PSA- Finding Emergency Contacts and Information: Reflection on The Good Samaritan- Proper 10, Year C
Readings for the Day:
Reflection:
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In my neighborhood, I’ve witnessed people going through various medical issues. Thankfully, I’ve always seen someone around come to those people’s aid, whether they know the person or not.
This is the kind of help Jesus’ Parable of The Good Samaritan calls us to do. Whether we know the person or not, we are called to help in any way we can.
While circumstances are different from Jesus’ day, there are still ways we can help others in need. When it comes to medical emergencies, some of the ways we can assist are easier than they were in the past. I’m not just talking about emergency services (for example dialing 911 in the United States). I’m talking about emergency contacts and information.
On everyone’s smart phone (and even some smart watches), there is a way, even on a locked screen, to access emergency information. This can help a good samaritan know who to reach out to and what to tell EMTs when they arrive with an ambulance on scene. Doing so could even help save someone’s life.
For most phones, you can simply swipe up on the Lock Screen and press “Emergency”. This will let you call emergency services, contact emergency contacts, and look up any other information on the person’s medical condition(s) that you can pass on to the EMTs. If you aren’t sure how to access this information on another person’s phone, you can always look it up on the internet with your own phone.
Some people will have a medical bracelet on them. Some recent bracelets even have QR codes on them which you can scan with your phone’s camera to access their medical information online.
To aid a good samaritan in helping you, you can set up your emergency contacts and other medical information on your smart phone. This can be done through settings where you can search “Medical ID” to set this up. Your phone may also have a Health or Safety app where you can set up this information as well. If you’re not sure how to set up your medical id or need help figuring out how to do so, you can always look up the information online. You can also ask your loved ones, and help them if they need it, to set up their own emergency contact information, just in case.
Following these steps can help you save a life as a good samaritan. In times of trouble, they can also help save your own.
Note: For some phones, like iPhone and some smart watches, there are other ways you can access emergency information. On iPhone you can access this info by simultaneously pressing and holding the power button and either of the volume controls on opposite sides of the phone until the emergency screen pops up.