The Two Minute ICE Contact for Samsung Galaxy

What if I told you that you could put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy with everything it needs to have in it to save your life, in 2 MINUTES FLAT?

Would you grab your phone and go for it?  Of course you would!  In fact, even if you already have an ICE Contact on your smartphone, I guarantee that you’re probably missing a few key things.

Last week we showed you how to do a 2 Minute ICE Contact on your iPhone, so we thought this week, we’d switch things up so owners of Samsung Galaxy’s could get in on the fun.  So what are you waiting for?  Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1.  Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field.

2.  Put your ICE Contact’s first and last name in the Last Name field.

3.  Type in all of your contact’s phone numbers.  EVERY one that you have for them

4. Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every last one.

5. Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names in the website section of your contact.  You never know what will be working in an emergency.  Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6. If you don’t have a field for Relationship, add one by adding new field and choosing the one called, oddly enough, Relationship.  Then choose or enter the way that this contact is related to you.

7. Your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section.  Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc to ensure that they’re seen.

8.  You can also add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own medical history form.  If you don’t have one, you can borrow one of ours.

9.  Is your contact in different locations on different days?  Add that in the notes section as well.

10. Instead of their photo, add an ICE Contact Graphic to the contact to make it stand out.  Here are a few to choose from.

11.  And finally, never, ever put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact.  You may put the name of your insurance company and their customer service number in if you like, but as long as your emergency contact comes to the hospital and can provide that information, it’s probably not necessary.

And there you have it.  One fully loaded ICE Contact.  Two Minutes.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts like How To Put and ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy or How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or  to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about ICEing your phone. 

And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone 6

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

 

How Satellite Phones Can Keep You Connected To Your Business & Family

Updated On 9/28/21

To us, one of the worst things that all of the recent disasters had in common, was that they left millions of people — millions of families — disconnected from everything that they needed not only to survive, but to recover. 

And with the way the world has been the last few years — from hurricanes to wildfires, tornadoes and oh yeah, COVID — having an ICE contact is the perfect way to keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

Natural disasters can strike at any time, leaving you and your family stranded without the ability to do something as simple as make a phone call.  Over the last few years, the United States has experienced wildfires in California, tornadoes throughout the Gulf Coast, flooding near rivers and devastation caused by hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.  While physical essentials like food, water and shelter are often limited during disasters, communications are often overlooked as an emergency resource.  In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico experienced an outage of their land-based networks that are used for landlines and cell phone usage.  First responders relied on satellite communications in order to coordinate relief efforts, and afflicted families were able to connect with their loved ones using satellite phones.

In a disaster, there is a risk that telephone lines may fail quickly – and those that don’t can be overloaded with users attempting to place calls.  Satellite communications may become the only alternative as your ‘cellular tower in the sky’.  Iridium provides satellite connectivity with its network of 66 Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that brings reliable service to anyone throughout the world.  Satellite connectivity is a critical emergency resource and backup communications source that allows you, your family, and colleagues to stay safe, aware and connected during a crisis. 

Is There One Phone That Stands Out From The Others?

As a matter of fact there is.  Iridium.  Iridium is the only provider that offers truly global coverage for mobile satellite devices.  Some providers have large stationary satellites placed in space over 22,000 miles away in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).  Given the distance away from Earth, satellite providers with LEO constellations, like Iridium, tend to experience lower latency on phone calls and provide coverage in areas that cannot be served by GEO constellations.  For example, if you’re stranded in a mountainous area, you may struggle to have a clear line of sight between your satellite phone and a GEO satellite.  With LEO satellites, terrain blockages resolve themselves as the satellites move overhead.

Iridium’s network of 66 LEO satellites continually orbiting the earth supplies clear and reliable communications no matter where you are.  Iridium offers easy-to-use satellite phones and devices that can quickly connect you to the Iridium network, and allow you to place calls during a crisis, especially when cellular connectivity is unavailable. 

How Do I Choose A Satellite Device?

Another benefit of a LEO network is the compact and mobile products associated with it.  For example, Iridium GO!® is a small ‘modem’ that connects your smartphone to the Iridium satellite network.  Simply load the Iridium GO! mobile application to your smartphone, connect it to the Iridium network and place a call.  Iridium GO! provides multiple options to stay in touch. You can check email, send a text, update your social media accounts or send an SOS message when in need.   

The Iridium satellite phone, called Iridium Extreme®, is suitable for users on the move. It has a rugged design that can withstand harsh conditions, and features an SOS-button for emergency situations. The SOS button  automatically dials the GEOS emergency response center, a part of the International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC), providing a connection to a live support representative.  The SOS-functionality requires users to register online in order to initiate this emergency response service, and once pushed, the SOS button will send location data for response coordination with local public authorities. The button is programmable so corporations or organizations can have emergency calls routed to their internal response center if needed.

How Do I Use A Satellite Device?

An Iridium satellite phone is nearly as easy to use as a regular phone. However, here are some tips to keep you connected at all times. When using your satellite device, it is important that you ensure the device has been fully charged.  When placing a call from a satellite phone, make sure you have a clear view of the sky in order to connect to the network.  To place a call, simply dial 001 (US country code) followed by the phone number.

Having an emergency plan is a necessity in any household.  Ensuring you have a guaranteed and reliable communication source that works with you wherever you go is the best way to stay safe and connected during a disaster.  When preparing for a disaster, be sure to include an Iridium #SatellitePhone and #HotSpot in your emergency kit.  

