by Terri Wiebold

“ICE” (In Case of Emergency) is the name of a new program implemented by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to aid law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel in locating necessary contact information about an individual in an emergency situation.

The program uses an individual’s cell phone address book as a resource for emergency contact information. If a cell phone user has entered a contact under ICE, emergency personnel can more easily locate the person’s identity, as well as an emergency contact for the person (ICE2, ICE3, etc for multiple contacts).

All ICE contacts should be aware that they are listed as an emergency contact, and they should be aware of any medical conditions or allergies that may be necessary to provide accurate medical treatment to the person who listed them. If a cell phone user is under the age of 18, the ICE contact should be a parent or guardian authorized to make decisions on their behalf.

Nationwide, this program has proven extremely helpful to emergency personnel. For more information about the ICE program, contact Douglas County Community Resources at 303-814-7089.