'ICE' on cell phones: A cool way to help in an emergency?

Notan wrote:
> The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
> >
> > Notan wrote:
> > > The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Notan wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > My point was, paramedics don't.
> > > >
> > > > And the emphasis that you put on your "point" indicated that in your
> > > > opinion, such entries were futile.
> > > >
> > > > Don't try to cover that up.
> > >
> > > Have you ever been a paramedic? I have.
> >
> > BFD. Your statement didn't make allowances for the development of
> > "ICE". Thus it's ****ing worthless.
> >
> > > Do you keep in close communication with paramedics? I do.
> >
> > I'm happy forya.
>
> Fine, Curmudgeon. You know better than everyone else.

Nope. I only know better than YOU, dickwad. You're the moron who
poo-poo'd the use of "ICE".

---

› See More: 'ICE' on cell phones: A cool way to help in an emergency?

The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
>
> Notan wrote:
> > The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
> > >
> > > Notan wrote:
> > > > The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Notan wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > My point was, paramedics don't.
> > > > >
> > > > > And the emphasis that you put on your "point" indicated that in your
> > > > > opinion, such entries were futile.
> > > > >
> > > > > Don't try to cover that up.
> > > >
> > > > Have you ever been a paramedic? I have.
> > >
> > > BFD. Your statement didn't make allowances for the development of
> > > "ICE". Thus it's ****ing worthless.
> > >
> > > > Do you keep in close communication with paramedics? I do.
> > >
> > > I'm happy forya.
> >
> > Fine, Curmudgeon. You know better than everyone else.
>
> Nope. I only know better than YOU, dickwad. You're the moron who
> poo-poo'd the use of "ICE".

If your reading comprehension was as good as your ability to ignore
facts, you'd understand my original response:

"And, if you'll head over to any of the emergency services newsgroups,
youll find that most paramedics (at least in the US) don't bother
looking at cell phones for patient information.

Their job is to stabilize and transport."

If you want to get the last word in, go for it.

I'm outa here.

Notan

Notan wrote:

> If you want to get the last word in, go for it.
>
> I'm outa here.

You can run, but you can't hide.

Moira de Swardt wrote:
>
> "Notan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > Again, paramedics DON'T LOOK THROUGH PHONE ENTRIES!
>
> Actually, we (or the EMS chaplains) do sometimes look through phone
> entries. It helps us to determine the history of an unconscious
> patient, or to get family to the hospital, or in cases of death to
> send the chaplains out to the family.
>
> And quite often the patient is stressed about contacting someone.
> It helps if their phone entries are properly organised and rational.

Here, in the US, those responsibilities are typically left to
the police or the hospital and its representatives.

Notan

My husband was explaining this to me about having an "ICE" number
entered in your cell phone. I mimicked someone trying to figure out
how to get to their phone list "okay, you select 'menu'...no wait,
that's not it...um...wait...okay...'function, list, contact'..no,
that's not it. Will you stop your screaming; I'm trying to make a call.
Hang on, I've got it. Dang, we're out of the service area."
My question was why not just type up a sticker and put it on the back
of the cell phone itself, "in case of emergency call this number". Too
simple for an engineer.

"Notan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Moira de Swardt wrote:
> > "Notan" <[email protected]> wrote in message

> > > Again, paramedics DON'T LOOK THROUGH PHONE ENTRIES!

> > Actually, we (or the EMS chaplains) do sometimes look through
phone
> > entries. It helps us to determine the history of an unconscious
> > patient, or to get family to the hospital, or in cases of death
to
> > send the chaplains out to the family.

> > And quite often the patient is stressed about contacting
someone.
> > It helps if their phone entries are properly organised and
rational.

> Here, in the US, those responsibilities are typically left to
> the police or the hospital and its representatives.

Typically, the first responder to most emergencies other than major
motorway crashes and people trapped in burning buildings, will not
be a paramedic. They don't usually have the skill or equipment to
deal with the medical side. We're grateful if they can apply the
principles of first aid. Sometimes they've phoned the family
(causing consternation that side, but usually getting the most
important details of medical aid and sometimes a decent medical
history).

I did more or less understand that what was meant by "the
paramedics" is actually the emergency services. I am an EMT but I'm
primarily a clergyperson, so I tend to think about the chaplaincy
work rather than pure medical work, and the number is useful for the
chaplains.