High Tech Toys

Here are the coolest ways we can find to keep everyone you love safe and connected.  Smart phones, smart watches, smart flash drives that beam data where you need it and a car accessory that diagnoses your engine on the go.  You’re welcome.

Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone

Apple Air Pods

Apple Watch Series 3  

Apple/iTunes Gift Card

Autobrain GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Iridium Extreme Satellite Phone  

Iridium GO! Satellite Phone Wi-Fi Hotspot

BlueCosmo Inmarsat IsatPhone

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Samsung Gear Fit2 Smartwatch Large, Black

SanDisk 32GB iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone and iPad

Galaxy Fold Z2

IPhone 12 Pro Max

IPhone SE

IPod Touch

Jitterbug Flip Phone

The Ridge Slim RFID Front Pocket Wallet

Tulips In The Breeze Smartphone Case

Red Parrot Smartphone Case

The COVID pandemic has created a new list of toys that people can’t do without — including some very cool high-tech solutions to unexpected challenges.  Like staying healthy and working from home!  Here are some of our favorites.

Cubii Pro Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine

I’m Smiling On The Inside Face Masks

iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer

iProvèn Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

KODAK Luma 150 Pocket Projector

No-Touch Door Opener, Button Pusher Tool

Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor

PhoneSoap 3 UV Smartphone Sanitizer

Sony Tie-Clip-Style Omnidirectional Microphone

Total Gym APEX G5 Total Body Strength Training

Zacurate Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

Updated On 3/2/21

What if I told you that you could put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy with everything it needs to have in it to save your life, in only 2 minutes?

In fact, even if you already have an ICE Contact on your regular Samsung Galaxy or Samsung Galaxy Note, I guarantee that you’re probably missing a few key pieces of information.

And with the way the world has been lately from hurricanes and wildfires to Coronavirus it’s more important than ever! Having an ICE contact is an awesome way keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

So what are you waiting for?  Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1  Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field.

2  Put your ICE Contact’s first and last name in the Last Name field.

3 Type in each and every one of your contact’s phone numbers.  

4 Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every one you have for them.

5  Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names in the “Website” section of your contact.  You never know what type of communications will be working in an emergency.

Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6  If you don’t already have a field on your phone for Relationship, you can add one by tapping “Add New Field” and choosing the one called, “Relationship”.  Now you can choose Spouse, Friend, Parent — however this particular contact is related to you.

7  Your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section.  Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc. to ensure that they’re seen.

8   You can also add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own medical history form.  If you don’t have one, you can download one of ours. 

9   Is your contact in different locations on different days?  Add that in the notes section as well.

10   And finally, never, ever put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact.  You may put the name of your insurance company and their customer service number into the Notes section if you like, but as long as your emergency contact can provide that information when he or she gets to the hospital, it’s probably not necessary.

And by the way, when you set up your Medical ID in your iPhone, don’t forget that in an emergency, you can have your phone share the information in your Medical ID with physicians and first responders. In Health, click on your profile, then tap Medical ID, then Edit and turn on “Share During Emergency Call”.

And there you have it.  One fully loaded ICE Contact.  Two Minutes.

While you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.

As amazing as our 2 Minute ICE Contact is, we have a high-powered, fully loaded version in our book “The ICE My Phone Kit” along with step by step directions for ICEing other phones like the IPhone 11, regular Androids and even phones that are, shall we say, not all that smart.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

The Two Minute ICE Contact

Updated On 3/1/21

What if I told you that you could put an ICE Contact on your iPhone with everything it needs to have in it to save your life, in only 2 minutes?

Would you grab your phone and go for it?  Of course you would!  In fact, even if you already have an ICE Contact on your iPhone, I guarantee that you’re  missing a few key things.

And with the way the world has been the last few years — hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and COVID — it’s more important than ever!   Having an ICE contact is an awesome way keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you. 

Whether you have an IPhone SE, IPhone 11, Apple Watch, or a brand new IPhone 12 Pro Max, here is a quick and easy way to put a basic ICE Contact on your phone in just 2 minutes.

Before You Begin… 

If you password lock your phone, you’ll also need to set up the Medical ID on your iPhone.

It’s the only way that a hospital will be able to view your ICE Contact while you’re phone is locked.

So once you’ve finished your ICE Contact, set up the Medical ID on your phone, by clicking on the Health App (that’s the app with the heart that comes pre-loaded onto your phone). Then attach your ICE Contact(s) to the Medical ID so they’ll be easy for an emergency room to spot.  If you need detailed instructions on setting up your Medical ID you can find them in our book “At Your Fingertips“.

Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1 Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field.

2 Put your ICE Contact’s full name and relationship to you in the Company field.

3  Type in each and every one of your contact’s phone numbers.  

4 Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every one you have for them.

5 Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names in the “Website” section of your contact.  

You never know what type of communications will be working in an emergency.  Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6 Your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section.  Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc, to ensure that they’re seen.

7  You can also add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own medical history form. If you don’t have one, you can download one of ours. 

8  Is your contact in different locations on different days?  Add that in the notes section as well.

9  And finally, never, ever put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact.  You may put the name of your insurance company and their customer service number into the Notes section if you like, but as long as your emergency contact can provide that information when he or she gets to the hospital, it’s probably not necessary.

If you’d also like to add your ICE Contact to your Apple watch, just make sure your contacts are synched with your iPhone and it will show up on your watch’s contacts as well.  To add it to your Health ID on both your iPhone and your Apple Watch, check out one of our other blog posts. 

