Since we are a safety-oriented group I thought I would pass this along. Please do not bombard me or the The List with emails regarding this, as I'm presenting it here simply as a public service.  It's one of those things that is a really good idea, costs nothing, and could save precious moments at a critical time.  I've done the research to verify that this is real, (ie, snopes.com, urban-legends.com, myth-busters.com, etc.) and the comments contained are from one of those sites.  The Snopes write-up is one of the better ones with the most detail, if you feel the need to follow up on your own.  Go to http://www.snopes.com/crime/prevent/icephone.asp.   If it helps one of us in a time of crisis it will have done its job.  Thanks...

   <marv>


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.