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January 19, 2006

Emergency contact number seen as vital aid in disaster planning

As part of its ongoing emergency readiness campaign, Woodbridge Township will promote the use of ICE cell phone numbers, Mayor Frank G. Pelzman has announced.

Cell phone users are asked to store their personal emergency contact name and number in their phone’s address book under the acronym ICE – In Case of Emergency. The ICE designation lets rescuers and first responders know who to call when disaster strikes.

First conceived in April, 2005, by an ambulance service member in England, the ICE idea achieved widespread publicity two months later following the London bus and subway bombings.

“We are asking residents to enter a contact ICE number into their cell phones,” says Mayor Pelzman. “This is a very practical and important aid to our emergency responders if they need to contact the appropriate person in a few seconds.”

Last fall Woodbridge put into operation an emergency evacuation database that lists residents requiring special assistance during an evacuation.

The Township also employs a state-of-the-art Reverse 911 communications outreach system to inform residents by telephone of an emergency situation.

Mayor Pelzman says the Township will promote the ICE campaign on its web site and municipal television channel.

“In this day and age a community needs to use every means at its disposal to be as prepared as possible,” says Mayor Pelzman. “Having residents use the ICE designation will significantly assist our public safety personnel.”