And there you have it.  One fully loaded ICE Contact.  Two Minutes.

While you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.

As amazing as our 2 Minute ICE Contact is, we have a high-powered, fully loaded version in our book “The ICE My Phone Kit” along with step by step directions for ICEing other phones like Samsung Galaxy, regular Androids and even phones that are, shall we say, not all that smart.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

How to Keep From Losing or Destroying Your Smartphone

How to Keep From Losing or Destroying Your Smartphone

Whether your smartphone is just a phone to you or a little mobile assistant that holds all of your most critical information, you’ll probably agree that losing your phone would be a major pain. 

Cell phones and smartphones are basically our links to the outside world.  It wasn’t as much of a problem a few years ago to lose one, because we all had landlines, or office phones, or jobs that actually didn’t depend on constant access to email, voicemail and the internet.  But now, losing, dropping or otherwise destroying your phone is tantamount to putting yourself temporarily out of order! 

Here are a few ways to keep from losing or destroying your phone.

Zomm, The Digital Leash For Your Smartphone

The two things we love most about smartphones are the two things that make them most vulnerable.  They’re small and mobile.  How many times a day do you see someone walking around holding their phone in their hand?  They’re not talking or texting, they’re just holding it.  Until they go to pick up something else.  Then they put it down.  And walk away…  Without it.  Not that you would ever do something like that, right?

Fortunately, now there is a way for your phone to tell you where it is!  It’s called Zomm.   Zomm is a poker chip-sized device that’s a virtual leash for your cell phone.  All you do is put your Zomm on your keychain and if you go more than ten feet away from your phone – or if it “wanders” ten feet away from you – it lets out a loud alert to remind you to go back and grab it ASAP.  It’s also great if someone helps themselves to your phone!  Kind of like giving your phone a way to call for help.

And that’s not all Zomm can do.  With the Zomm car kit, it also becomes a hands-free speakerphone and an emergency panic button.  Just a push of the button summons 911 or a pre-programmed emergency number like your spouse or your friend.  

Find My iPhone or iPad App 

With Find My iPhone, one of Apple’s most popular apps, if you misplace your iPhone or iPad, you can send a signal to your misplaced device, to have it send out a signal so you can locate it, the moment you realize it’s missing.  With the GPS locator built into the app, you can also find the phone via your Mac or iPad.  And if the phone has been stolen, the app also includes a way to immediately wipe it of all information and disable it.  Crisis averted, thanks to Find My iPhone! 

DriFone Smartphone Rescue Dry Case

Have you ever dropped your phone in water?  We haven’t, thank goodness, but we sure have a lot of friends who have, and it can be a nightmare!  People have as many tricks to dry out a waterlogged phone as there are types of cell phones.  But no matter how sure your best friend is that her method works best, there is one tried and true way to bring a drowned phone back to life. 

It’s called DriFone (by the makers of Dry All and it’s a special drying case for smartphones that fits most types of popular phones.  And even if it doesn’t fit your phone, Dry All has a variety of drying bags filled with patented drying material to bring nearly every wet phone back to life.  So if you or your spouse has a tendency to drop phones into water, you should probably keep one or two kits on hand.  

Lookout Phone Backup

The Lookout Mobile Security App, which works with Android and BlackBerry smartphones, can help you locate a missing phone via an onscreen map or lock your phone if it’s lost or stolen.  You can also use it to back up the contacts on your phone and if you lose your phone or if it crashes, you can simply transfer all of your contacts to your new phone. 

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts like How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To ICE Your Samsung Galaxy to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.  And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… The ICE My Phone Kit!

Buy Paperback Edition $14.99         Buy Downloadable Edition $5

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Smartphone

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

The Book Inspired By The Blog. The Backup Plan 3.0

The Backup Plan 3.0, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible.  Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order.  This special Bonus Edition includes 7 downloadable Bonus Books.  Paperback Edition $24.99   Buy now at Amazon.com  Downloadable PDF Edition $8.00  Buy Now       Read more about it

Bulk orders & customization available for your company/organization. Contact us for more details.

No one will ever forget the footage from Superstorm Sandy of family after family searching through the wreckage of their homes for their keepsakes, only to find their most cherished possessions completely ruined. Don’t let this tragedy happen to YOUR parents. In this book you’ll learn how to help them back up their photos, videos, vinyl albums & address books, how to record and safeguard their vital information, medical history and vital documents. $12.95 Buy now at Amazon.com Read more about it

 

Raise Money & Save Lives!  Free Customized Editions of our books make a great fundraiser for your organization, company, or an extra stream of income for you.  

Your Business Continuity Plan May Be Missing Something…  Like your employees, for instance?  If your city is struck by a tornado, earthquake or other disaster, it isn’t just your company that will be affected – so will your employees.  That’s why you need to make sure they’re as prepared for an emergency as YOU are.  Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.  Read More About It

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Free Resources

Turn Your Smartphone Into A Mobile Command Center

Updated On 9/28/21

What if I told you…

…there was one thing that you own and probably have with you right now, that can give you the support, the information and ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are?   What is it?  

It’s your smartphone.

And with the way the world has been the last few years — from hurricanes to wildfires, tornadoes and oh yeah, COVID — having an tricked out emergency ready phone is the perfect way to keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

Our goal for today is simple.

If you had to face a major emergency minutes from now and the only thing you had with you was your smartphone, you should be able to:

• Call or communicate with all the people you love within 10 minutes.

