Q I’ve heard that if you insert the letter “ICE” in front a telephone number in a cell phone, police will look through your contacts, see “ICE” and know to call that person “In Case of Emergency.” Is that true?
A It is true, but not necessarily in the United States.
“Apparently it was an initiative that was conceived by a paramedic in Britain,” said Acting Chief of Police Mike Lopez.
Emergency workers and law enforcement in Britain are urging residents to use the acronym “ICE,” which stands for In Case of an Emergency.
“It helps rescue workers ... especially if there’s a life-or-death situation,” Lopez said. “... Hypothetically if you’re found unconscious and they find your cell phone, the thought process would be that the EMT or ambulance driver or police officer would think, ‘Let’s look and see’ ” if there is an “ICE” number to call.
“I would venture to guess that it would be a matter of time before someone picks up on doing it,” Lopez said, referring to the possibility of widespread ICE use in the U.S.