The Professional Drivers Foundation Next Of Kin Card has received the backing of Bob Brotchie, Paramedic and founder of ICE (In Case of Emergency)
Bob says ‘’The Professional Drivers Foundation NOK card should be seen as essential and carried in your wallet with your drivers licence. It’s a free and optional ‘insurance’ policy in the event of the holder being rendered unconscious or unable to communicate. As an emergency health care professional, I fully support the NOK card.’’
The PDF NOK Card along with ICE in your mobile phone provides a belt and braces approach to being identified quickly and your family being contacted.
Your free laminated NOK Card can be obtained by sending your name and the contact details of your next of kin to
Professional Drivers Foundation
10 Eastmoor Lane
Doddington
March
Cambs
PE15 0TD
The Professional Drivers Foundation is a Charity and a small donation is certainly not essential but is always appreciated.
Pat Nicholson
PDA/PDF
Further words from Bob Brotchie
As a Paramedic working now for some 17 years on ‘front-line’ duties, I come across people in need from all walks of life and many professions. One of those professions that can present some specific challenges is the community that travels our roads in whatever form. Truck drivers carry very special considerations for Emergency A&E services when called upon. I am called to the inconvenient conditions such as ‘dodgy guts’ (a medical term of course) to the more serious conditions such as Stroke or Cardiac pain or Trauma often as a result of collisions, loading/unloading incidents or to the devastating tyre explosion or fire.
A lonely existence though clearly not without camaraderie, a specific difficulty often arises when the driver is unconscious or unable to communicate for him/herself due to illness or injury, in trying to confirm the identity of the casualty or understanding if there are any pre existing medical conditions or allergies and what they may be and who to contact.
Please consider keeping with you something that clearly states your name, contains a photo, preferably a date of birth, any allergies or significant medical conditions such as asthma or cardiac disease for instance and so important, who to contact (having first agreed with those people) and their contact numbers.
A shocking worldwide average of in excess of five hours (and often much longer) to notify the unconscious patients next of kin and confirm identity has been reported and is so unnecessary. It is accepted that security is or can be an issue but in all honesty, if fraudsters want your details enough, they will get it from more mundane sources! In any event, it is all about choice. You decide if, how much info to have about your person and in what medium. e.g, I.C.E (In Case of Emergency) in the contacts section of your mobile (ICE Wife, ICE Sammy-Daughter, etc) as Paramedics often know to look for this as it is probably the most well known acronym for this purpose in the world! I recommend this method being the founder of the concept as well as carrying a card such as the Professional Drivers Foundation NOK card. This covers the eventuality of the phone being disabled or damaged or lost and is a great way of giving you the best possible chance of early appropriate intervention and your loved ones being advised as quickly as possible in that rare eventuality.
Bob Brotchie
Pat
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