Tuesday, July 28, 2009

ICE - Around the World

























OK so this is a few years old.... we have current one's - but the Italians, Germans, French, Chinese, English, Canadians and people from 85 other countries sure are hitting the ICE4SAFETY website quite a bit!

Maybe you thought ICE is just in your neighborhood.....or if is not then you might inquire with local government officials and police/fire/ems as to why it is not.

Some local ambulance corps are offered a deal to promote an alert tool or device that no one has ever heard of or recognizes - but if someone actually buys one - they get a portion of the sale.

So how many is that in your neighborhood.....like one? Is your medical products retailer still trying to boost sales of some electronic buzzer toy to make your disabled grandmother feel safer...and when it doesn't work??? Go ahead and name another place where it might be recognized and supported by local fire/ems.......go ahead.

Bad idea.....for you.

Get the real deal.....still free by SASE. www.ice4safety.com

Practical Inexpensive Uses for ICE - The List Grows


ICE4SAFETY Tools have many applications that lend themselves to providing increased levels of safety and preparedness. We occasionally get calls asking how to better use ICE. Here you go...
This homeowner has had some medical issues in the past and a few ambulance rides too so they decided to alert the paramedics just in case it happens again. To enhance the likelihood of ICE being recognized - another sticker (2"x 2" you would get with your free ICE Kit) was affixed to the main entrance - just in case (back up) it is obstructed at the mailbox during inclement weather. Make this a part of your overall effort to use ICE.
Once inside, First Responders would see the ICE Cards and Medical Info Forms in the patient wallet or purse or stuck the refrigerator with the supplied card holder and programmed information on their cell phone or their Smartphone - using smart-ICETM
Building in redundancy to your safety preparedness effort will increase the likelihood of success over any of these one shot wonder gimmicks we see flooding the market. We get a lot of people copying our ideas from here......
If your ambulance, police or fire department is running an ICE Program for the community be sure to get these ICE Stickers (2x2") to alert EMS as well.......they have plenty of other emergency uses .....and the name of any sponsor or their website address can be placed on one line at the bottom without detracting from the visual alert effect it was designed for.
One sponsor indicates his business gets plenty of hits for business as a result of sponsoring ICE in community giveaway programs. ICE just keeps getting better and better......
So, lets recap:
You can use ICE at home, on the job, in your motor vehicle, boat, ATV, snowmobile, recreation vehicle, bicycle, wallet, phone, smartphone, I-Pod, mailbox, emergency toolkit/supplies, ambulances, fire equipment/rescue trucks, USB Drives, mobile device, motorcycle, KeySure Devices, Downhill Ski's, Snowboards and on public safety posters to name just a few.....

Monday, July 27, 2009

ICE and Distracted Driving


The Best Part of ICE is Never Having to Use It!
Let's Try and Keep it That Way!
Please Do Not Use Your SmartPhone or ANY Cell Phone When Operating a Motor Vehicle or Machinery!
Thank You.


Sunday, July 26, 2009

Puzzled About Smartphone Apps?





No longer a problem - ICE4SAFETY and EMS-Options are working together up to bring you the latest in Smartphone and Mobile Device preparedness solutions......

smart-ICETM

Friday, July 24, 2009

EMS Trade Journal Reports on smart-ICE


If you would like to read more about how smart-ICE will affect the EMS Community and Citizens alike....take a look at this article released today about the joint ICE project and the history of EMS-Options, LLC.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

ICE @ Work on iPhone


"smart-ICE"
go ahead....say it real fast....

smart ICE for iPhones




















smart-ICE




Learn more at http://www.ems-options.com/

Distracted Driving Aid - Zoom Safer









Message from CEO of Zoom Safer.....FYI- for you.

My name is Michael Riemer and have recently started a company called ZoomSafer. We provide innovative mobile software and services to help people drive safely, have fun, and stay connected. The product is currently under development and a beta release is targeted in early August.

ZoomSafer is free to download and activates automatically when driving, reminding users to be safe with personalized safety messages from friends, family and even celebrities.

While driving, it suppresses unwanted calls, messages and alerts and selectively informs friends, family, co-workers, and social networks of your “driving” status and location.

