Review of
INeedMyInfo.com
by
the manufacturer.
ICE
(In Case of Emergency) [see Put ICE in your cell phone!] is a proactive effort designed to provide
emergency personnel with "Next of Kin" contact in emergency situations.
The idea that started ICE came from British paramedic Bob Brotchie in
early 2005. The original effort promoted the inclusion of an ICE entry
in a cell phone that provided a contact, such as a spouse, so emergency
care givers would know that this was a preferred contact for the
patient.
INeedMyInfo.com is an online safe deposit box for Personal and Family
information needed during Disaster Recovery, or In Case of Emergency.
The ICE feature in I Need My Info expands on the cell phone concept by
providing restricted access to personal identification, medical
conditions, medications, and emergency contacts. The cell phone ICE
contact is a good source for emergency care givers. However, it is
limited and can fail when it is most needed. The cell phone concept
relies on the contact answering the call and having the up to date
medical information about the patient.
The I Need My Info ICE feature provides multiple contacts with their
relationship to the patient, home, work, and cell phone numbers. Medical
conditions such as diabetes and allergies that are critical to the care
of the patient is provided. Medications and dosages that the patient
takes on a regular basis is provided. Having this information at their
fingertips will help insure that, in an emergency, the treatment given
the patient by paramedics and emergency room doctors will be based on
knowledge of the patients specific needs.
An ICE card can be created on any printer (color is best) by an I Need
My Info user. The card can be laminated and put in the owners wallet,
purse, and glove box. The card can be made into a refrigerator magnet or
sticker and placed near the phone at home. Instructions on how to access
the card owners information is printed on the card so that when time is
critical, time is not lost.
Submitted by
Greg Edwards. Mr. Edwards is a Software Engineering Consultant living in the Dallas,
Texas area. In the approach of Hurricane Katrina many of his friends and
neighbors took in family and friends from New Orleans and the Gulf
Coast. In the aftermath, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex became home to
well over 100,000 evacuees. The people that were lucky enough to get out
before Katrina hit came with nothing more than a suitcase in hand, only
prepared for a short stay. Everyone else, literally, had nothing more
than the shirts on their backs.
Over the weeks and months that followed both groups of evacuees repeated
a common problem over and over. When they left they didn't have any of
their personal information or records. Those that were able to get out
before hand at least had their check books and credit cards with them.
However, all of the information that we use on a daily basis, and take
for granted when our lives are normal, was gone.
Every day there were personal accounts and news stories from people
having to wait for weeks and months to get help because they didn't
have contact information or their account numbers. Cancer patients that
didn't have a written record of the dosages they were getting for their
kemo. People that didn't have their prescription numbers couldn't get
refills. Insurance claims couldn't be started without a policy number.
The people that didn't have their specific contact information and
numbers had to wait to fill out forms, and then wait for those forms
to be processed.
After extensive research trying to answer the question "How can we be
prepared just in case everything is destroyed?" turned up no answers,
the I Need My Info website was born. Many emergency preparedness
advisers provide comprehensive guidelines about how to get ready for an
emergency. But, not how to deal with the immediate issue of putting
your life back together when there is nothing left.
Hurricane Katrina was an extreme case because of the number of people
affected all at once. But every day people suffer complete loss due to
fires, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters. Accidents and
emergencies happen when people are away from home and can't get to
their information. I Need My Info is there 24/7, just in case.
Website -
http://INeedMyInfo.com
Owned and operated by New Age Software, Inc., a Texas Corporation.
