LEARNING ABOUT THE 'ICE' INITIATIVE

I originally learned about this programme yesterday morning on a Tampa news show, and the Lakeland Ledger ran a story about it today. It's an interesting idea, and certainly worthy of anyone with a cellular phone...which just about everyone does today.

It's called "ICE", or "In Case of Emergency". The idea was sparked by a paramedic in Cambridge, UK, and asks people with cell phones to program the number of a family member or significant other that they would want to be called in an emergency into their contact listings, simply marked "ICE". The idea is that having such a number readily available, responders would quickly be able to gather and relay important --- and possibly life-saving --- information about an accident victim.

The programme has quickly spread in the UK especially in the wake of the recent terrorist bombings. The International Association of EMTs and Paramedics is still looking into the idea and have not decided to supporting it. The main concern seems to be about relatives rushing off the phone to get to the accident scene, possibly causing another dangerous situation.

Sounds like an idea worthy of discussion, where the positives of getting needed information that could save a victim's life outweighs any possible negatives.