy when he was involved in a hit and run a few years back (he survived thankfully to the paramedics.)
I just recently found your blog. I enjoy your stories and humor. So a trick to ICE and locked phones is to put a banner on your front screen with the ICE contact. Either a picture that is saved with the contact or phones can allow you to put sayings on the front screen.
ReplyDelete