First responders access to your contacts/medical details

Health Care & Carte Vitale
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Apologies in advance to those who are already aware of the information below. I hope this post might alert others, like me, who are perhaps unaware…

A paramedic told us yesterday that emergency services first responders are trained to look for the mobile phones of accident victims, and then swipe up/tap on the lock screen. This automatically reveals any emergency contacts and medical information IF the phone owner has added this information - specifically and solely for emergency access. This information is easily accessed by tapping on the word Emergency or Urgences from the lock screen (don’t worry - the first tap won’t dial the emergency services!). The latter can’t access ANYTHING else on your phone.

It’s really easy to add the necessary medical and/or emergency contact information, depending on whether you have an iPhone or Android. See links below. Different models have slightly different routes to the same end. Typical information you can choose to add includes emergency contact name and phone number, blood group, allergies, medicines being taken, whether an organ donor, etc. The paramedic said even just an emergency contact number is helpful.

It reassured me, having recently been knocked unconscious after a bike fall, which left me wondering how anyone would know who on earth I was, and how to contact my wife..

9 Likes
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Press and hold the right side and volume up button on recent iThings.

I cannot recommend doing this enough, especially if you have an existing medical condition, allergies or are on medication.

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That’s a fantastic idea. Thanks George.

We do alot of cycling- usually separately, alone - and until now had made do with little slips of paper with the other’s name & phone number but this is much better.

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Thank you George - I had my brother in as an emergency contact but it wasn’t set to show up on the lock screen.

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Thanks George, mine done just 1 to do.

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The other thing I do is to attach a dog tag to the back of my bike helmet with my wife’s phone number on it. Cheap and simple (and all weather!). Hopefully it is obvious enough to anyone coming across an unconscious cyclist, to complement the phone emergency information described above.

1 Like
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Excellent! I’ll stick a dog tag on him.