ZoomSafer’s premium offering features the ZoomMate Voice Safety Portal (VSP) which includes the ability to create/send voice-powered emails, text messages, and Tweets.

Hopefully, you will find our “story” interesting for your readers. Please contact me directly if you have any questions.

You can decide folks....this might help reduce the burden of answering the phone when driving or working on job sites becoming distracted and causing an accident.
We'd like to hear more.....
ice4safety

Michael Riemer
Founder, CEO
Phone: 703-906-3544
Email: miker@zoomsafer.com



USE CELL PHONES RESPONSIBLY! WHY?

Rerun about distracted driving comment Feb 10, 2009

Here folks, take a moment and digest this information and use it to support the message against driving and texting/phoning. From Safety Stand Down Week.

There are four types of driving distraction:
 VISUAL – Looking for the cellphone.
 BIOMECHANICAL – Manipulating a device, such as dialing a phone number, or for those
users of PDAs, formulating an email response.
 AUDITORY – Being startled by a ringing cellphone.
 COGNITIVE – Mind not on the task, thinking about something other than driving.
 HANDS FREE cellphones reduce VISUAL and BIOMECHANICAL distractions; however, they do nothing for the other two.

More importantly, they do nothing for the COGNITIVE distraction. This being the most important task – concentrating on driving.

Why cellphone conversations are mentally demanding:
 Cellphone users visualize or create in their minds an image of the person being spoken to. This takes mental effort and undermines the cognitive work of interpreting the driving environment.
 When you are engaged in a cellphone conversation, you have to listen to the other person, think about what they are saying, and plan your response. This takes away some resources which you would otherwise have applied towards driving.
 Cellphone drivers are trapped by social etiquette that will not let them drop, discontinue, or be unresponsive in cellphone conversations.
 Social conventions and habits govern expectations of how long we pause, how we respond, vocal tones and inflections, appropriate placement and expression of non-verbal cues (uh huh, um, oh, etc.), and levels of interest and engagement expressed.
 Stressful, emotional or important conversations are even more demanding, but even the mundane conversations will remove your concentration from the task of driving.

Why cellphones increase drivers reaction time to hazards: Studies have shown that drivers engaged in cellphone conversations:
 Are four times more likely to crash than other drivers.
 Pose a risk comparable to alcohol impaired driving at 0.1 BAC – That’s above the legal limit of Canada of 0.8.
 Significantly have poorer driving performance whether measured by speed control, following distance or reaction time.

A major study has been performed by University of Utah (Psychology Professor David Strayer 2001).Results:
 Reaction time while driving and using a cellphone is worse than the reaction time when driving under the influence. (Of course, neither is acceptable practice. The difference is that only one is currently against the law).
 The driver using a cellphone has traveled 14m longer than a driver with normal reaction.
 Drivers take longer to react to the traffic signals. They are twice as likely to miss a traffic signal when they are talking on the cellphone.
 Although hands free telephones reduce manual and visual distractions, cognitive distractions are still present.Why cellphone use while driving reduces your field of view:
 Eye-movement of drivers using cellphones is reduced to tunnel vision because they are concentrating on the conversation.
 Search also found that the tunnel vision caused by cellphone use continued well after the conversation ends. Perhaps because the driver is still thinking about the conversation.
 The study found that most drivers seldom glance away from the road when talking on the cellphone. You should move your eyes every 2 seconds to avoid tunnel vision.

Responsibilities as a driver:
 Never take a phone call while driving.
 Allow passenger or voice mail box to take the message.
 In an emergency, pull well off the road to receive or send phone calls.

Added: Next time you hang up on someone calling from a mobile phone while driving and they ask why - Tell them "You don't want to hear the sound of the crash"!

Press Release - smart-ICE


Press Release



smart-ICETM




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


EMS Options, LLC and ICE4SAFETY.COM have forged a strategic alliance today to advance the concept of "smart-ICE", the latest application of the emergency preparedness concept recognized internationally as “ICE” for electronic devices worldwide. This collaboration will also help standardize the ICE “In Case of Emergency” symbols for Smartphone’s, leading to easy recognition by Police, Fire and EMS personnel worldwide.


