The ICE card: one wallet card that speaks for you
First responders are trained to look for it: a card in the wallet, a note on the phone lock screen, a bracelet. In the minutes when you can't speak, it answers the questions that change treatment — allergies, medications, conditions.
What EMTs actually want on it
Name and date of birth · allergies, drug allergies above all (penicillin, contrast dye) · daily medications — blood thinners change trauma treatment instantly, so they go first · conditions: diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, pacemaker · ICE contacts — two, with relationship · blood type helps but isn't critical (hospitals verify anyway).
The phone lock screen (do this tonight)
iPhone: Health app → Medical ID → enable "Show When Locked" — responders access it from the lock screen's Emergency call button.
Android: Settings → Safety & emergency → Medical info (plus emergency contacts).
Phones die and get separated from owners, though — which is why the paper card in the wallet stays the standard alongside it.
Who needs one most
Anyone on daily medication · anyone with severe allergies (with "EpiPen in bag" if true) · people with diabetes, epilepsy or heart conditions · kids with allergies (card in the backpack, note with the school) · elderly parents — pair the card with the full medical sheet in the family binder, which is where paramedics' questions go next. Our binder maker generates a full medical page per family member; the wallet card is its pocket-size twin — update both at the same 6-month review.
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Frequently asked questions
What does ICE stand for on a card?
"In Case of Emergency" — the label first responders are trained to look for on wallet cards and phone contacts.
What is most important to list — allergies or medications?
Both, but drug allergies and blood thinners top the list: each immediately changes what responders can safely do.
Do EMTs really check phones and wallets?
Yes — checking for Medical ID on phones and cards in wallets is standard practice once the scene is safe and the patient can't answer.