There are several phone numbers that should be programmed into your cell phone especially when traveling for extended periods. While it is important to have these programmed in even if you are staying in one place for some period of time it is critical if you are constantly traveling to new places where you are a stranger.
It’s easy to program these “special numbers” into your phone just like you did with your friends and family numbers. It’s important, too. Your “special numbers” may be difficult to locate if you store or file the numbers away somewhere in your RV or even write them in your address book. Plus, you will want them handy especially in case of emergency.
People tend to have their cell phones with them whether just walking, shopping, driving, or riding. Therefore, if something happens—an accident, illness, whatever emergency—whenever they arrive at the scene, emergency response personnel often look for your cell phone, especially if you are incapacitated.
Saving Numbers
When saving these, or any numbers for use in your cell phone, make sure you save the numbers to the “SIM” card—that small, removable storage-card inside the phone (if you have an older phone you may not have a SIM card but they are common now). Ask your cell phone provider to show you how do this or read your manual—the information is in there on how and where to save. Usually, you can save the phone numbers to the SIM card, directly to the phone, or both.
Saving numbers to the SIM card will allow you to easily transfer all those personal and special phone numbers to your next cell phone. This will save you reprogramming—a boring and tedious task. When you get a new phone, you just move the SIM card to it and your programmed numbers are there, ready to use.
What Special Numbers
Below is a list of suggested phone numbers that should be programmed into your cell phone before any major trip. Of course, having these in your phone all the time is good, too. Note that these are not in any special order below. Your phone will alphabetize the list automatically. We have added a few suggestions about programming to take advantage of the alpha sorting but more on that later. Use these
numbers at minimum…
- Your credit card Customer Assistance Phone Numbers (NOT your blatant credit card number)
- Insurance company Claim Number (Car, Truck, and RV)
- Emergency Road Service
- Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance
- Doctors
- Bank
- RV Tech Support (Mfg., dealer, or both)
- Family and friends, of course.
- ICE numbers
What Are “ICE” Numbers?
ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers are used by law enforcement and emergency medical personnel if you are incapacitated in any emergency. Most of us carry a cell phone. Emergency medical personnel will look for a cell phone and check for any ICE numbers.
Program your ICE numbers into your phone. Put the letters “ICE” first so all these designated numbers will show up together on your phone number list. You can easily designate multiple ICE numbers in several ways. I suggest putting in your relationship to that person with the person’s name. As an example, your ICE numbers could look like this…
- ICE Wife cell Linda
- ICE Wife Work Linda
- ICE Daughter dorm Sarah
One word of caution, the ICE number should put the caller in contact with a person who is familiar with your medical condition and who may be able to speak with some authority on your care. Remember this… someone else is making the call because you are incapacitated.
Other Categories
I like to program numbers into categories if possible. This works well for business-related contacts and ICE numbers but not so well for family and friends. So just enter your friends and family by easy-to-recall names. My categories are simple and help organize lots of numbers. Try this…
For all your medical and dental contacts, program all of those numbers so that they start with “Dr” (Note: I don’t program in the period and am not trying to be grammatically correct in my phone.). The group of numbers will all show up together alphabetized under the letter “D.” I recommend including what type of medical care they offer. For example…
- Dr Smith Family
- Dr Brown Cardio
- Dr Wright Urology
- Dr Johnson Dentist
For your insurance companies (yes, you likely have several) you really don’t need the name of the company programmed in. When you make the call, they will answer with the name of that particular company and you will instantly know. For example…
- Ins Car
- Ins RV
- Ins Emergency Road Service
- Ins Medical
If You Have An Accident
Even in an accident, if your cell phone should be damaged and unusuable, emergency personnel may be able to remove your SIM card from your phone and use the card containing the information in another cell phone. This could be a life-saving process.
Take a look right now and see how far your cell phone is setting away from you. In an accident, that phone—in the capable hands of someone else—may be critical to your well-being or members of your family. After all, it won’t be used if you can tell the emergency responders what is wrong.