• Communicate your basic medical information and your emergency contacts to emergency personnel even if you are injured and unable to speak for yourself.

• Keep yourself and your family up and running using only the information in your phone until you reach home or your pre-planned evacuation location.

• Access all of the emergency forms and plans you created and all of the data, photos, videos, movies and other items you saved and stored while reading our blog.

Now if you’ve been following the blog for any length of time, you’ve probably already created your family action/emergency plans.  If not, just click on the links throughout the post so you can catch up.  

In a moment we’re going to tell you how to store copies of these forms in your smartphone. If you would also like to have a hard copy of your emergency plans to refer to as well, grab a sturdy three-ring notebook and print out a copy of each of your Action Plans along with any other information that you want to include.    Make sure that form or plan has its own tab, so that you can easily find or replace outdated pages.   We suggest using a ring binder that has a hard, washable, vinyl cover and pockets to catch papers, maps or any other items that can easily become lost.

https://getyourstufftogether.com/wordpress/

Your ICE Contacts

If you haven’t already finished putting ICE Contacts on your phone and the rest of the family’s phones, do it now.  Make sure that your contact and your spouse’s contact contains links to every other family member’s medical information sheet.

The Rest Of The Family

When you created your Family Evacuation Plan, you detailed each family member’s email addresses, text, user names and cell numbers on the plan.  Now it’s time to take that one step further by making sure each member of your family’s smartphones have:

• Every other family member’s complete contact information, including all social media handles and work/school schedules.

• Full contact information for each Out Of Area Contact.

• A copy of your Family Evacuation Plan.

• The addresses and phone numbers of these two meeting places highlighted in their Contacts.

• An extra copy of their emergency wallet cards.

Are you ready to pull it all together?  Here’s how to turn your smartphone into your very own Mobile Command Center.

There are three types of information that you might need in an emergency:

#1  Need Actual Forms And Plans

These forms and plans are crucial for emergencies large and small, so you should definitely keep them at your fingertips – or in this case, right on your smartphone.  Unless you have Microsoft Word software on your phone, save each of them as PDFs and place them on Dropbox or iCloud or other online file service so that you can open and read them right on your phone. 

You may also want to save them directly onto your phone or tablet so that they will be available if your cell phone or Wi-Fi service is down.  There are a couple of ways to do this.   If you can find  the directions on how to save a PDF onto your smartphone from the phone’s manufacturer, just follow those directions.  

#2 Need Access To These Forms And Plans

These forms may contain some sensitive information, so instead of saving them directly onto your phone, place them on a secure password protected server or password protected Cloud-based server, like Dropbox, iCloud or Sky Drive and place the link to those folders in a special document or contact on your smartphone.  Do not store the password with the link.  

One important note:  DO NOT put your or your family’s social security numbers in your list of vital information, or in online files or folders, no matter how secure they are.  If you have to have those numbers with you (and haven’t memorized them), copy the originals and place the copies in a secure safe deposit box instead.    If you need that information during an emergency or evacuation, wait to retrieve it until you can access it on your computer or portable hard drive in your secure location.

#3 Need Access To This Archived Data

Since you’ve already saved all of these important keepsakes and documents to your portable hard drives, online file folders and placed backup copies in your safe deposit boxes, they should be very easy for you to access even if you are in your evacuation location, right? 

That’s what we thought!

If you’ve chosen to save these keepsakes on a secure password protected server or password protected Cloud-based server, like Dropbox, iCloud or One Drive and place the link to those folders in a special contact on your smartphone.  That way if you want to pull up some photos, or music, just make sure that everything is safe, you can just click the link on your smartphone and you’ll have all the access you need. 

And once your phone is ready to keep you safe, remember to keep it safe with a sturdy (and beautiful!) new case like this one, or this one.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts like How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To ICE Your Samsung Galaxy to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.  And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

High Tech Toys

Here are the coolest ways we can find to keep everyone you love safe and connected.  Smart phones, smart watches, smart flash drives that beam data where you need it and a car accessory that diagnoses your engine on the go.  You’re welcome.

Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone

Apple Air Pods

Apple Watch Series 3  

Apple/iTunes Gift Card

Autobrain GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Iridium Extreme Satellite Phone  

Iridium GO! Satellite Phone Wi-Fi Hotspot

BlueCosmo Inmarsat IsatPhone

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Samsung Gear Fit2 Smartwatch Large, Black

SanDisk 32GB iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone and iPad

Galaxy Fold Z2

IPhone 12 Pro Max

IPhone SE

IPod Touch

Jitterbug Flip Phone

The Ridge Slim RFID Front Pocket Wallet

Tulips In The Breeze Smartphone Case

Red Parrot Smartphone Case

The COVID pandemic has created a new list of toys that people can’t do without — including some very cool high-tech solutions to unexpected challenges.  Like staying healthy and working from home!  Here are some of our favorites.

