Emergency Contacts - in your Mobile/Cell Phone

[Saint Mike II]

Hola, I have just read the sad news about the Serbian pilgrim who died (heart attack?) in Lorca and it started me thinking about how do police/doctors etc contact your next of kin, especially if you are walking sols. Then I remembered an email from a cousin with a simple suggestion.
In your contact list establish a file called "Emergency Contact" and then add the names of your next of kin (say one or two people) enter the full phone number including country and relevant area codes. Oh and maybe whilst you are walking you can leave the phone unlocked (for security of course lock it if its out of your physical presences). Cheers; Buen Camino!!

 

[RobertS26]

The police in these types of situation often call "Mother" or contacts with only a first name because we often don't put the last name of loved ones in contacts. If all else fails they start calling people in your contacts list with the same last name as yours. Sadly, this sort of thing happens more often than you think.

 

[koilife]

Oh and maybe whilst you are walking you can leave the phone unlocked (for security of course lock it if its out of your physical presences).

Many phones have an "In Case of Emergency" option that lists emergency contacts and enables calling them while the phone remains locked. Much more functional and secure, especially if you keep sensitive information on your phone, access to email, mobile banking, etc.

 

[Bajaracer]

In US passports, there is a page where you can fill in emergency contact info, it tells you to write it in pencil in case your contact info changes.

 

[trecile]

Many phones have an "In Case of Emergency" option that lists emergency contacts and enables calling them while the phone remains locked. Much more functional and secure, especially if you keep sensitive information on your phone, access to email, mobile banking, etc.

I just updated my ICE contacts on my Samsung phone. I also checked that they can be accessed from the lock screen, and they can.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Many phones have an "In Case of Emergency" option that lists emergency contacts and enables calling them while the phone remains locked. Much more functional and secure, especially if you keep sensitive information on your phone, access to email, mobile banking, etc.

I have just checked my I_Phone4 and it does not have this "In Case of Emergency" option, that was why I had to create the entry above. Regarding leaving the phone unlocked - the more "up to date" phones have facilities that mine does not. Also there are, I suggest, people who have basic phones without these "special features". If yours does have them then all well and good.

 

[wayfarer]

Most phones have the facility to have a personal message on the "lock screen" I have seen ICE contacts added here.

 

[Bajaracer]

Since most pilgrims (outside of the EU) phones are usually on "airplane mode" will you be able to call their next of kin or others? Will an emergency call override the lock screen and airplane mode?
The easiest way is to leave emergency contact info on a page inside your passport, don't forget to add the international country code into the phone number.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

I would think that emergency personnel the world over know how to take a phone out of airplane mode, same as you or I do.

 

[wayfarer]

A friend of mine who kayak's takes an old phone without a SIM card on his trips and this works to connect to 112, a phone in aircraft mode will also dial these numbers, it disables aircraft mode automatically. I have tested this on an Android but not an iPhone.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

A hint that I saw on this site way back when: take a photo of a piece of paper with your full name, nationality, and contact number back home. Use that as your screen saver. I can't tell you how many people admired my phone, for having done that.

You could also just type it out in messages and take a screen shot, but I wanted something a bit nicer to look at.

In this way, there is NO doubt, NO having to unlock phones, NO stress.

Buen Camino

 

[trecile]

A hint that I saw on this site way back when: take a photo of a piece of paper with your full name, nationality, and contact number back home. Use that as your screen saver. I can't tell you how many people admired my phone, for having done that.

You could also just type it out in messages and take a screen shot, but I wanted something a bit nicer to look at.

In this way, there is NO doubt, NO having to unlock phones, NO stress.

Buen Camino

Great idea!

 

[Bajaracer]

I would think that emergency personnel the world over know how to take a phone out of airplane mode, same as you or I do.

What do you do about a locked screen? More people are using passwords to get into their devices, you might be able to make calls to 112, unless they have emergency contact info included into their device, it will be a brick. There are ways of adding ICE contact info.
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-add-emergency-contact-info-to-your-iphone-lock-screen/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clusor.ice&hl=en

 

[Dutchwalk53]

I always carry emergency contact info on a piece of paper in a ziplog bag in my backpack. Not somewhere on the bottom, but it is the first thing one would see when they open my pack. Simple as that

 

[mvanert]

I, too, carry printed information about me including a photo, who to contact, medical history, drugs being taken and who to contact and in what order. I also have an envelope addressed to my wife with her address, stamped, ready to mail in case of my death in which I leave instructions on how to deal with my estate. This is all put in a Ziploc bag and carried in the top of my backpack. Other than death & taxes there is no certainty so why not make it as easy as possible for those looking after us?

 

[Devon Mike]

In US passports, there is a page where you can fill in emergency contact info, it tells you to write it in pencil in case your contact info changes.

UK passports also have a page for emergency contact info.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

What do you do about a locked screen?

Yes, right, that's another issue entirely. I just wanted to point out that airplane mode isn't a big deal. If they can get into your phone they can turn that off, and if they can't get in at all, it doesn't really matter whether it's on or not, does it? Is there something I'm missing about that?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I, too, carry printed information about me including a photo, who to contact, medical history, drugs being taken and who to contact and in what order. I also have an envelope addressed to my wife with her address, stamped, ready to mail in case of my death in which I leave instructions on how to deal with my estate. This is all put in a Ziploc bag and carried in the top of my backpack. Other than death & taxes there is no certainty so why not make it as easy as possible for those looking after us?

mvanert, please please please, have a proper will made. Not having one can be a can of worms, and is not something fun for those left behind. A posted letter will not hold up very well in case of disputes, even if the dispute is with the Revenue Agency. BC law has its own qurirks when it comes to estates, please consult a good lawyer and draw uo a proper will.

 

[mvanert]

mvanert, please please please, have a proper will made. Not having one can be a can of worms, and is not something fun for those left behind. A posted letter will not hold up very well in case of disputes, even if the dispute is with the Revenue Agency. BC law has its own qurirks when it comes to estates, please consult a good lawyer and draw uo a proper will.

Thanks for your concern and your advice is spot on. I do have a will, the letter is so she can find the will, passwords to my various computer accounts and associated papers as well as personal stuff. As for consulting a lawyer, my son is a rather good one (he is chief legal counsel to the Chief Justice of the Canadian Supreme Court - not too proud of a dad) and my brother-in-law is a judge so I am well served with legal advice!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks for your concern and your advice is spot on. I do have a will, the letter is so she can find the will, passwords to my various computer accounts and associated papers as well as personal stuff. As for consulting a lawyer, my son is a rather good one (he is chief legal counsel to the Chief Justice of the Canadian Supreme Court - not too proud of a dad) and my brother-in-law is a judge so I am well served with legal advice!

What a relief to hear you have a well made will. Clearly you are in good hands, proud dad!