Contact4Me

Citation

(2007), "Contact4Me", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 16 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2007.07316aab.003

Contact4Me

Contact4Me helps bridge communication gap as highlighted by Government report into emergency response to 7/7 bombings.

Contact4Me, (www.contact4me.com) is a new personal emergency database service, providing its members and their families with peace of mind and a practical approach to contacting next of kin in moments of crises.

In everyday life the unexpected can happen. Yet we rarely carry the necessary information to identify our friends and family. In fact, a recent Government report into the emergency response to the 7 July 2005 London bombings (published on Friday 22 September) highlighted this when it raised a number of concerns about communication between those directly affected and their next of kin. Specifically, the report detailed the following findings:

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  Those trying to find loved ones found it difficult to get information about which hospitals injured people were being treated in.

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  There were concerns about the time it took to identify victims.

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  Contact details should have been better shared among key organisations and support agencies to ensure all bereaved families and survivors got necessary support.

In all of the above situations, Contact4Me would have been an invaluable resource. The service allows you to store up to ten telephone numbers (including your doctor’s details) and any medical alerts in your very own secure personal database. This information can be accessed immediately by the dedicated Contact4Me call centre, or directly via the internet, by the emergency services or an individual that comes to your aid after an emergency occurrence.

Sue and Steven Salik, owners of Contact4Me, learnt the hard way of the importance of knowing they can be contacted if their loved ones are in situations of emergency, when their daughter was caught up in the 7/7 Kings Cross terrorist attack. Mercifully she was unharmed, but this event, together with the experience of Sue’s mother suffering from dementia were so distressing, that they decided to launch Contact4Me as a result.

Sue Salik says “From my own personal experience of 7/7 I know only too well how distressing it can be waiting for that all important phone call to know that your loved ones are safe and well. Our service is accessible worldwide and all contacts can be modified in real time – you can rest assured that you are never alone when carrying your Contact4Me ID”.

There are many options afforded by Contact4Me membership. The emergency worldwide database offers both a service and individual products for all groups of society.

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  Each member receives two membership cards with a unique membership number and a selection from the following depending on the type of membership.

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  One day, durable Tyvek disposable bracelets – particularly appropriate for young people to wear at the beach, theme parks, or shopping centres etc.

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  Rucksack labels, targeting school and students alike.

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  Weatherproof sticky labels for prams, helmets, bikes and skateboards.

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  A special car tax disc and key ring tag for bikers and drivers.

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  A fridge magnet/card by the phone for single home owners.

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  Key fob for those walking alone.

Members also receive constant and timely reminders from Contact4Me to check and update their contact information because in an emergency one number is never enough!

For further information please contact Dan Bachelor, Serena Momberg or Rachel James at Limelight Public Relations. Tel: 0207 821 9210 or Daniel@limelightpr.co.ukserena@limelightpr.co.ukRachel@limelightpr.co.uk