U.S. Rep. Adam Smith Introduces Emergency Response Resolution
September 8, 2005
Recognizing the fact that millions of Americans carry cell phones with them throughout the day, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced a concurrent resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives expressing the sense of Congress that all Americans should program their cell phones and other portable electronic devices to show personal emergency contacts under the acronym ICE (In Case of Emergency) to enable emergency personnel to contact family and friends in the event of an emergency.
“This is a non-partisan issue and is a simple step that Americans can take right now,” said Smith. “We never want something bad to happen, but if a situation arises where a person is incapacitated, someone on-scene can grab the person’s cell phone or Blackberry and get in touch with their emergency contacts. This is something that can take less than a minute to program, but when time is short, this easy step can save hours and provide peace of mind to individuals and their families.”
Smith hopes that he will get bi-partisan support on his resolution and that the House passes it swiftly.