Welch Funeral Home is now offering the Vital ICE smartphone application to residents of Starkville and Oktibbeha County.
Welch Funeral Home funeral director Billy Miller said Welch Funeral Home purchased the rights to the app, making it free for residents of the city and county.
Vital ICE provides a platform on which residents and their dependents can list their vital medical information, including blood type, allergies, medications, medical history, emergency contacts and more. The information can then be easily and readily accessed by EMS and other first responders in case of an emergency.
Miller said the information on the Vital ICE app can be accessed by first responders even if the smartphone is locked or the person is unresponsive and unable to speak.
"It also has a GPS tracker so if someone is lost in the woods or a situation like that, they can open the app and it will ping law enforcement so they can be found," Miller said.
Vital ICE is available for Apple and Android smartphones. After downloading, users need to enter the code 5905 to start using.
"We think of this as a good opportunity for us to give back to our community," Miller said.