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The Illinois I.C.E. Program

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If you should ever become incapacitated in case of an emergency, Illinois emergency workers need a quick way to find out who they should contact. Paramedics, police and firefighters often waste valuable time trying to figure out which name in a cell phone to call when disaster strikes. They need to talk immediately to a family member or close friend so you can get the medical attention you need as soon as possible. Governor launched Illinois' I.C.E. program as a free and easy way to help emergency workers help you.

All you have to do is put the name of your emergency contact in your cell phone phone book with the word "ICE" in front of it. "ICE" stands for "In Case of Emergency." For example, if your emergency contact is Sheila, you should put "ICE -- Sheila" in your phone book. That way, emergency workers treating you can quickly contact Sheila to get the information about you that they need. You can also have more than one emergency contact -- you just list them as ICE1, ICE2, and so on. Take a look at the pictures on the right to see two examples of cell phones with ICE contact information.

Governor has notified all of the State's emergency agencies to look for ICE numbers if they ever come across an unconscious person in an accident. In addition, Cellular One and Sprint Nextel are partnering with Governor to promote the new ICE program to their Illinois customers. Illinois is the first state to implement this program on such a large scale. Now that police officers, firefighters and paramedics are on the lookout for ICE numbers, putting your emergency contact in your phone could help save your life one day in case of emergency. By working together, we can make Illinois a safer place for everybody. Please take a moment to put your emergency contact information in your cell phone today.