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App could help emergency medical workers identify, assess victims
GIRARD
Two local funeral homes invested in an app that can help emergency workers assess a victim’s medical needs quickly.
The Vital ICE (In Case of Emergency) app is free to download on the Apple, Android and Google stores.
“Any medical information for the patient that can be provided to them upon their arrival increases the odds of a more favorable outcome. Time saves lives, and Vital ICE saves time,” reads the app description.
There are two strips on the left and right sides of a user’s locked screen that displays the user’s identity and basic medical information and contact information for two emergency contacts.
In the app, there is a chart that details the user’s confidential medical history, medications and information such as blood type. The user’s primary doctor also is listed.
A First Aid directory instructs the user or someone trying to help the user what to do in various medical emergencies.
With the click of a button, authorities and emergency contacts can be alerted and a GPS coordinate can help them find the user if he or she can’t speak.
The Blackstone Funeral Home and the Kelley-Robb-Cummins Funeral Home are the local organizations that invested in the app. Other funeral homes across the country also invested.
Danielle Altaffer, Blackstone funeral director assistant, calls the app a lifesaver.
“You never know what could happen when you walk out the door in the morning,” she said. “It gives you peace of mind.”
Kathleen Blackstone, Blackstone funeral director, recommended people download the app on their family member’s phones.
“This is a big help,” she said. “You think about it being for seniors, but it’s helpful for everyone.”
Bill Cummins with the Kelley-Robb-Cummins Funeral Home said he liked the idea of the app because it saves times for emergency workers when they are trying to identify a victim, diagnosing their problem and figuring out their immediate medical needs.
The creators of the app could not be reached to comment.