Arrive Alive

Identification Of A Patient

ER24

Identification of a Patient / Accident Victim

In the event of an accident or a medical emergency it is often a stranger who comes to your rescue.  A major concern for many people is personal identification and the notification of family members of such an event.

These strangers who come into our lives are everyday heroes and real life detectives. First and foremost their job is to save a life but once the patient is stabilised they have to identify the patient, enquire about medical aid and often contact family members.

This can be done in numerous ways, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages.

The most obvious is to locate a wallet with medical aid card, driver’s license or other form of identification. If the emergency personnel were not first on scene this may have been stolen by bystanders.

If lucky, the accident or emergency could be in the vicinity of home or work where the patient is easily identifiable. Then a bystander may be able to provide emergency personnel with the relevant information.

 

In our technology driven world the cell phone has been invaluable in assisting. Internationally the acronym I.C.E ( In Case of Emergency) is used to identify a contact person on an individuals cell phone for such an event. 

In the event of a motor vehicle accident, if Metro Police are on scene the patient may be identified by tracing the number plates. This is only helpful if the driver is the registered owner of the motor vehicle.

Last but not least, bracelets, identification badges and ER24 SWEATSAFE has also assisted where all other methods have failed.

As mentioned before, this is real life detective work and can be challenging for an emergency personnel who have numerous tasks to complete in a short space of time in a largely uncontrolled environment.

Also visit the following sections:

Loading...

Search Road Safety Articles

Latest Pages

Road Deaths, Wills Drafting and Estate Administration

Road Deaths, Wills Drafting and Estate Administration

In South Africa, we experience horrific road deaths, injuries and trauma related to incidents on our roads. Through the Arrive Alive road safety initiative we strive to create awareness that could reduce these fatalities and injuries from not only preventable road crashes, but also the impact of crime

Read More

Bus Crashes, Crash Investigation and Preventative Measures

Bus Crashes, Crash Investigation and Preventative Measures

South Africa has recently experienced a significant increase in road fatalities among our bus passengers. There have been within the short time frame of 2 weeks 3 horrific bus crashes in KZN, the Free State and Gauteng. Is this merely a coincidence or what is contributing to the increase in fatal

Read More

Guide to Bus Passenger Safety

Guide to Bus Passenger Safety

Introduction to Safety for Passengers During the start of 2011, there have been horrific and alarming bus crashes across the globe. Studies have however revealed that the transportation of school children is safest in buses and in fact significantly safer than transporting school children in minibuses,

Read More

Twelve motorcycles impounded in Alberton

Twelve motorcycles impounded in Alberton

On Thursday 06 February 2025 between the hours of 11:00 and 14:00,the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Overloads Unit Officers, impounded twelve(12) motorcycles for failing to meet the requirements of the National Road Traffic Act 93/1996 in the Alberton area. While conducting law

Read More

Toll Roads in South Africa

Toll Roads in South Africa

Why have toll roads? Roads form the main artery of economic competitiveness, growth and social development. To Build roads costs billions of rands. Toll roads assist us in meeting the demands of social services, which are important for the growth of our country. Toll roads accelerate the availability

Read More

LocaTrack: Enhancing Family Safety on the Roads This Summer

LocaTrack: Enhancing Family Safety on the Roads This Summer

Introduction With the summer season upon us, South Africa's roads become busier as families travel for holidays, making road safety more critical than ever. As part of the Arrive Alive Summer Campaign, LocaTrack provides a unique tool for keeping families connected and secure on the go. This

Read More

Load More Pages

Partners

View All