Upon arriving at the scene of an accident where the casualty is unconscious, unable to speak or deceased, how can emergency services quickly contact next of kin? Bob suggested that people should keep a contact record in their mobile phones, stored in the address book under ‘ICE’, standing for In Case of Emergency.

If the owner’s mobile phone can be identified and the address book contains a number that is prefixed with ICE, this could save time and lives. Emergency personnel would spend less time on locating relatives and more on treating casualties.

The result: possibly a very quick way to contact a relative or guardian, who may be able to provide vital medical history details, or attend a scene to assist the casualty.

Although the solution is not infallible the potential gain to lives and time saving from such a simple idea makes it worthy of promotion and widespread adoption.

With our emphasis often on the harm that can be done using new technology it is refreshing to see innovative uses of simple techniques which provide a tangible benefit to all.