L&MMusic
PA
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Joined: 08/04/2007
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I learned the following three safety tips during the opening "round table" discussion at Nick and Terry Russell's Eastern Gypsy Journal Gathering last month. Hopefully, I'm not the last person to glean something from the following story.
A man and wife, full-time RVers, traveled to a distant state and set up camp. The husband took the car on some errands and got into an accident in the adjacent county. He was unconcious. He was taken to the closest hospital, in the adjacent county. When his wife reported him missing, the police in her county said there had been no accidents. She called the local hospitals -- no husband. No one thought to check the other county. He had out of state plates. Efforts to reach his family at home failed -- she was camping a few miles away! He was "missing" for three days!
Now, the tips:
1. Create a note with pertinent information: include the basics such as names, cell phone numbers. Explain that you're RVers, indicate where you're camped, including the site#, the make of your rig and the license#. Clip this to your visor in each vehicle and keep it current. If you're in an accident, rescue workers will see it and follow through.
2. Create an Emergency Information sheet complete with emergency contact info., rig info., health info., insurance info., pet info. Wrap it in red plastic and label it "In Case of Emergency". Clip it to your visor in each vehicle and make one for the rig, too.
3. Put your "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) people at the top of your contacts on your cell phone. Start with an A to get them to the top. Add the "ICE" code and then their name. We almost always have our cell phones with us.
Safe Travels!
Melissa
Husband Larry
Cocker Spaniels Henry and Pepper
2008 F-350 Dually Short Bed
2008 Jayco Designer 35RLTS
Reese 16K Hitch w/ Kwik Slide
Whatever you can do, or DREAM you can, BEGIN it. BOLDNESS has genius, power and MAGIC in it. (Goethe)
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enblethen
Moses Lake, WA USA
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Joined: 01/05/2005
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Recommend putting in window of RV. When you go on day trip, emergency personnel need to know who to contact.
Yes, you are taking a chance of someone taking cell numbers and address.
Life is a risk!
Bud
Suzuki XL7 pushing Pace Arrow
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djgarcia95928
Northern, Ca. , USA
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Joined: 07/26/2002
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Now, the tips:
1. Create a note with pertinent information: include the basics such as names, cell phone numbers. Explain that you're RVers, indicate where you're camped, including the site#, the make of your rig and the license#. Clip this to your visor in each vehicle and keep it current. If you're in an accident, rescue workers will see it and follow through.
2. Create an Emergency Information sheet complete with emergency contact info., rig info., health info., insurance info., pet info. Wrap it in red plastic and label it "In Case of Emergency". Clip it to your visor in each vehicle and make one for the rig, too.
3. Put your "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) people at the top of your contacts on your cell phone. Start with an A to get them to the top. Add the "ICE" code and then their name. We almost always have our cell phones with us.
Excellent suggestions! I would also suggest creating a spread sheet, or just a list of all the information mentioned above and all your medications,( name, mg, frequency, schedule prescriptions taken and Dr. Name, his phone number) and then with the computer save all this data to a MEMORY STICK. I picked a red colored memory stick and labled it " Emergency medical information." This stays in my glove box. I also carry paper versions of all my prescriptions and medical operations in the truck and when I have to go into an Emergency Walk in centers or hospitals, I just hand them the paper copies so I don't have to try and remember any of the medical information. In Calif. we call them "Quack in the Boxes".
Dick 
djgarcia@earthlink.net
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campercajun
Central Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 08/09/2007
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Having been a volunteer firefighter/EMT for 22 years, and a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for 7 years, before becoming disabled, I know exactly how emergency personnel go about trying to contact an accident victim's next of kin. If a victim was unable to respond, his driver's license information would be used to ascertain his address, or if he had no license or ID on him, the vehicle's license number would be run on the computer, and information would be called to see if there was a home telephone number listed for that address. If there was no number, or it was non-published, the local law enforcement agency would be contacted, and asked to go to the address for a welfare concern. But as you said, his next of kin wasn't at home, but was in the neighboring county at a campground, and there wasn't much of a way for them to know that.
