How to Prepare Your Smartphone for Emergencies

Emergencies, by definition, are impossible to predict. If you experience an emergency that renders you unresponsive, how will you share your allergies, current medications, and emergency contact information with the people assisting you? You could carry around a piece of paper with this information, but would you take it everywhere? How would emergency personnel know to look for it?

Once again, technology comes to the rescue. Both iPhone and Android devices have apps that allow you to save critical medical and contact information in your phone and make it visible without unlocking the screen. Folks are more likely to carry their phones than any other item, and emergency personnel are trained to check mobile devices for medical information.

Not to be dramatic, but making your medical information available on your phone could save your life.

Add Medical Information to Android

1. On your phone, open the Safety app.
2. Sign in to your Google Account.
3. Tap Your info.
4. Add your emergency info.
   • Tap Medical information > To add info like blood type, allergies, or medications, tap the item in the list you want to update.
   • Tap Emergency contacts  Add contact and choose the existing contact you want to add.
5. To show your emergency information on your lock screen, tap Emergency info access > Show when locked

Add Medical Information to iPhone/iPad

1. Open the Health app, then tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Medical ID
3. To make your medical ID available from the lock screen, toggle Show When Locked on
4. Add your medical information, such as allergies, medications, and conditions
5. Scroll to Emergency Contacts, then tap Edit.
6. Add or delete a contact.
   • Add a contact: Tap the Add button to add an emergency contact (You can’t set emergency services as an SOS contact).
   • Delete a contact: Tap the Delete button next to the contact you want to delete, then tap Delete.
7. Tap Done to save your changes.

Note: The library offers a class on adding medical information to your iPhone. Click to view and register for upcoming class dates

Precision Location Information

Medical emergencies don’t always happen in an easy-to-describe location. If you’re not in a place with city blocks, you may be unable to articulate exactly where you are. To help you with this, you can use What3Words as an app or bookmark it in your browser.

What3Words has assigned a unique three-word combination to every 3-meter square on the globe. By supplying a three-word location code, first responders can save time by pinpointing your exact location. You must allow location permission on your device.

While in the library, I opened What3Words in a browser and allowed location access. The first image is the 3-word address of my office, and the second image is the address of the Information Desk.

You can see how this level of specificity in location would help responders get to you as efficiently as possible.

Summary

Preparing your smartphone for emergencies is a crucial step in ensuring your safety and well-being during unforeseen situations. By utilizing the medical information storage and location features available on both iPhone and Android devices, you can easily provide critical details to emergency personnel.