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It's your lifeline during a disaster, and the liaison that tells paramedics your numerical biography. It's the cell phone, and it has become so valuable over the years to law enforcement officials that they even donate them to those who need them. <p align="justify">Senior citizens on limited income and domestic abuse victims are among many who have been given the technology to use in crisis situations. And for those who already own a phone, there are certain tricks to employing them in an emergency. <p align="justify">One is ICE, an acronym for the in-case-of-emergency campaign, which was pioneered in April by a London paramedic, and began to snowball in popularity after the July terrorist bombings in that city. It provides the name and number of whom to contact in an emergency. <p align="justify">"You never know when you're going to be involved in a crash or emergency situation. And there are a lot of times when people can't talk or are incapacitated and all we have is their phone," said Lt. Doug Dodson, a spokesman for Florida Highway Patrol Troop F, which responds to Bradenton and Sarasota. <p align="justify">"So many times, we have to scroll through a bunch of numbers in the cell-phone book and most of the time we don't know who it is. Sometimes we have to call a bunch of random people and say, 'This is Lieutenant so-and-so. We've got this phone.' And a lot of the times, they just say, 'Sure it is' and hang up," Dodson said. <p align="justify">Here's how to program ICE: <p align="justify">1. Determine your in-case-of-emergency contact person. <p align="justify">2. Access the electronic phone book function in your cell phone. <p align="justify">3. Enter the person's number, punching in the acronym "ICE" beside their name. Example: "ICE -- Mom" or "ICE -- John." <p align="justify">Another function is *FHP, which you can dial if your car breaks down on the highway, or to report an aggressive or drunk driver, Dodson said. The 911 call will also signal the nearest police or fire station. Local women's shelters and crime prevention centers often distribute special phones programmed solely for this feature. <p align="justify">The Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center of Sarasota, or SPARCC, has offered this service for nearly a decade, according to executive director Stephanie Woods. <p align="justify">"The idea was that we would have some cell phones and pay to have them re-programmed, and that way our clientele could have a cell phone and make an emergency 911 phone call if they needed help," Woods said. "It's hard for people to imagine, but many of the women that we see can hardly afford to make ends meet, and a cell phone is a luxury to them; most of us consider it a basic. Now every time a victim comes in for help and doesn't have one, we offer them one of these cell phones." <p align="justify">Woods explained that any phone that has at one time been activated, whether or not the service has been shut off, is capable of dialing 911. However, when the call reaches the dispatcher, no address will appear on the screen as it would from a land line, so it is up to the victim to give their whereabouts. <p align="justify">Hundreds of phones are routinely bestowed to the organization from "every imaginable source," Woods said, from businesses that have upgraded, to generous community members. So SPARCC has been bequeathing some of their extras to local sheriff's offices. <p align="justify">Dave Bristow, a spokesman for the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, said their crime prevention unit provides cell phones to senior citizens. <p align="justify">"We give out quite a few, maybe a couple a month, and we certainly can use phones. It's something we do so that people can at least feel a little assured that they can get a hold of someone in an emergency," Bristow said. "I don't think they're actually all for senior citizens; I think if someone had a need for one we would give it to them. It's mainly a program for senior citizens but there are exceptions." <p align="justify">A similar program has been in effect for four years through the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, according to crime prevention specialist Dale Phillips. <p align="justify">"It's always good especially with our seniors who are still driving and may not have a cell phone," Phillips said. "We try to give them to anybody who comes in and needs one, but mostly the people who cannot afford phones are seniors." <p align="justify">In case of a crisis, people should also store a laminated ID card inside of a wallet or glove compartment, said Geo Morales, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Keeping a list of medications sheathed in plastic will warn doctors of any contraindications. <p align="justify">"Any amount of time emergency responders can save is valuable," Morales said. "This extra time could save someone's life." </td></tr></table> <P><hr width="90%" align="center"></p> <p align="center"> <a class="link4" href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/News/Related/Sep2005.htm"> FHP In The News September 2005</a> </p> <p align="center"> <a class="link4" href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/News/Related/"> FHP Related News Articles</a> </p> <p align="center"> <a class="link4" href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/News/"> FHP In The News</a> </p> <!--END PAGE--> <center> </td> </tr> </table> <!--END FHP CONTENT TABLE--> <!-- END FHP CONTENT --> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#333366"><img src="p3_spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#6b79a5"> <!--BEGIN FHP FOOTER TABLE--> <table class="dark" width="100%"> <tr> <td align="left"> <a class="FHPfooterlink" href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/fhpstations.htm"> FHP Station Address & Phone Numbers</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </td> <td align="right"> <a class="FHPfooterlink" href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/Mission.htm"> Mission</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a class="FHPfooterlink" href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/misc/SiteMap.htm"> Site Map</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; </td></tr></table> <hr width="100%" class="HR1"> <!--END FHP FOOTER TABLE--> <!-- Begin Footer Table --> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"> <tr> <td width="156">&nbsp;</td> <td align="center" class="footer"><a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/overview.html" class="footerlink" title="Link to About Us">About Us</a> | <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/privacy_policy.html" class="footerlink" title="Link to Privacy Statement">Privacy Statement</a> | <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/Disclaimer.htm" class="footerlink" title="Link to Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a> | <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/offices/" class="footerlink" title="Link to Office Locations">Office Locations</a> | <a href="http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/contact.html" class="footerlink" title="Link to Contact Us">Contact Us</a><br> Copyright &copy;2005 State of Florida <br> </td> <td width="156"></td> </tr> </table> <a href="#top"><img src="images/p3_spacer.gif" alt="Return to Top" width="2" height="2" border="0"></a><!-- End Footer Table --></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>