Having been an RVer for 33 years, I might have noticed a hitch or towing mirrors on the wrecked vehicle, but even if I did, I would have no idea if or where the victim was camped at, and checking all the camping destinations in all the surrounding counties could be very involved in some areas. Many COE and state parks, and private campgrounds also, nowadays (I've been disabled/retired for 18 years) require guests to hang a tag on their rear-view mirror, or tape it to the windshield or dashboard, but depending on the emergency personnel at the scene, the significance of such a tag might not be recognized for some period of time, and the tag doesn't always list the name of the park. But at least it would alert the agencies to the possibility that the victim was camped nearby.
I agree with djgarcia95928 that the included suggestions are very good ones, indeed.
2003 GMC Sierra Crew HD; 6.0L; Prodigy
2006 Thor Tundra 30RL-DSL; Reese Strait-Line & Dual-cam HP
2001 Honda Elite Scooter
Jim & Gayle Bryant
Murphy's Law: "Anything that CAN happen, WILL."
Bryant's Law: "31 years of RVing? Probably already HAS."
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beemerphile1
NE Ohio
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Joined: 04/20/2007
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Excellent suggestions!
I am a bicyclist and love to ride in different areas while we are camped. I may be twenty miles from the campground at times. While I always carry contact info on the bike, it won't tell them that I am camped in the area. Another bicyclist at a Samboree pointed out to me last year that I should carry info regarding the campground or fairground where I am staying. DUH! I never thought of that before he mentioned it to me.
Tim
"Okay, I admit it, the only thing I'm really good at is being me."
Support the "No Child Left Inside Act"
2006 Weekend Warrior FK1900
1998 Ford E150 4.6L
1996 BMW R1100GS
2005 Trek Madone 9spd.
1995 Burley tandem
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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Where I camp camp security/management has my cell phone. ICE is a "Category" in my phone, you select it and a list shows up with numbers
Wife 1, Daughter 2, that kind of thing.
ICE is a great idea.. I always have my phone
Also in the car is something that shows where I'm camping (Gate pass)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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MFinCA
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
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Joined: 06/09/2004
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I have my MedicAlert tag around my neck almost 100% of the time. I keep it updated with my medications and doctor's names/numbers. It also has family contact numbers (home/cell phone numbers).
I was recently in the hospital and when they started asking questions, I asked them if my MedicAlert number would be of any help.
The admitting nurse took it and was able to get all my information from it. 
MFinCA
2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500
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livingaboard
Everett wa
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Joined: 09/06/2006
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I say forget about all of it. Let them earn their money and figure out who I am. It makes their jobs more interesting for them. 
Seriously though, I would be hesitant to post any personal information up on my rv where anybody walking by could learn about me.
I do have an ICE contact in my phone; it is my wife's number. She was looking at something in my phone a while back and wanted to know why her nunmber was under ICE. I said it was because she was so cold, emotionally to me, and then I laughed. Then I told her was ICE meant.
Dave
Everett, WA
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U, F53 Triton V-10
Firestone air bags with Quad control air gauge
Pressure Pro
Banks Exhaust
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shorthair
vancouver, wa. usa.
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Joined: 03/18/2004
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90+% of our camping is boondocking where we might not even see another soul for several days, sure gives us a reason to be as self sufficient as possible.
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Skip and Norine
Fulltiming since Oct 2006
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Joined: 05/07/2005
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All of these are good ideas, but in reality there is absolutely NOTHING you can do that will convey your "ICE" data in all circumstances. There are just too many circumstances and situations that could occur for your ICE data to be readily available to others in all of them.
Despite all of the "sky is falling" and "what if" scenarios designed to elicit worry or fear in order to prompt an action or support a cause, the best we can do (IMHO) is just to carry the ICE data in our wallets or purses, and hope that the wallet or purse is with is (and is still intact) in the event of the accident or mishap.
Even then, if your wallet or purse is lost in the accident, stolen, or left at home or in the RV, what then?
Like a previous poster noted, even life is a risk.
We can't guard against everything in all circumstances, but we CAN and SHOULD take reasonable precautions and leave the rest to our faith.
Traveling our country and seeing the sights, enjoying fun-filled days and campfire nights
See our travel pics
The rig: 2006 SportsCoach Cross Country SE
The toad: 2006 Saturn Vue
The Captain: Skip
The Co-Captain: Norine
Furry passengers: Penny & Biscuit
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