In an emergency, every second counts, especially when you are trying to get help. It is therefore paramount that if the time comes and you need to phone for help, you don’t waste time looking for phone numbers or phoning the wrong person. In an emergency situation even a person with the best of memories may not remember critical phone numbers.
It is also important that you are able to direct the response team to your location so make a note of where you are and include landmarks and/or directions to your location. This should be kept next to your phone along with your emergency contact list. It will assist anyone who may find themselves in the unfortunate position of having to direct the police, ambulance or security company to your property.
Make sure that you inform everyone in your household (domestic worker, caregiver, nanny, friends and family about your emergency contact list so that it is available for them to refer to should the need arise.
On your cell phone you could do the following:
Instead of putting in the name/s of your spouse or parents, you could put it as ‘Husband’, ‘Wife’, ‘Father’ or ‘Dad’, ‘Mother’ or ‘Mom’. This would be particularly beneficial for people who suffer from medical conditions or who have been injured and are unable to communicate.
By typing ‘a My Husband’, ‘a My Wife’ it would bring those contact names to the top of the contact list on your phone. You can even type ‘a Police’ or ‘a Security company’. Again, if you are unable to communicate and your phone is used to reach your family, these entries will appear first.
Use the ICE method – this stands for In Case of Emergency. On your cell phone you can add the name as ‘ICE’ and add the phone number of the person who should be contacted in case of emergency. If you want to include contact numbers of more than one person, then you can type the name as ‘ICE 1’, ‘ICE 2’
Along with the contact number you can also include a note which includes your name and the name of the contact person. This would be helpful during the conversation between the contact person and the caller.
It is also important to inform your emergency contact person, that you have included his/her name as the emergency contact person.
Sign up for and activate your E9. By pressing “9” you alert 4 cell numbers of your choice. It also allows access to critical medical information. The Emergency 9 service is offered to SRNW members free of charge. To learn how visit our E9 page.