Acronym for 'In Case of Emergency'. Right thinking citizens should ensure their
mobile phones have the phone number of their
next-of-kin programmed into the memory, under the name of ICE. This next-of-kin could be contacted in the event of an emergency to identify the victim, and perhaps provide vital medical information or psychological support.
The idea behind ICE came from Bob Brotchie, an East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust paramedic, who often was forced to scavange through the wallets and mobile phone memories of victims he attended to in order to identify a next of kin.
Bob's idea was subsequently promoted by Vodafone in April 2005, with the assistance of Falklands War veteran Simon Weston . The London bombings of 7 July, 2005 helped boost public recognition of ICE phone listings, as have mass circulated e-mails. However there have also been hoax e-mails that claim an ICE phone listing could cancel out a phone's PAYG credit, or price phone calls at premium rates.
Naturally there are limits to how effective an ICE phone listing is. Hopefully if you ever suffer a mishap your phone will be with you, fully operable and charged, not PIN-locked and won't have your estranged ex still listed as your ICE contact.
One thinks that ICE will not be used to SMS your parents news of your death.