We never know when we might fall ill while away from home, become incapacitated in a motor vehicle accident or even a mass-casualty incident. To help emergency officials contact a victim’s loved ones, there is a new system called ICE (In Case of Emergency).

The ICE campaign encourages cell phone users to program emergency contact information into their phones under the ICE listing. This could allow emergency responders and hospital staffs to access contacts and quickly alert family or friends. It also might help rescuers obtain vital medical information about a patient who cannot convey the information himself.

ICE is free and easy to use, but it’s not foolproof. Password-protected cell phones might prohibit access to the information, or an accident might render a cell phone inoperable.

Nevertheless, the nonprofit New Jersey State First Aid Council — which represents more than 20,000 emergency medical services (EMS) volunteers throughout New Jersey — endorses the ICE campaign and urges Garden State residents to use it. It could help save precious time and lives.