Are you prepared for I.C.E. (Incase of Emergency)

Are you prepared for I.C.E. (Incase of Emergency)

Accidents, they happen. What happens if you are involved in an accident and aren’t able to speak. How will your loved ones be notified? How will you be able to communicate your allergies and the medications you take to the Paramedics? Who will pick up your bike? That’s why you have to be ready with “I.C.E.” (incase of emergency).

You never know when an emergency situation will pop up while you’re on the road, so you should always be prepared. Sounds simple, right? But are you really prepared for a true emergency while riding your motorcycle? There are some really simple things that you can do to help you get swift medical treatment with very little guessing.

I’m going to start with my wallet. I don’t wear a chained wallet because I think it looks cool, or because it’s a rebellious fashion statement. I wear it because it’s practical for a motorcyclist. I make sure my wallet is attached to my body so I know where it is at all times. My drivers license, debit card, credit card, medical cards, AAA card, and a few business cards easily fit into my full sized wallet.

The chained wallet also comes with a clip for my keys so they are handy and it has a pouch for loose change. I’m going to stop short of calling it a “man purse” but that’s pretty much what it is. Everything I need is within easy reach.

I carry my “ICE Card” in my wallet at all times. Emergency personnel often look for this abbreviation so that they can quickly notify family members of someone who has been involved in an accident. Most commonly, “I.C.E.” information is found in cell phone contact lists. I wanted to take it a step further just incase something happens to the phone during the spill.

The card is really simple. It’s a laminated florescent pink piece of paper that sticks our just beyond my drivers license. Rescue crews can learn just about everything they need to know to treat me safely. I have the medications that I take as well as my allergies to bees and penicillin listed right below the contact numbers for my wife and my mom. I even have a number to call to arrange for the pick up the motorcycle.

I carry two phones with me. One is a regular flip phone and the other is my beloved Blackberry. The Blackberry is great for sneaking a few e-mails into work when the wife isn’t looking. If you are lost you can look your location up on your mobile map to get you going in the right direction. I’ve also used the weather application to outrun the weather and successfully skirted quite a few storms.

While the Blackberry is perfect for taking care of business road side, it’s not as user friendly as a traditional cellular phone. I chose the flip phone because the screen and number pad is protected by the outer shell of the phone. This type of phone will come in handy in the event that it should go flying across the highway.

Under the contacts on that phone, I have my wife listed as _ICE-Wife and my mom is listed as _ICE-Mom. I choose to put the underscore before their name so that those two numbers are listed at the top of my contact list. When an emergency responder looks at my phone, there is no question as to who to call or to get a medical history from.

In addition to the wallet and two cell phones, I always make sure I have my Epi-Pen on board because of my bee allergies. I also carry a variety of bandages and alcohol wipes in a baggie. I’m a huge fan of sunscreen. I carry the spray on in my tour pack. It’s not as messy and seems to apply evenly.

Before you head out for a ride, whether it’s on the open road or around the block, you should always be prepared just in case of an emergency. It’s really simple to do. Start putting things together now so that by the time Spring rolls around, you’ll be ready to go!