You’ll probably already have heard of medical bracelets. They are designed to provide critical medical information to first responders at the scene of an emergency. However, though they’re useful, they have their limitations with regard to how much information can be shown. Plus, they also mean your personal details can be very public. A medical tag – what we like to call an ICEtag – on the other hand, can include a lot more information, and some details can be hidden behind a scratch panel if required.
So, with that said, let’s start with a little background on ICE…
What is ICE?
ICE stands for ‘In Case of Emergency’. As an acronym, it was originally promoted to encourage people to put ICE numbers in their mobile phone to help paramedics get in contact with next of kin easily. However, as phone usage has shifted and more and more people now lock their phones, ICE has had to evolve.
Medical ICEtags
For paramedics dealing with an emergency, having to hunt down contact details of the next of kin can be time-consuming and distracting. Not many people are aware of the fact that it can take medics up to eight hours to identify someone if they’re unconscious and not carrying any identification. Imagine your loved ones sitting at home worrying all that time? It’s not a good thought, is it?
Fortunately, however, now a mobile phone need not be a medic’s first port of call. Medical ICEtags are often worn by individuals who want to highlight medical conditions, as well as ICE contact information. Details of medication and other medical minutiae can also be included. All of which is of great value to a first responder on the scene. And it’s also worth bearing in mind that a paramedic is often unable to move a person for fear of causing more injury, so wearing an easy-to-find ICEtag is a boon for them. Yet it’s possible to take this even one step further…
Customised Medical ICEtags
If a picture speaks a thousand words, a medical charity’s logo speaks that message very quickly. A medical ICEtag that’s been customised for a particular charity – take Alzheimer’s Society, for example – makes a paramedic’s job even easier. With a charity’s logo/insignia clearly printed to catch the eye, a medic will quickly realise this patient, for example, may be unable to respond to normal questioning.
Put simply, a medical ICEtag that’s emblazoned with a medical charity’s logo is going to make a difference to someone’s life in an emergency. If you’d like to find out more about how a charity you work with can arrange for these to be printed, please do give us a ring. Whether it’s a one-off, or a bulk order, we’d be delighted to talk to you.
To find out more about ICE, please do visit the official ICE website - www.incaseofemergency.org.
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