Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton today urged Forsyth County residents to program an emergency contact into their cell phones with the initials, “ICE”.

“ICE” stands for, ‘In Case of an Emergency’, and is growing popularity across the United States and in Europe. The idea originated in Great Britain in early 2005.

“The idea of ‘ICE’ is that you store an emergency contact number in your cell phone with the name, ‘ICE’,” Sheriff Paxton said. “Then, in the event of an accident or other medical emergency, rescue personnel or law enforcement will be able to call your emergency contact,” he added.

Sheriff Paxton went on to explain that, often in the event of a serious wreck, rescue personnel often have to search for emergency contact information, thus wasting valuable time. In addition, “ICE” may help emergency room workers learn about important pre-existing medical condition that might apply to the patient.

“Using ‘ICE’ will enable us to contact your family without any delay,” Sheriff Paxton said. “I strongly recommend that parents of young drivers make sure that their children’s cell phones are programmed with ICE’,” he added.