If your child has a cell phone, you’ll want to make sure that its got ICE on it. Ice stands for “In Case of Emergency”, and it’s what first responders will be looking for if your child is ever in need of emergent care. You enter the information, in all caps, as a contact in the cell phone’s address book. God forbid your loved one is ever involved in some kind of incident where they are unable to speak for themselves, this one simple step could save prescious time.

You will be glad to know that if emergent care is required to save your child’s life, hospital personnel will render critical care, even if Mom or Dad has not yet arrived or given consent. There are plenty of circumstances, though, where not being able to contact a legal guardian can impeded important medical procedures. When most teens go out, they carry a cell phone, but do not carry any form of identification. Worse yet, many college students go out carrying a cell phone, along with fake identification. These circumstances can be incredibly frustrating in the critical first few moments of an unfolding emergency.

To make sure it doesn’t happen to you, grab your kid’s phone and enter a new contact as “ICE”, then program the phone number that is most likely to be answered at all times. You can have more than one ICE contact, such as: ICE Dad 555-212-1234 and ICE Mom 555-212-2234. In some phones, you can type the entire “In Case of Emergency” in the name field. Just be careful not to substitute “EMERGENCY” for “ICE”. Some phones come pre-programed with an ‘EMERGENCY’ speed dial set to 911. First responders will go right past it looking for the ICE number.

For many parents, the decision to purchase a cell phone for their teen or pre-teen is a difficult one. The thought of your child being able to reach critical help when needed is usually one of the considerations given. Be sure to consider the possibility of a child that has been injured, or otherwise rendered incapable of communicating intelligently. A few spare seconds spent programming that ICE number now, could later turn out to be some of the best time you’ve ever spent on the phone. While you’re at it…what’s in your own phone?

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