CONTACT:
Tim Green
EMS Options, LLC.
937.266.1675


EMS Alert, the smart I-Phone “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) application designed to help Fire/EMS and Emergency Room personnel save more lives, adopts a new name and symbol to better represent it’s life saving capabilities, adopting the internationally known symbol from ICE4SAFETY and creating this new identity.


EMS Options, LLC released an iphone application on May 9th, 2009 under the name “EMS Alert” and is now changing the icon to one of the most recognized ICE symbols in the world! This transformation is to help minimize confusion by emergency personnel. After searching for a back-up solution that would insure redundancy, we have teamed up with ICE4Safety who is one of the originators of the ICE concept in the United States and is the most recognized ICE symbol in the world.


Police, Fire and EMS personnel are being exposed to new “Smartphone” applications that provide more than just the phone numbers of contacts in the event of an emergency. They are able to provide critical medical information, such as allergies, medications, medical history and much, much more.
This is great news and it will help people prepare in advance for that unforeseen emergency, but it can be confusing for emergency personnel. The numerous icons or symbols used to identify the ICE applications are not standardized and may be overlooked by emergency personnel who are not familiar with all of the different types of “ICE” symbols or cell phone’s functions.

For the reasons listed above and being convinced that the philosophy and goals of the two organizations are the same, EMS Options, LLC is immediately renaming their EMS Alert “ICE” application “smart-ICE”, utilizing the icon above.

The new “smart-ICE” application will still have all of the same critical features, but will be more easily recognized by emergency personnel.

For more detailed information about this significant advance, visit our respective web sites @ www.ems-options.com and www.ice4safety.com.

EMS Options, LLC, has over 23 years experience in the Information Technology field, and extensive cellular programming knowledge. This is combined with over 30 years Fire/EMS experience to provide intuitive, easy to use applications.

ICE4SAFETY.COM has a combined 34 years of EMS/Police and active Safety Consulting experience advancing the multi-disciplined concept of personal preparedness through the use of the internationally recognized ICE Trademarked Images.

smart-ICETM” is the standard that everyone is trying emulate!

smart-ICE

Smartphones - Equipped with ICE



































EMS-Options, LLC and ICE4SAFETY.COM announce the introduction of smart-ICETM as an Application for the Apple iPhone!

http://www.ems-options.com/

www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/

http://www.ems-options.com/Resources.html Press Release Info

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Prep Tip - Power Inverter Quick Facts

What is the difference between a modified sine and pure sine wave inverter?
Modified sine wave power inverters are more portable than pure sine wave power inverters, lighter, and definitely much lower in cost. If your device will handle voltage fluctuations, a modified sine wave inverter should be considered.

Most devices that people typically wish to power will work fine with a modified sine wave inverter, as a precaution, please contact the manufacturer of your device to determine if it is compatible.

Pure sine wave power inverters motor's run cooler, last longer and provide very clean power like you would receive from a power company. Devices such as laser printers, digital clocks, and most medical equipment require a pure sine wave inverter to run correctly.

As noted above, as a precaution, please contact the manufacturer of your device to determine if pure sine wave power is required. Most devices required in an emergency will run okay on modified sine wave power but if it is medical equipment you need then best find out ahead of time. Some battery charging equipment and power adapters may not function properly Don't be surprised however when you contact the manufacturer if they don't have an answer for you right away.

How long can I expect my devices to run after installing an Inverter?

The run time depends solely on the amount and size (capacity) of your batteries.

FORMULA:
Total the amps on your batteries and divide by 12. Take that number and set it aside, we'll get back to it in a moment.

Total the amps on the devices you will use on the inverter, add another 1/2 amp for the inverter itself.

Take THAT total and divide into the first number you came up with.

The result will be your runtime in hours.

The more batteries you put in parallel the longer runtime you can expect.