Cubii Pro Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine

I’m Smiling On The Inside Face Masks

iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer

iProvèn Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

KODAK Luma 150 Pocket Projector

No-Touch Door Opener, Button Pusher Tool

Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor

PhoneSoap 3 UV Smartphone Sanitizer

Sony Tie-Clip-Style Omnidirectional Microphone

Total Gym APEX G5 Total Body Strength Training

Zacurate Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

As great as the command center you just created is, we have even more stuff in our book “The ICE My Phone Kit” along with step by step directions for ICEing iPhones, Galaxies, regular androids and even phones that are, shall we say, not all that smart.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

 

Keep Everything You Love Safe | The Book Inspired By The Blog

Keep Everything You Love Safe, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible. Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order. Paperback Or Instant Download

Keep The Stuff You Love Safe

How To Save Your Treasured Voice Mail Messages

How To Save Your Home Movies And Videos

How To Archive Your Digital Photos

How To Archive Your Print Photos

How To Make A Home Inventory

How To Get Your Financial Life In Order

How To Preserve Your Family History

How To Back Up Your Facebook Friends List

Turn Your Smartphone Into A Mobile Command Center

How To Backup Your Music, MP3s And Vinyl Albums

How To Access Your Money No Matter Where You Are

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

Make Your Family Findable – Spring Break Edition!

It’s Spring!!!  

Finally, right?  Even though in most places, it wasn’t a bad winter weather-wise, it’s definitely time to shed the gloves, hats and boots and break out the sandals and spend more time outdoors.

Whether you and your family are getting ready for vacation or sending the kids  off on Spring Break, here are a couple of things to add to your smartphone or suitcase before you leave.  Don’t worry, they won’t take up much space.  And they might just help keep you and your family safe.

Another great way to keep the family safe while away from home, is to make sure they’re findable in five minutes or less. That’s a lesson that Senator Evan Bayh learned the hard way when he and his wife found themselves in Tokyo during the Fukushima earthquake.  He was doing press, she was shopping across town and suddenly, they quake struck and they were on their own.  Yes he had a staff that was eventually able to reunite them.  But if you’re light on staff, here are some great tips to keep tabs no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

Don’t have time to read the whole post?  Just right click to download the Make Your Family Findable Shortcut Sheet. 

Making Your Family Findable

Smartphones, tablets and notebook computers are a phenomenal way to stay in touch with each other during an emergency.  Whether you send an email, text, tweet or Facebook message, you can find out the location and condition of everyone you love in seconds.   In a dire emergency, you can even send help, confirm or update emergency plans and even mobilize family and friends to be at the side of someone who’s been injured, using real time information. 

Since emergencies are by nature, completely unpredictable, the best way to prepare yourself and your family is to give yourselves as many different avenues of communication as possible.   You never know which one will make the difference.

So going back to our example, during earthquakes in Japan, cell phone towers barely worked because of earthquake damage and overloaded networks.  But Wi-Fi was up and running.  So what kept the Japanese connected with their families and the outside world?  Twitter, Facebook, Skype and YouTube!   Whether we’re talking about tornadoes in Oklahoma, wildfires in Colorado or Superstorm Sandy, giving yourself and your family options is a smart idea.

Update Your Smartphones

When you created your Family Evacuation Plan (if you haven’t done that yet, go do it now – we’ll wait for you), you listed the phone numbers, email addresses and social media addresses for each family member in your household. 

Now we’re going to take that one step further by adding all of that information to each family member’s smartphones.  While you’re at it, add new contacts on everyone’s phones for all of your out-of-area emergency contacts. 

Direct Messaging

If cell phone service is down and you are unable to text, don’t forget that Twitter and Facebook can also be used to send direct messages.  Those are personal messages that only go to the recipient – not broadcast to the whole world. If you don’t know how to send a direct message, here’s a quick tutorial. 

First, you need to make sure that every member of your family is following or has “liked” all of the other family members on Twitter and Facebook.  That will enable you to direct message each other.

• For Twitter, click on Messages, then Direct Messages and then type in @ and the family member’s username.  Then type in your message and hit send.

• For Facebook, click the little message icon at the top of your page (between the little people and the little earth).  Then click Send New Message and type in the name of the recipient or recipients and click send.

When Time Is An Issue…

Using a social media platform like HootSuite.com may help.  With HootSuite, you can send a single message that can be posted to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn simultaneously, ensuring that your family or friends would see your message immediately, no matter what site they happen to be on at the moment.

The Value Of A Photo

During the Joplin tornado, even lifelong residents found themselves disoriented when the tornado turned their normal landmarks into kindling. 

If your spouse or kids don’t know where they are after an emergency and need help a quick photo texted or uploaded to Instagram or Facebook could help you locate them.  This is especially true of GPS enabled phones or photos with geolocation.

Creating A Communications Plan

Once you and your family have updated your phones and completed your evacuation plans, sit down with them to discuss the ways you can use technology to stay in touch with each other during a disaster. 

Come up with some sample scenarios; for example, if a disaster were to happen while your family members were at work, at school or running errands during a normal day. 

• How would you connect with each other? 

• Would you text each other, or would calling or emailing be faster? 

• If you have teens or young adults at home, their natural proclivity may be to send out a text or a tweet on Twitter, to update everyone, including you, on their location or situation. 

Find out the types of communication everyone prefers and then create an emergency communication plan that makes sense for your family.

What If?

Another great discussion to have with your family, especially with school age children, is what they would do if they had to get a hold of you but the cell phone system was out, or what to do if there was an area-wide blackout.    Don’t laugh, that actually happened to us in California!

Kids are so used to technology that they might not have the experience that they need to do things the old school way.   The best way to plan is to give yourselves as many ways as possible to stay connected.  Then if one or two normal methods are unusable, you’ll all simply turn to a different method to reach each other. 

Grab The Sat Phone

If you’re in an area with frequent emergencies like tornadoes or hurricanes, live out in the country or have a family member in a foreign country, consider getting satellite phones. 

