We once had a very dedicated older worker who wasn’t feeling well and who called the office before hours— I guess to leave a message about not coming in. The only person who was there was a fairly new hire who was there in a quasi student-worker position (but was not a student and was probably late 20s or older). He recognized the voice of the person who called in (who was fairly incoherent at the time), somehow looked up where he lived (this was pre-Internet but we had phone books available but this was LA with lots of phone books), and called 911, which was so fortunate because the original person was having a stroke. I was so thankful for our new hire’s quick thinking and calm response.
I know this is a no answer thread but I hope that we can leave up @MMRose post up because it give hope that we have good people out there
Moderator note: This post was also moved from the Say it Here Thread.
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Several years ago a co worker of mine collapsed at her desk. I ran to get another coworker (who
I knew was an RN) meanwhile someone else called 911. Turned out her emergency contact information was outdated and we were unable to reach anyone!
Good news: she was taken to the hospital, but released.
Please keep your emergency contact information updated!
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My husband worked for an elder services agency with lots of nurses around. He apparently had a stroke in the morning, either before leaving for work or when he first got there. He exhibited bizarre behavior throughout the day, including sleeping in his car, odd moments in meetings. Noone did anything until 5pm, making emergency treatment impossible. They did not try to call me. Did he have emergency contact info handy? A co-worker took him to the ER so I just don’t know. I was home near a phone. The effects of the stroke were permanent. Not all strokes present the typical way.
We all need to have proxies and have their phone numbers accessible whether in the home for EMT’s or at work or elsewhere.
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I received a call from my S’s company, because I am his emergency contact. Fortunately, he had already called me to let me know what was going on (accident at work) - the HR rep who called me had no information other than that he was being taken to the hospital. She was glad that I had talked to him, because she was very relieved to know that he was able to call me & to talk. His injuries were minor (and I certainly hope that the company where he was installing an instrument took action against the person who assured him that the area was locked out) … but I was very happy to know that he had his contact set up & that they contacted me immediately. S, the HR rep & I all had a good chuckle that my 30-something S had his mommy as his emergency contact (S has a great sense of humor).
When I worked at a small graduate school, we required an update for emergency contact every semester. Partners change, and we needed to be sure that we had the right information. We made sure they understood that we would be contacting this person if we felt it was necessary … and there were a number of occasions where we did this, mostly because of mental health concerns.
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As the wife and mother of project managers locked out that isn’t is a PM greatest fear.
Glad to hear your son was ok.
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In this case, he got a pressurized blast of air - it shot out tiny metal shavings. Fortunately, nothing was deeply embedded, and only his forearms were hit.
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I was a manager of a lot of people for quite some time. Part of the job of us managers was to make SURE our people showed up for work within an hour of their start time. NOT to “micro manage” them, but to make sure they were OK. More than once I made the call to call the person or emergency contact.
You feel much better saying “sorry, I was worried about you” than “sorry, I didn’t want to bother you.”
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My college best friend was back and living in Boulder after grad school. He’d had some medical problems post college.
He was working at a job where his customers were often overseas so his hours were a little wonky. They each had small offices and I think about 20 of them shared a department secretary but really they worked on their own, often with the doors closed because they were on the phone. Well he was talking on the phone with someone in South America and the client said the phone went dead. He called back but couldn’t get friend on phone, just his voicemail. Client called the main line and the secretary said friend’s phone light was still on, so he was on a call. Client said yes, with me. Secretary went to the office and there was friend in a diabetic coma with the phone still in his hand.
If he hadn’t been on the phone, talking with a client who called back and alerted them, friend probably would have died at his desk.
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No doubt low blood sugar/hypoglycemia if it was sudden, which happens with type 1.
I’m not sure of the purpose of this thread?? Is it for sharing stories only??
I just wanted to say that you can set up emergency contacts in your phone that can be accessed when your phone is locked. You can put them in the health app. Your phone will also send a message to your emergency contacts if you use the SOS function to call 911 yourself. I have an iPhone, so I am unsure of how that might be done on an Android.