With an inverter installed on a truck, can the engine be idled to maintain a charge on the batteries to offset the drain by heavy powertool use?
Yes, most who use inverters in this manner will leave their vehicle running while using their inverter. It is recommended that only 2500 watt inverters and below be used on your truck or large vehicle. Advise your vehicle's manufacture or mechanic to make sure your alternator will keep up with the amps being used. (Heavy duty alternators should keep up at 80-90Amp)

What is the Low Voltage Alarm & Shutdown?
The low voltage alarm will sound when the DC source falls below 10 volts and the automatic shutdown will power off the inverter. This is done to save your battery(ies) so you can restart your vehicle. Vehicle batteries were not designed to be used as sources of regular power for inverters as compared to deep cycle batteries.

My inverter's fans won't come on.
On almost all of our inverters over 1000 watts, the fans are connected to a thermal switch which will only allow the fans to come on when they reach a certain temperature. This helps keep your batteries holding their charge longer by reducing demand, and also makes it QUIET!

Is my inverter weatherproof?
No. Treat your inverter like you would your TV. You wouldn't put your TV outside in the rain, please don't leave your inverter there either. Be aware of lighting storms. If struck, your inverter would go into a permanent overload state and may even smoke it. If using in a marine environment, try to keep it tucked away underneath, in a dryer area.

Some newer inverters make claims of being weather resistant - you may want to explore those for marine use.

Source -Adapted from All-battery.com

Monday, July 20, 2009

Ergonomics for Emergency Workers



Yes, Even Emergency First Responders suffer injuries related to their profession - and quite frequently in fact.

One first responder who just happens to know what to do about preventing these ergonomic issues as well as how to provide physical therapy once you acquire them is George Barrett, Cicero, NY FD Fire Capt., MPT, EMT-B.


George has designed a training course to specifically to help first responders perform their vital tasks in a safer and more ergonomically correct manner.

As you may know, cumulative trauma disorders (CTD's) like carpal tunnel for instance are a result of many minor injuries over time that result in disability. So, our firefighters, paramedics, police and other emergency service volunteers who are asked to perform herculean tasks on a moments notice are prime candidates for these disorders and statistics prove it.

The course can be delivered via PowerPoint in about 2 hours with hands on demonstration and is called "Body Mechanics and Ergonomics for Emergency Workers."

If your agency is looking to stem the tide of these injuries please contact Mr. Barrett 0700-1900 EDT M-F at 315.449.4118 (Fitness Forum - Dewitt, NY) for more information and assistance.

Email at georgept@juno.com

Let's face it, if our first and last line of defense is hurting and disabled then where does that leave the rest of us? Thank you Capt. Barrett!

ICE on Twitter







Yes, even ICE4SAFETY has found some usefulness in providing short messages using Twitter.

Feel free to visit http://twitter.com/ice4safety

Just remember in an emergency don't sit around like a mindless automaton waiting for someone to "tweet" you with information ....do something. There are some government sites that would be providing bursts of information assuming systems all worked and weren't overloaded with billions of nonsensical ramblings.

Recall the US Marine Corp. Management Principle - The 70% Solution - In short if you "do something" you have a 70% chance of getting a result versus if you just waited and did nothing.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Distracted Driving Month - Heathers Law

Letter from Father of Deceased Daughter Killed by Tractor Trailer - Driver Texting.


Dear Sirs,
I would like to congratulate the State of Florida for naming July as Distracted driving awareness month and also the Stay Alive Just Drive program for their continuing work to bring awareness to this ever increasing danger on our roadways.

On January 3, 2008 my daughter Heather was killed on Rt 27 in Polk County by a tractor trailer driver who was texting his company when the collision occurred. 40,000 people a year are killed on our nations highways, many by distracted drivers and the pain that these families must endure in everlasting.

We must continue to educate and legislate to reduce these needless fatalities. The State of Florida must now join the many other states in our country by passing " Heather's Law, a comprehensive ban on hand held cell phones and text messaging while driving. Recent studies have proven that these practices are just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated and they are the most prevalent of all distractions while driving.

I urge all Lee County residents to support the Stay Alive Just Drive Program and also to urge their State legislators to pass Heather's Law in the 2010 legislature.
Sincerely

Russell Hurd

Note: ICE4SAFETY does not advocate using cell phones of any sort or texting while operating any motor vehicle or machinery because you cannot adequately and safely drive and concentrate on other matters like conversing on a phone. Period.
Just Drive.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

EMP Attacks on USA - Update



Here is an organization dedicated to the discussion and dissemination of information in relation to Electromagnetic Pulse Attacks against the free world.

