How a mobile phone can save your life
With the majority of people having a mobile phone these days, it’s good to know that in an emergency they can really help you out. Besides the obvious things (like being able to call 111) there are other ways that your phone can be of assistance.
1. Keep your phone on you
Your mobile phone is no use to you in your bag if you are lying on the kitchen floor with a broken leg. Keep your phone with you if possible, especially when you are home alone or not feeling well. That way, if something does happen, it will be right there in your pocket for you to make a life saving call. You can also call emergency services even if you have very little reception, no SIM card, or no phone credit.
2. Keep it charged up
If you get lost or injured and nobody knows where you are, there are ways that people can search for you through your phone. For instance if you are registered with ‘Find My Phone’ for iPhone, someone could search for your phone from your computer or tablet. And naturally it won’t be possible for you to make an emergency call if your phone’s battery is flat. Why not just keep it plugged in at home when you aren’t using it, so that the battery is always fully charged.
3. Learn how to store your emergency information on your phone
If you were in an accident and were unconscious, how would the paramedics know about any existing conditions or allergies that you have? How would they know who to contact? A great option is saving a contact in your phone as ‘ICE’ and then their name (e.g. ICE John Smith). This stands for ‘in case of emergency’ and medical professionals will often look for that in someone’s phone if they need to. The iPhone also has a Medical ID button that can be accessed even when the phone is locked – just fill in the relevant information and this can let a hospital know that you have a pacemaker or are allergic to penicillin.
4. Call emergency services with one button
Perhaps you’ve hit your head and you’re not with it enough to call an ambulance. You can use Siri on the iPhone to make the call. Just hold the home button down and say ‘Siri, call an ambulance’ and the call will be connected.
5. Get help even if you can’t speak
If you are in a situation where you can’t speak, you can still call emergency services. When the call is answered and you say nothing, you will be asked to press 55 if you need emergency assistance. This will be repeated three times before disconnecting. In most cases, the police will try to call back or might also send a patrol car to the billing address for the mobile phone. For this reason, always be sure to give your phone provider your correct address.
6. Use this free app to give your exact location
All smartphones have access to the Emergency+ app, which can give the emergency services your exact location via GPS. This is helpful if you are lost, or are unable to give them your location for any reason. Simply search for ‘Emergency+’ where you download your apps.
Have you ever used your mobile phone to get help? We would love to hear your story in the comments section.
Related links:
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Tips to prolong your smartphone's battery life
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