They work in remote areas where there is no cell phone coverage and when cell towers are down.  If you don’t want the expense of a dedicated satellite phone, there are a few devices that turn your smartphone into a satellite phone.  

What’s The Code?

Lastly, consider creating a Family Emergency Code or Word.  This is a code or word that only you and your immediate family know. 

When a family member says it, texts it or emails it to the rest of the family, it signals that they’re in trouble and need help. 

It’s only to be used in extreme emergency and means that everyone needs to drop what they’re doing and establish contact with each other, immediately. 

Find My Family ASAP

Find My Friends is an iPhone app that is designed to let you know at a glance where your friends are.  But you can also use it to immediately locate your children, spouse and loved ones in an emergency. 

All your family has to do is allow you access on their phones, and if need be, you can immediately see where everyone is in real time, complete with map and directions.

Now that you know what to do, go download our free shortcut sheet, How To Make Your Family Findable, use it to update your phones, grab your flip flops and sunscreen and you’ll be on your way.   

Happy Spring!   #springbreak #familyvacation

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… Connected

Introducing Connected

Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

Connected | The Book Inspired By The Blog.

What if I told you, there was one thing that you own and probably have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! Introducing Connected, an easy to read, easy to use guide that gives you everything you need to turn your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

ICE Contacts Help Save Lives During Terrorist Attacks And Urban Violence

With urban violence and terrorist attacks at an all-time high, families across the US and around the world are looking for new ways to help keep their children and their loved ones safe. 

After attacks in Brussels, Paris and the shootings in San Bernardino, as well as many others in workplaces, on military posts, in schools and theaters, people need quick, easy-to-use solutions to keep the people they love safe and sound.

Every time we watch the news, we can’t help but think that none of the bystanders who were injured, had any idea that they would end up in the hospital that day.  And yet here they are,  fighting for their lives.  

In fact, simply living in a metropolitan area, makes people more at risk for allergies, asthma and other medical conditions that make them even more likely to need specialized care in a medical emergency.

That’s why putting an ICE Contact on your phone, as well as your spouse’s and children’s phones is so critically important.

But as vital as an ICE Contact is, many people simply type in the name of one emergency contact, along with their phone number and stop there.

What they don’t realize is that they are missing out on a real opportunity to let their phone do the talking for them in a medical emergency. Especially when lives could be hanging in the balance.  

This is one instance where spending five minutes with your phone truly can save your life.  Here are a few resources designed to help keep you and your family safer:

Introducing… The ICE My Phone Kit!

Buy Paperback Edition $14.95         Buy Downloadable Edition $5

How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Put An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy 

How To Put An ICE Contact On Your Windows Phone

Download The 2 Minute ICE Contact (quick instructions for iPhones)

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Bulk orders & customization available.  The ICE My Phone Kit is just one of the books in our new Backup Plan Resource Library.  They’re the perfect benefit for your employees and customers. 

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Smartphone

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

The Book Inspired By The Blog. The Backup Plan 3.0

The Backup Plan 3.0, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible.  Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order.  This special Bonus Edition includes 7 downloadable Bonus Books.  Paperback Edition $24.99   Buy now at Amazon.com  Downloadable PDF Edition $8.00  Buy Now       Read more about it

No one will ever forget the footage from Superstorm Sandy of family after family searching through the wreckage of their homes for their keepsakes, only to find their most cherished possessions completely ruined. Don’t let this tragedy happen to YOUR parents. In this book you’ll learn how to help them back up their photos, videos, vinyl albums & address books, how to record and safeguard their vital information, medical history and vital documents. $12.95 Buy now at Amazon.com Read more about it

 

Your Business Continuity Plan May Be Missing Something…  Like your employees, for instance?  If your city is struck by a tornado, earthquake or other disaster, it isn’t just your company that will be affected – so will your employees.  That’s why you need to make sure they’re as prepared for an emergency as YOU are.  Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.  Read More About It

Raise Money & Save Lives!  Free Customized Editions of our books make a great fundraiser for your organization, company, or an extra stream of income for you.

Like Us On Facebook

Follow Us On Twitter

Watch Our How-To Videos On YouTube

Join Us On Pinterest

Free Resources

How To Make Your ICE Contact Stand Out On A Samsung Galaxy

Did you know that your Samsung Galaxy can save your life?

And it’s not just Galaxies but any kind of smartphone, like the Droid Incredible, Windows Phone or even the iPhone 6.

The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency.  And the way to do that, is with ICE.

But what good is an ICE Contact if the people who need that information immediately, can’t find it?

Let’s make sure no one misses it!

Once you finish setting up your ICE Contacts, (you can find out how to do that right here) make it stand out by using the Add Photo function to upload a graphic like the ones on this page.   You can make your own, or download ours from our Free Resources page.  

Once you find the graphic you want, choose Save Target As, to save it to your desktop. 

Then save or send the graphic to the Photos on your phone. 

Open your ICE Contact, Touch the little photo icon, Choose Image, pick the graphic you want and Save.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts including How To Set Up An ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy and How To ICE Your iPhone to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.  And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… The ICE My Phone Kit!

Buy Paperback Edition $14.99         Buy Downloadable Edition $5

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Smartphone

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

The Book Inspired By The Blog. The Backup Plan 3.0

The Backup Plan 3.0, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible.  Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order.  This special Bonus Edition includes 7 downloadable Bonus Books. Paperback Edition $24.99   Buy now at Amazon.com  Downloadable PDF Edition $8.00  Buy Now       Read more about it

Bulk orders & customization available for your company/organization. Contact us for more details.

