ICE Cards and Wallet Emergency Information

What Goes on the Card

Contact information: List two emergency contacts with phone numbers. First contact: primary person to reach (spouse, partner, parent). Second contact: backup if the first is unavailable or is also involved in the emergency.

Include relationship (SPOUSE, PARENT, SIBLING) — responders use this to prioritize calls and explain the situation appropriately.

Medical information: Keep it brief. A first responder has 30 seconds to read a card. The critical items:

• Blood type: If unknown, leave blank — guessing wrong is dangerous
• Allergies: Drug allergies in capital letters, especially penicillin, sulfa, aspirin
• Current medications: Generic drug names; specific if a drug interaction matters (blood thinners, MAOIs, insulin)
• Medical conditions: Only those that change treatment (diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition, bleeding disorder)
• Implanted devices: Pacemaker, defibrillator, insulin pump, cochlear implant — these affect treatment decisions

What to omit: Non-critical chronic conditions, dietary preferences, general health history. The card is for emergency treatment decisions, not a complete medical profile.

Making the Card

Print the template, fill it out, laminate it or put it in a card sleeve, and put it in your wallet behind your ID. Your ID is what responders find first — the ICE card behind it is the second thing they see.

Size: Business card (3.5 x 2 inches) fits in most wallets. If the information doesn't fit, use a slightly larger index card folded in half.

Update it: Review and update the card annually or whenever medications, conditions, or contact information changes. Write the update date on the back.

For Children

Children in your household should have ICE cards in their backpacks, school bags, or on their person.

For young children: laminated card with the child's name, parent/guardian names and phone numbers, address, and critical medical information. Attach to the inside of the backpack with a safety pin, not just loose.

For school-age children: discuss what the card is and when someone would use it. "If you can't talk and a grown-up is helping you, they might look for this card to call us."

For teenagers: full ICE card in wallet, same as adults. Also update the medical ID feature on their phone.

Digital Backup: Phone Medical ID

iPhone: Open the Health app > Medical ID > Create Medical ID. Fill in emergency contacts and medical information. From the lock screen, a first responder can access this by tapping Emergency > Medical ID. Enable "Show When Locked" in the Medical ID settings.

Android: Open Settings > Safety & Emergency (or similar, varies by manufacturer) > Medical Info. Fill in emergency contacts and medical information.

This is a supplement to the physical card, not a replacement. Broken screens, dead batteries, and unfamiliar interfaces can prevent access. The physical card is always accessible.

The Rest of Your Emergency Wallet

The ICE card is part of a broader emergency information set that should be accessible without your phone:

• ICE card — medical and emergency contacts
• Family communications plan card — meeting points, out-of-area contact
• Photo ID — always present
• Cash ($40-60 in small bills) — ATMs fail in power outages; cash works
• Insurance card — health, auto, home

All of this should live in your wallet or be laminated together in a small card set. The scenario is: you're in an accident, unconscious, without your phone. Everything that a first responder and hospital need to help you and contact your family is in your wallet.

That's the baseline. Build up from there.