Also, I wear a Garmin watch. So many people wear fitness watches now. I ordered these metal slides that go onto our fitness watch bands with little elastic straps that contain emergency contact info. The company is Road ID, and they make various widths for different styles of fitness watches. They are not bulky on the watch at all, and since they slide on to the watch, it’s not a separate bracelet. You don’t have to put it on each time like a separate bracelet would require. It just stays on the watch. They are engraved. You can put an emergency contact, allergies, or whatever you want. Mine has my name, town/state, spouse’s name and number, a medical allergy, and the motivational line, “Keep on going.”
All that to say that I should be covered in both a modern way (through the health app on my phone) and an old-fashioned way (with the Road ID slide on my watch).
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In addition to providing emergency contact info…you should also let someone know where you will be. This is especially true if you are traveling or whatever.
About 41 years go, we had a premie baby. DH was in classes at his university, and luckily I had his exact schedule when I contacted campus security…who went straight to his classroom and escorted him to his car.
So…it goes both ways…emergency contact info, plus let others know where you will be.
One of our kids does a LOT of travel and always sends us the itinerary, for example.
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This post started because @oldfort in the say it here talked about tracking down an employee that didn’t show up for work.
@MMRose posted about another situation where an employee was having an emergency and the importance of having emergency contact information.
Since it was in say it here, I asked that @MMRose post stay up. The post was then spun off into its own thread.
That’s the history of this thread and why it may feel disjointed
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I got my husband a Road ID, and I need to get one myself. He often runs with no ID. On his we have multiple contacts, plus is says a very low resting heart rate is normal for him, and a medical condition he had.
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When we’re on vacation, if we’re going “off the beaten path” (on a long hike or cycling) we text at least one person where we are headed and text them when we are done. Also share flight information with family.
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My friend hikes a lot (bird watcher). She wears a bracelet that says she’s a diabetic and to contact X in an emergency. It also asks anyone who finds her to look for her dog, who is often with her. Her dog would likely run from any person who came near her so might not help
I think the purpose of this thread is to remind people to update their emergency contacts or to think about times they might need help. Probably not needed as often as any doctor’s appt asks me to do it (I went 10 days ago and now have an appt on Mon, and still got the email about updating everything before my appt.) but things do change. I use my sister because she’s reachable more often than my daughter and my sister knows how to deal with things.
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The passport application specifically asks for an emergency contact not traveling with you. 10 years is a long time to know who you are close to but will not be traveling with, but it makes sense not to list a spouse.
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I actually had done this previously but forgot I had until I checked after reading this thread yesterday but I also had my husband enter me and he couldn’t seem to add my son for some reason as a 2nd. I have 2 contacts in mine, husband just has me but that’s it.
You also may be able to go on your state DMV or whatever it’s called in your state and add emergency contact info linked to your drivers license. Our state allows two contacts. I made my two sons who don’t live with significant others go to their state sites and put me. I have H as my SOS on my phone.And old school I have a piece of paper in my purse with emergency contact info. In the same sleeve with the card telling my blood type.
Related to this… if you have an iphone, air tags, etc (or equivalent-- tile, or android equivalent) and/or the life 360 app, please share yourself/your phone with your spouse/partner/significant other (or if you are a minor, with your parent). As I have mentioned elsewhere, my DH recently hurt himself while we were out of the country. He was out for a very early morning run and was off the trail. He fell, hit is head, shoulder and broke his arm. And lost his very new phone in large sea wall rocks. We did not have “find my phone” set up on each other’s phones (we do now!) and his phone was on silent, so calling it didn’t help. If he had hit his head harder and was more severely injured, I never would have found him. He was 2 miles away from the hotel when he fell.
He had surgery to insert a plate and screws in his arm yesterday. He bought a new phone when we returned home, but miraculously someone found it in the seawall last week and it arrived here 2 days ago (and still works fine! Now he has 2 new phones!) But I digress. The thought that I never would have found him, and don’t speak the language where we were (and the couple we traveled with left earlier that day on a different return flight), still sends shivers down my spine. Scared the daylights outta me. So PLEASE, make sure you have someone who knows how to find you. But for the grace of g-d… it could have been so much worse. We are very lucky.
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