While Nuclear Arms reduction discussions are in play with Russia and the USA, smaller rogue states still persist in obtaining and even making claims about utilizing these weapons as soon as they are perfected...which by most accounts will not be long from now. Other states that have these weapons are becoming increasingly unstable politically.

It is certainly continues to be a dangerous world we live in where the actions of what might have been considered minor players in past years can now have considerable devastating impact on our freedom and continued existence.

You might think that society has advanced to a point where we can have rational discussion about these threats to humanity, but the reality is we will always have dysfunctional and power hungry despots bent on controlling and destroying others. Maybe now it is even easier to do so.

Check out the information, learn more and take note of becoming less susceptible to this kind of attack on our country. We have blogged about this topic previously so check that out too.


http://www.empactamerica.org/

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Lubbock Texas Area Introduces ICE 7-4-09










The EMS/ER's/Fire/School Systems/Police in the Lubbock, Texas area have selected the Independence Weekend Holiday to roll out the formal introduction of ICE by starting out with the first responders themselves!


The logic here was simple according to Paramedic/Nurse/Organizer Kari (Kat) Kotara - "you can't expect members of the community to use a safety system (ICE) that we do not use ourselves!"
Makes perfect sense. Common sense in fact - and plenty of it. First Responders are not invincible.

Roll Call Training is being commenced for all represented agencies and Emergency Rooms that are in the UMC Health System and including some surrounding areas like Plainview, Texas.

Let's see we have West Carlise Fire/EMS, Emergency Nurses Association, Plainview Fire, Ralls EMS...and the list is growing ...all parts of the UMC/EMS System.
We will undoubtedly be hearing more from these groups shortly!

Oklahoma Introduced to ICE - July 2009



















The Great State of Oklahoma is right now learning all about the concept of ICE and how it relates to personal preparedness as a result of a financial grant from the Oklahoma Home & Community Education Leadership Development Citizenship Engagement Committee and a matching grant from the Ottawa County (Miami) OK Fire/EMS Administrators for 2009!

OHCE is a part of the Oklahoma State University Extension Service, with the cooperation of the USDA, State and Local Governments.

The grant promotes the utilization of Leadership Skills through community education projects according to ICE Project Chairperson Sue Rendel. ICE was a perfect fit as it gave her the opportunity to teach groups about ICE who are then challenged to to go out into the community and educate others.

ICE was selected as it is an easy topic to teach and is applicable to persons of all ages! In fact the ICE grant was applied for last year but funding was not available until now. How about that for tenacity and leadership?

Local training began 3 hours after the shipment of ICE Stickers arrived July 3rd! More training is scheduled this week and it will be followed up by an Oklahoma State Leadership Development Workshop where others like Sue will learn about ICE.

We are promised more updates on this statewide project as it progresses!

Thank you OCHE and Ottawa County (Miami) Oklahoma! What a fine way to celebrate Independence Day.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

ICE Marketing Gimmicks - Part 1
















Yup - we found what was billed as an important personal safety product next to Cat Food in Aisle 10 at our local big box store! Look at all the smiling faces....huh?

When we approached a woman carrying one of these in the store and gave her a free ICE Kit she promptly threw this item back on the shelf and said thank you!

These marketing gimmicks are all over the Internet and finding them represented in your local big box drug store or shopping club is meaningless in respect to the reputation or actual usefulness of the product. We already mentioned the lack of safety savvy by marketers in these retail establishments - they are essentially clueless.

The companies that peddle them don't have any other interest in your personal safety or that of your community and no investment in it either - they simply need to sell you their product.

All they want to do is suck you in with the same scheme of getting you to subscribe to yearly fee for hosting your personal data online and to purchase some unnecessary additional software. Some people aren't very discerning as we all know.

Don't fall for that "secure server" or "doctor endorsed" nonsense either. When the company folds in a year or so then what happens to your information? Most times it is sold to another marketer.

