Setting up family cell phones for emergency contact

While your older kids are out and about, being able to get a hold of each other in case of emergency becomes crucial. For those kids who use mobile phones, Betsy's suggestion makes good sense:

*  Make sure your child's cell phone has the parents' numbers programmed in it, and label them Mom and Dad.
*  Make sure your cell phone message lets people know who to contact in an emergency if you don't pick up.  For example, my message says:  "If this is a call about Alex or Zoe, please call Jake at XXX-YYY-ZZZZ."

This blog post provides the (scary, but now resolved) backstory.

Related: Gotten rid of your telephone landline? What about 911 access for your kids?

Comments

[LisaS]

I do this with my own cell phone--contacts labelled Mom, Dad, and Husband. It helps--when I lost my phone, someone called my Mom and I got it back the next day!

[margaret]

Great tip! It's also good to think of this type of information if you get in a jam, especially if you're going to be doing something where you might not have your phone or access to a phone. For example, when I go bike riding, I always write out a notecard to slip into my jersey with the info on whom to contact if something happened that day. It takes into account what I know people's schedules will be during that time. So depending on what is going on, my list could include husband, my parents, friend, child's school, etc., and if we're on vacation, the name of the people/place we're staying at.

[erika]

I read somewhere about using the label "ICE" (In case of emergency) in your contacts on your cell. For example, you'd find "ICE Jay Husband" and "ICE Marie Mother" in my contacts - that way, if something should happen and someone picks up my phone, hopefully they'll know to look for the ICE number.

[S]

The ICE label (mentioned above) is becoming more and more then "norm". We have it in our phones.

[adrienne]

A paramedic told us to keep ICE numbers. I put in ICE 1 [name], ICE 2 [name], ICE 3 [name] in order of precedence (spouse, parents, friends).

[Betsy]

Yep, we were also told after the fact that they'd have looked for ICE numbers as well, but having 'Mom' and 'Dad' in there also did the trick.

The other thing I do is to routinely update my voicemail message at work every single day, so school officials know when I'm out of town on business or in meetings all day & need to call the other parent instead, for example.

[Dana]

>> label them Mom and Dad

(or "Mom and Mama" or "Dad and Papa.")

[Anna]

I had heard of the ICE thing but never actually put it into my cell phone - until my teenage daughter started using the phone, too. Then I put it in.

I just got a new cell phone, and it has the option to input your personal information - name, address, contact info, etc.