(Metro) Emergencies occur every day. Data from the 2016 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey found around 145 million emergency department visits are made in the United States each year. Of those visits, 42.2 million are injury-related.

While no one wants to imagine themselves in dangerous situations, being realistic about the likelihood of being in an emergency can help people safeguard themselves against such situations.

One way to prepare for emergencies is to make sure you and potential first responders or medical personnel know who to call should you be unable to communicate. Likely many things in the digital age, the process of indicating emergency contacts has changed.

Mobile phone ICE

All people are urged to designate an “in case of emergency” contact on their mobile phones. This way a first responder or other emergency personnel can notify the appropriate people in emergency situations. In 2004, after research from Vodafone found that fewer than 25 per...