When accidents occur in St. Paul, MN, the victims’ emergency contacts are extremely important. Too often, those involved aren’t able to provide rescuers with phone numbers and critical medical information.

When MN police and rescue workers must sift through pockets, glove compartments, wallets, purses and cell phone directories they waste precious time.

In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident, you have people in the St. Paul, MN area who you’ll want to be contacted to arrange help, give consent to treatment, and inform Minneapolis paramedics of medical conditions, allergies or medications.

A brilliantly simple solution is now spreading through Minneapolis and around the globe: ICE. ICE – standing for In Case of Emergency, is a way to identify emergency contacts in your cell phone directory.

Simply put ‘ICE’ before a contact name in your cell phone, like ‘ICE – Dad’, ‘ICE – Nancy’, or ‘ICE – Doctor Roberts’. Rescuers will be able to quickly identify your emergency contacts, saving valuable time.

Bob Brotchie, a Cambridge, England paramedic came up with the idea and created a promotional campaign in England in 2005. This effective idea is gaining attention in St. Paul, MN and in other countries. St. Paul rescue workers all know of how many times they are unable to find a wallet or purse on an accident victim, yet most Minneapolis area folks over fourteen years of age are seldom without their cell phone.

There are national and worldwide disaster databases, but participation can cost up to two hundred dollars a year. ‘ICE’ is free to the 276 million cell phone users in the U.S.

It is easy for St. Paul auto owners and their families to designate some ICE contacts in their cell phone. Remember to keep the listings current.

Please join Signal Garage Auto Care in getting the word out. Help us put St. Paul, MN on ICE!