No one will ever forget the footage from Superstorm Sandy of family after family searching through the wreckage of their homes for their keepsakes, only to find their most cherished possessions completely ruined. Don’t let this tragedy happen to YOUR parents. In this book you’ll learn how to help them back up their photos, videos, vinyl albums & address books, how to record and safeguard their vital information, medical history and vital documents. $12.95 Buy now at Amazon.com Read more about it

 

Raise Money & Save Lives!  Free Customized Editions of our books make a great fundraiser for your organization, company, or an extra stream of income for you.  

Your Business Continuity Plan May Be Missing Something…  Like your employees, for instance?  If your city is struck by a tornado, earthquake or other disaster, it isn’t just your company that will be affected – so will your employees.  That’s why you need to make sure they’re as prepared for an emergency as YOU are.  Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.  Read More About It

Like Us On Facebook

Follow Us On Twitter

Watch Our How-To Videos On YouTube

Join Us On Pinterest

Free Resources

The Two Things You Should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Updated On 3/1/21

Everyone is always telling you what you need to put into your ICE Contact, but it amazes us that they never mention what NOT to put into it.

Maybe they just don’t know…  So I guess it’s up to us to set the record straight.

# 1

Never, never, never put your Social Security Number in the ICE Contact on or iPhone or Galaxy.   Or in your iPhone or Android.  Or in your wallet or any place else where you could misplace it, lose it or where others can see it.

A hospital will either wait for your family to bring it in or can get it from an old record or other legal source.  So just leave it where it is, hopefully in a nice secure place at home, like a locked safe.

#2

Your insurance member number.   Too much personal information is linked to that number to toss it into your phone.  In fact if you have Medicare, your Medicare Member Number is usually based on your Social Security Number.  If you want to include the name of your insurance company in your ICE Contact, that’s fine,  but the actual member numbers or other information can wait until your family has arrived or you have regained consciousness.

Repeat After Me.

Social Security Cards and Insurance Member Numbers belong in a nice secure place at home.  That place does not include my phone, my ICE Contact or my wallet.  They only time these cards should EVER leave the house is when I’m going to a brand new doctor or to the hospital under my own power, after which they shall return back home to their safe, secure place as quickly as possible.   

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts like How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To ICE Your Samsung Galaxy to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.  And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

Why You NEED Social Media Links In Your ICE Contacts

Okay, phone numbers and an email address maybe, but why should I put my emergency contact’s Facebook or Twitter link in my ICE Contact?

Glad you asked…

In the middle of a busy, but quiet day in a Midwestern university lecture hall, the silence was pierced by a sudden hail of gunfire.  Students ran out of the hall and ducked under tables. Those who couldn’t move tried to make themselves as invisible as possible until help arrived. That day at Northern Illinois University, five students lost their lives. Many others were injured. As the police and security were struggling to control the situation, a number of the student’s parents not only knew that their children were all right, but they knew exactly what was happening in real time. So how did some people have a window into the NIU tragedy while others did not? Facebook and Twitter! As unlikely as it sounds, students ingeniously found a way to use their favorite method of keeping in touch with friends, as a tool to connect to the outside world in the middle of a crisis.

Students caught under desks and tables grabbed their smartphones and started communicating. Tweets went out on Twitter, notes and messages went up on Facebook pages, telling friends and family that students, who were literally in the thick of things, were all right. Others told loved ones or security officers the location of trapped students, facilitating their rescue. Friends started texting each other to find out where everyone was and, in the hours that followed, created Facebook pages memorializing the fallen. It was an amazing display of people, who are connected 24/7, using that same technology to communicate, connect, survive and heal.

That story has played out again and again during Oklahoma tornadoes, Superstorm Sandy and even the Japan earthquake.  In fact during the Japan earthquake, cell phone towers barely worked because of earthquake damage and overloaded networks.  But Wi-Fi?  Wi-Fi  was up and running.  So the things that the Japanese connected with their families and the outside world, were Twitter, Facebook, Skype and YouTube!

Smartphones, tablets and notebook computers are a phenomenal way to stay in touch during an emergency. Whether you send an email, text, tweet or Facebook message, you can find out the location and condition of everyone you love in seconds.

And the best way to do that, is to include the links (or screen names) of your family’s social media accounts, right inside your ICE Contact.  Not only will this ensure that you remember the strange assortment of letters in Uncle Fred’s screen name, but it will also give emergency personnel another way to reach your family members, if you need help.  

In a dire emergency, you can even send help, confirm or update emergency plans and even mobilize family and friends using social media, because with it, you’ll always have real time information.  

The one thing about emergencies, is that they’re completely unpredictable.  The best way to prepare for them, is to give yourselves as many different avenues of communication as possible.

You never know which one will make the difference.

Want to learn how to put an ICE Contact on your phone the RIGHT way?  Then  check out our other posts  How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To ICE Your Samsung Galaxy to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.  And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… Connected

Introducing Connected

Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

Connected | The Book Inspired By The Blog.

What if I told you, there was one thing that you own and probably have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! Introducing Connected, an easy to read, easy to use guide that gives you everything you need to turn your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

How Much Medical History Should You Put In Your ICE Contact?

How Much Medical History Should You Put In Your ICE Contact?

Any information a doctor would need to know about your history, in order to save your life.  

When a patient is brought into the emergency room unconscious, aside from obvious injuries, the doctors caring for him basically have no information about their patient.  They have no idea what he might be allergic to, what medications he’s taking, or the surgery he had the month before. 