You need to keep your own data secure and do it yourself - period.

It is FREE.

Online we have the Critical Info Record Form at the Do it Yourself Page (DIY) http://www.ice4safety.com/diy.html

Anyone can place this on their own USB Portable Drive and affix an ICE sticker (free) recognized internationally and available with your free ICE KIT by SASE:

ICE4SAFETY, PO BOX 82, Dewitt, NY 13214

You can get encryption with the USB Drives you can buy from Memorex, San Disk, Verbatim and other reputable well established companies. If you want to go nuts you can get secure data drives the military uses for $150...but you don't need to.

We were up to $75 and counting for this particular gizmo.... Probably why the lady in the store tossed this thing back so fast.....

We don't have an actor in a white meat cutter jacket endorsing the ICE4SAFETY public service but we have something much better - those who are already using it.

Are you catching on yet? Hope so. We'll report - you decide.....

Friday, July 3, 2009

Celebrate Indpendence!

While we still have some independence left - pay tribute to those who served and who continue to serve our great nation.

Yes, it (still) is the greatest nation on earth and that has ever been.
No apologies given for the United States here.

GoDaddy.Com has provided a great video with music at the link provided. God Bless the USA!

233 Years This Weekend!
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/holiday/independence2009/playmovie.asp?isc=gdr0704

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Distracted Driving Week - SAJD




















Our friend Jay Anderson, founder and coordinator of the Stay Alive Just Drive Program in Florida has recently been recognized by the Florida State Governor for his work and the important message. All state government safety agencies will be formally recognizing the effort the week of July 27!

We congratulate Jay in his relentless dedication to get people to stop and realize that distracted driving is a senseless unsafe practice and a killer! We are happy to be associated with this fine program.

Find out more: http://www.sajd.org/

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Need A Website to Promote ICE?




If your organization is promoting ICE in your communty or region and don't have a website just yet.....ICE4SAFETY can give you a hand...free. See how many other people are doing that for you.
In any event we put a site together for Amber Ambulance in Marietta, New York in the Fingerlakes Region and they came up number one in the Google Search......ok now how much would companies be paying to have THAT ranking ??? ( Hint: a lot!)
Can your organization use that recognition?

Anti-Texting Law Goes in Effect 7-1-09





















Dangers of Texting When Operating Motor Vehicles


The practice of sending text messages while operating motor vehicles has been proven to be more hazardous than driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs according to research conducted in London on 17-24 year olds.


Studies have shown that when texting, reaction time while driving was slowed by 35% when participants were writing or reading text messages.


This is in comparison to tests that showed reaction time deteriorated by 21% for persons under the influence of cannabis and 12% while intoxicated at the legal limit.
Steering Control was worsened by 91% while texting as compared to being under the influence of cannabis.


Tests showed that drivers were less apt to maintain a safe driving distance and drifted out of their respective lanes more frequently.


This information may finally confirm the anecdotal evidence that prudent drivers observe on a daily basis. While nearly half of Britain’s 18-24 year olds report they text while driving it is not sure how many in the US behave similarly.


Conclusion: Motorists who text while driving are significantly more impaired and apt to contribute to an accident than motorists intoxicated with alcohol. It is not sure how those two actions might contribute to the operators ability to drive but it certainly would be unsafe.


This is a good example of combination risk factors – taking hands off the steering wheel, using a device while driving (phone), taking eyes off the road, concentrating on something other than operating the motor vehicle – (e.g. composing the message). These combined all contribute to creating poor reaction time and impaired operator control worse than that of an alcohol impaired driver thus placing operators at much greater risk of an accident.


Solution: Don’t text or use your phone while driving – certainly don’t use the phone or text if impaired by alcohol or drugs and illegally operating a motor vehicle or machinery.


The study was conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) .

Welcome Plainview Texas July 4-2009


Plainview Texas as well as Lubbock, Texas are rolling out their respective ICE Initiatives this holiday weekend with Roll Call Training for Fire/EMS/Police and ER folks as part of the plan.
What a perfect way to give back to the community on this very important national holiday by ensuring they are better prepared for emergency situations.