By Stacey Altherr
Newsday
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.
SMITHTOWN, N.Y. — Cell phone effort eyed to aid in emergencies
Smithtown’s Public Safety Department is asking residents to join an international campaign to help emergency workers get in touch with relatives of injured people while still on the scene of an accident or other emergency.
To join the effort, called ICE (In Case of Emergency), Public Safety Director John Valentine asked each mobile phone user to enter the name of the person they would like contacted in the event of an emergency in their cell phone under the name “ICE”. Emergency responders who find the phone can easily find the “ICE” contact number.
Bob Brotchie, a member of the East Anglian Ambulance in England, came up with the idea for ICE after years of trying to find relatives or close friends of shocked or injured patients, according to the ambulance corps Web site.
Valentine said a movement is under way to bring the idea to North America, and he wants Smithtown residents to participate.
To “put your phone on ICE,” said Valentine, a participant can create a new contact, name it ICE, and program in the number of the emergency contact.