Especially since 9-11 and Katrina, emergency management teams have given out information to help us be prepared for emergency situations. I was not aware of ICE until recently. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency.

In your cell phone, go to Contacts and put ICE as the name of a person. Then in the information under ICE put the name and everything else you would need for emergency personnel to be able to reach that contact person.

I did not know that if you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in your cell phone in order to reach your next of kin. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.

Also, be sure every member of your family knows the phone number of a contact person and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card—just in case.

Another important thing to know is that you should  teach family members (this includes older family members since many of the younger can out message adult pros) how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

As we approach the anniversary of 9-11, let’s remember that we are always vulnerable to some sort of man-made or natural disaster or accident and live by that old Scout motto “Be Prepared” as much as possible.

Author: GlendaCameron
Author, writer, radio host, and educator Glenda Cameron has been co-host of TownTalk since 2006. In addition, she serves as Media Producer and contributing writer to www.towntalkradio.com. She began her radio career in Littlefield, Texas, at KZZN, later moving to KJAK and KFRE in Lubbock. Glenda’s hobbies include guitar, piano, and scanography.