FAQ

Questions and answers about RescueTag

FAQ

rescuetag.org is a private, non-commercial project with no profit motive. The goal of the project is to provide interested people with a tag that contains important emergency information and makes it quickly accessible when needed. The project is financed through voluntary donations as well as a small cost contribution that covers printing costs of the tag, the RFID chip, shipping, and similar expenses. Making a profit is explicitly not intended.
In addition, rescuetag.org provides the print file and instructions for the tag free of charge. Anyone who owns a 3D printer can produce the tag themselves with a bit of skill. Producing and passing on the tag at cost price is explicitly encouraged in order to spread the idea further.

ICE stands for “In Case of Emergency” and is used as a synonym for information that can be helpful in an emergency. Since this information is usually subject to special legal protection (e.g. GDPR), emergency services are generally not allowed to simply search a patient’s phone for ICE information. This is typically only permitted for the police under certain conditions. The “Scan with NFC” notice on the tag and wearing the tag itself can be interpreted as an invitation to first responders to scan the tag in an emergency.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that allows data to be exchanged between two devices over a short distance (max. 10 cm). It works via electromagnetic induction and is fast, secure, and easy to use.

Applications:
  • Contactless payments (e.g. Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards)
  • Access control (e.g. hotel rooms, public transport)
  • Data exchange (e.g. contacts, files)
  • NFC tags with information (e.g. product details, advertising)
Advantage: Simply hold devices or cards close together without complicated setup.

You can store any information that may be useful in an emergency, such as name, phone numbers, address, pre-existing medical conditions, and notes about an advance healthcare directive. Blood type information is not necessary, as hospitals always test this themselves.

A lawyer would probably say: it depends…
It likely makes sense to decide this based on who you are usually traveling with. If you are riding with a motorcycle group who know you and possibly your relatives well, it may make sense. Would you want a complete stranger in a stressful accident situation to call your relatives? Probably not. In that case, it may be better for trained police officers to take over this task.

No. The tag only contains a memory chip and has neither its own power supply nor electronics capable of retrieving or transmitting GPS data (or similar). 

Name: Gerd Mustermann
Address: Am Musterpfad 12, 68159 Mannheim
Date of birth: 01/01/2000
Health insurance: BSD
Advance directive: Yes
Organ donor: No
Allergies: Penicillin
Pre-existing conditions: High blood pressure, artificial hip joint, heart stent
ICE contacts:
1. Gerda Mustermann, Phone: +49 152 55555555
2. Paul Mustermann, Phone: +49 152 3333333

To obtain a RescueTag, you can download the print file from the project website here and produce the tag yourself. Alternatively, you can contact me or another listed person to have the tag made for you. The print file for the 3D printer as well as further information about the RFID tags used are also available for download on this website, on makersworld.com and thingiverse.com. Everyone is explicitly allowed to use these print files and pass on the manufactured RescueTags. Any cost contribution requested (flat rate for printing costs, packaging, shipping) should not exceed 5 euros per tag.