Updated On 9/28/21
Did You Know That Your iPod Can Save Your Life?
The secret is letting your iPod do the talking for you in an emergency. And the way to do that, is with ICE.
What is ICE?
During Hurricane Katrina, so many people were injured, unconscious and separated from their families that emergency workers came up with the idea of putting an iCE – In Case Of Emergency – Contact in their cell phones. Now, when a patient who is unconscious or unable to speak comes into the emergency room, hospitals worldwide check their smartphone for an ICE contact, to help them locate their next of kin.
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.
But what about the times when you or your children don’t have your smartphone with you? Like when you’re out running or playing sports? All those times you don’t have room in a pocket – if you even have a pocket – for a full-sized phone. I bet you have something else with you though. Your iPod. And thanks to the nice, brilliant folks at Apple, you can put an ICE Contact on it – no sweat.
Grab Your iPod & Let’s Get Started
So here’s how to set up an ICE Contact on your iPod. Before you begin, you’d better decide who your ICE Contacts will be.
The first one of course will be your spouse, partner, best friend or close relative. Someone that you want there with you at the hospital or, if need be, making decisions on your behalf. But what if that person is also injured, or is out of town or forgot to charge their phone? Why not choose one additional person to be an iCE Contact – someone very close to you, who you know will drop everything to race to your side and handle things until your significant other can be reached.
Let’s set up your first ICE Contact.
Touch the Contacts Icon on your iPod Touch to open up your Contacts. Click on the plus sign + to add a new contact and touch the Name Field. Don’t put the name of your contact in this field, only the word ICE.
By the way, if you don’t see a plus sign to add a new contact, it just means that you need to turn on iCloud first. Just Go to Settings, then Choose iCloud and turn on Contacts.
Now touch the Company Name Field. Here is where you put your contact’s name along with his or her relationship to you. For example, John Jones – Husband. That way a doctor or nurse reading it, will know that this contact is your husband.
Time To Make Your iPod Do Some Heavy Lifting…
The best thing about an iPod is that you can put everything that you need to communicate, right inside this one contact. Here’s the basic information you need to include:
♦ Your emergency contact’s main phone number, mobile number and work number.
♦ Email Address & IM, Twitter or Facebook address (these are vital in case you need to send that contact an emergency message or quick update).
♦ Your contact’s schedule if there are specific days that he or she is at a certain location.
♦ Be sure to include every piece of information you can. Why? When people are injured in a regional emergency, like a tornado or an earthquake, not every type of communication will be working. For instance, after the Japan earthquake, many people were able to reach each other via Twitter or Facebook even though their landlines and Wi-Fi weren’t working.
Like most smartphones, your iPod also lets you change, add or create fields inside the contact, so that you can customize it as much as you like. In general, all you need to do is touch and hold the name of the field that you want to change. This will bring up a menu of alternate field names to choose from, including the option to Create A Field and add whatever you need.
But what about information that doesn’t fit into an iPod field? That’s when you turn to your new best friend – the Notes section. Notes holds quite a bit of information, so simply put the miscellaneous information you need to communicate, in there.
What kind of information?
A list of Allergies, the Medications you’re currently taking, Names and Phone Numbers of your Healthcare Providers and contact information for your Insurance Company. Just make sure you don’t put any member numbers, social security numbers or financial information in your phone.
What Other Types of Information Should I Put In My ICE Contact?
Whatever you want. Let’s say that two or three lines of Current Medications and Allergies isn’t enough. Then why not create a medical history form for yourself and every member of the family, put it in a password protected online folder, and place the link to it in the Notes section of your ICE Contact. This way a doctor can access your, your spouse’s or your kid’s basic medical history, while you’re en route to the hospital.
If you don’t have your own Medical History Form, go ahead and download ours. Just right click on the link and save it to your desktop.
And while you’re at it, you can put medical treatment release forms for your children in the folder as well, and place the links to those forms in their ICE contacts. You can also put in links to a full list of contacts or emergency numbers, or links to your family’s evacuation plan and gathering locations, so that every member of your family always has all the information they need, right at their fingertips.
By the way, don’t forget to make emergency cards for your family too. Download them here, and tuck them into their wallets with their ID, just in case their mobile phones can’t be accessed after an accident or regional emergency.
What About The Rest of The Family?
Every family has one person who keeps everyone else organized. And since you’re reading this post, something tells me it’s probably you!
If that’s the case, it’s up to you to ensure every member of your household not only has ICE Contacts set up on his or her iPod, but that everyone’s iPhones and smartphones contain all of the contact information for every other family member. That way you’ll be able to get in touch with each other as quickly as possible in an emergency.
And don’t forget that you can always put an ICE Contact in your family’s iPhones and smartphones as well. We’ll even make it easy for you. Just read the post and follow the instructions to set up your family’s ICE Contacts.
Do yourself a favor. Take five minutes right now to set up your family’s ICE contacts. That way your family will have all the information they need to stay safe and secure, no matter what the situation.
Talk about peace of mind!
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
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 ICE Contact you just created 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 iPhones, Galaxies, 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
Get Your Stuff Together 