| 'In Case of Emergency' (ICE) Campaign | |||
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| Netlore Archive: Email flier touts a new personal safety campaign called 'ICE,' or 'In Case of Emergency,' consisting of storing a special emergency contact number in your cell phone | |||
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Email example contributed by Tony T., 17 July 2005:
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In case of emergency : ICE Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's identity. You can make their job much easier with a simple idea that they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the name and phone no. of the person that the emergency services should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. It only takes a few moments of your time to do. Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately. ICE your cell phone NOW! Please pass this one along |
Email example contributed anonymously, 11 July 2005:
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Following the disaster in London . . . East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national "In case of Emergency ( ICE ) " campaign with the support of Falklands war hero Simon Weston. The idea is that you store the word " I C E " in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted "In Case of Emergency". In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's so simple that everyone can do it. Please do. Please will you also email this to everybody in your address book, it won't take too many 'forwards' before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc. |
Comments: True. The idea of entering the acronym "ICE" — "In Case of Emergency" — beside the numbers of people one wants to identify as next of kin in one's cell phone contact list was first suggested in 2004 by Bob Brotchie of the East Anglian Ambulance service. In April 2005, a National "ICE" Awareness Campaign was launched in the U.K. by mobile phone service provider Vodafone with the endorsement of Falklands War hero Simon Weston, and the movement reached critical mass in the wake of the July 7, 2005 terrorist bombings in London. The idea is now beginning to catch on in other countries, including the U.S.A. (as reported in the Washington Post).
'ICE' Campaign Targeted in Virus Hoax: False warnings are circulating which claim that adding "ICE" entries to one's cell phone make it vulnerable to a virus attack or hidden charges. Experts say these warnings should be ignored.
Vodafone Launch Annual Life Savers Awards with National 'ICE' Awareness Campaign
Press release, Vodafone UK, 18 April 2005Help Out in a Crisis - with ICE
Press release, East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust, 20 April 2005In Case of Emergency, Dial 'ICE'
The Register, 14 July 2005Mobile 999 Contact Idea Spreads
BBC News, 12 July 2005'ICE' Cell Phone Plan Would Help Rescuers
Washington Post, 18 July 2005Emergency Plan Faces Email Hoax
BBC News, 13 July 2005ICE Virus Hoax
From antivirus software vendor Sophos.com'ICE' Handy-Virus
(In German) Hoax info by Frank Ziemann
Last updated: 07/22/05