THAT is the information that you need to put into your ICE Contact.  

Here’s a real life example of why that’s so important.  

Elaine was an active seventy-one year old living on her own in Chicago.  One day while getting ready to take a bath, she slipped and fell, striking her head and mouth on the side of the tub.  Her neighbors realized they hadn’t seen her all day and called the paramedics, who went in and found her, conscious, but unable to speak.

Elaine had previously been a patient at the hospital she was taken to, she had private insurance, Medicare and everything she needed.  Or so she thought.  Even though she was stable, injuries to her mouth made her unable to speak or swallow, so she was unable to speak for herself.  And that’s where things began to go off the rails…

Elaine was my grandma.  Despite the fact that the hospital had my mother’s and my contact information for our home in Los Angeles, the hospital neglected to call us.  By the time they did, Grandma was in critical condition from a drug interaction caused by a medication that they gave her that interacted with one that they didn’t realize she had been taking.  A few hours after the hospital called, she passed away.

We later found that one of the main factors that caused Grandma’s death was the fact that the doctors treating her didn’t have her medical or prescription drug history at their fingertips.

That’s how critical communicating a person’s vital medical information can be.

Your Emergency Medical Information – What To Include In Your ICE Contact 

Here’s the quickest way to figure it out…

Close your eyes for a moment & imagine that you’re sitting in the ER with an injury like a broken arm or that you need emergency surgery.   The doctor – someone who doesn’t know you or your unique medical needs – walks through the door.

What does this doctor need to know about you?   Jot down all of the things that just went through your mind.  Old injuries, allergies, surgeries, anything you think is important.   

Are there any other factors that might impact your care?  Are you on a special diet?  Do you take supplements or anything else that a doctor might need to know to give you the best care possible?

This is also a great exercise to do when setting up your family’s ICE Contacts or filling out their medical history forms. Just imagine them, one by one in the ER and write down everything you would need to tell a doctor about their medical background.  

Having all of this information in your and their ICE Contacts is not only a great way to communicate your medical needs if you’re unable to speak for yourself.  It’s also a great memory jogger to use when visiting a new doctor, or sitting in the ER with your spouse or your children.   

There’s nothing worse than having something on the tip of your tongue and not being able to remember it –except when the word you’re trying to remember is the name of a medication that the emergency room physician needs to save your daughter’s life!

So take a moment to run through this exercise for every member of your immediate family.  That way you’ll be sure to have an ICE Contact that does more than give a hospital your emergency numbers.  It might just give them the information they need to save your life.  Or the life of someone you love.  

While you’re here, stop by our post on How To Create a Medical History, to download our free medical history forms and find out ways to include your entire medical history right inside your ICE Contact.  

Want to learn how to create an awesome ICE Contact?  

Check out our other posts How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To ICE Your Samsung Galaxy to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.    And don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… Connected

Introducing Connected

Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

Connected | The Book Inspired By The Blog.

What if I told you, there was one thing that you own and probably have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! Introducing Connected, an easy to read, easy to use guide that gives you everything you need to turn your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

How Many ICE Contacts Should You Have?

Good Question!

The hardest part about putting an ICE Contact on your phone is deciding who your contacts will be.  

We always recommend a minimum of two ICE Contacts, just in case emergency personnel can’t reach your first one. Having three or four is even better. But the real answer to the question depends on you and your needs.  

Do you or your spouse travel frequently?  Then you definitely need two or more contacts, just in case your spouse is out of town.  If you’re the one who travels, one of your contacts should include your assistant or a colleague who can help gather the troops if you need help.

Even if you and your spouse don’t travel much — or separately — take a moment to think of a few more people, who you would want to be notified in an emergency.  After all, what if your spouse forgot to charge his phone or worse, is involved in the same emergency that you are?

An ICE Contact should be someone that you want there with you at the hospital or, if you’re seriously injured or unconscious, someone who you would trust to make decisions on your behalf.  Someone very close to you, who you know will drop everything to race to your side and handle things or make sure that your children are taken care of, until your spouse or other relatives arrive.

Anyone that you trust can be your ICE Contact.  But if you choose someone besides your parents or siblings, ask them if they’re comfortable with being your emergency contact.  Some people simply aren’t good in an emergency or wouldn’t want to be responsible for the well being of another person, no matter how much they love you. 

How do you differentiate between the ICE Contacts on your phone?  Simple.  Just make sure you name them ICE 1, ICE2 and so on, in order of preference.  

And while you’re at it, be sure to name one out of town relative or close friend who can be your out of area contact, in case communications in your own city are down.  Many times people will be able to call other cities, even though their own local phones or cell towers are overloaded.

If you travel a great deal for business — especially internationally, we recommend that you put a minimum of four ICE Contacts on your smartphone.  The first should be your spouse or significant other, the second a close relative or friend.  The third contact should be your attorney or business manager and the fourth, a business partner or colleague who can attend to matters if you are temporarily incapacitated or in a location where telecommunications are down.   In this case, you would name the first two ICE Medical 1 and 2, then name the others ICE Legal and ICE Business.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To ICE Your Samsung Galaxy to learn everything you need to know about ICEing your phone.  And don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… Connected

Introducing Connected

Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

Connected | The Book Inspired By The Blog.

What if I told you, there was one thing that you own and probably have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! Introducing Connected, an easy to read, easy to use guide that gives you everything you need to turn your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Purchase Connected @ Amazon.com