I acknowledge that in the pressure of getting the patients
stabilised and transported there is no time for messing around with
phones.

--
Moira, the Faerie Godmother
I hope my standard of living doesn't go up. I can't afford the one
I have now.

uhm, after the bombings in London, im pretty sure in the news it said their paramedics were totally for the idea of ICE

Moira de Swardt wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> Typically, the first responder to most emergencies other than major
> motorway crashes and people trapped in burning buildings, will not
> be a paramedic. They don't usually have the skill or equipment to
> deal with the medical side. We're grateful if they can apply the
> principles of first aid. Sometimes they've phoned the family
> (causing consternation that side, but usually getting the most
> important details of medical aid and sometimes a decent medical
> history).

While I can see a (non-medical) first responder applying basic first aid,
I can't even fathom the phone call to the ICE contact: "Uh, this is Bob.
You don't know me. Some lady fell down in the street, and you're her ICE
contact. What does she look like?" Etc., etc. The only call that bystanders
are encouraged to make are to 911.

> I did more or less understand that what was meant by "the
> paramedics" is actually the emergency services. I am an EMT but I'm
> primarily a clergyperson, so I tend to think about the chaplaincy
> work rather than pure medical work, and the number is useful for the
> chaplains.

And the clergy is an extremely helpful and integral part of medicine.
But, unless the accident happens in front of a Church, first (clergy)
contact is usually at the hospital.

> I acknowledge that in the pressure of getting the patients
> stabilised and transported there is no time for messing around with
> phones.

That's my point. On top, of which, by the time the patient is ready
for transport, the police have (hopefully!) arrived on the scene...
*They* are the ones that will go through personal belongings, such
as wallets and cellphones.

Maybe, in the future, things will change. But, right now, that's the
way it is!

Notan

Notan wrote:
> And, if you'll head over to any of the emergency services newsgroups,
> youll find that most paramedics (at least in the US) don't bother
> looking at cell phones for patient information.
>
> Their job is to stabilize and transport.

And document, and document, and document, and document.

--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.

Ablang wrote:

> 'ICE' on cell phones: A cool way to help in an emergency?

Within a reasonable timeframe, no phonebook entry will help if,
like most people I know, you've activated password/PIN
protection.

John

Joseph wrote:

> Most people have not activated password/PIN protection for
> address books.

Then my experience differs from yours. If you've got statistics
on larger population samples, please share a reference with us.

John

Not to be morbid...but I knew a kid last year who committed suicide
himself on the nearby train tracks ( so sad) and they found his cell phone
unscathed and called one of his friends to come and identify him...It does
happen...
Peggy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Notan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Cuddly Curmudgeon wrote:
> >
> > Notan wrote:
> >
> > > Again, paramedics DON'T LOOK THROUGH PHONE ENTRIES!
> >
> > BFD.
> >
> > If the use of ICE becomes widespread, they will. Or the staff at the
> > hospital will.
>
> If you want to do it, do it.
>
> But first, rather than posting that you know better than everyone else,
why don't
> you head over to misc.emerg-services or alt.emergency-services.moderated
and ask
> some paramedics, first hand, what they think.
>
> Or, if they disagree with you, will it, again, be "BFD."
>
> Notan

"sweetchild" <[email protected]> wrote in message

> Not to be morbid...but I knew a kid last year who committed
suicide
> himself on the nearby train tracks ( so sad) and they found his
cell phone
> unscathed and called one of his friends to come and identify
him...It does
> happen...

I belong to the school of thought which decrees that, where
possible, children, even teenage childen, should be protected from
the harsher realities of life. Those will come soon enough.
I've seen bodies that have been mangled by trains. Nobody should
require that a "kid" do that kind of identification of a body. Too
traumatic.

My cousin's husband was killed by a train and they wouldn't allow
her to see his body even after the funeral directors had fixed it.
The body of a friend or family member is often more difficult
emotionally to view than the body of a stranger. I went with a
professional nurse friend of mine to identify the body of a close
friend of hers and she was pretty shaken even though she deals
with death routinely as a professional nurse.

--
Moira, the Faerie Godmother
I hope my standard of living doesn't go up. I can't afford the one
I have now.