When you cannot give your name: keep emergency contacts within reach

Your name and a loved one’s phone number are simple details to share when everything is going well. After an accident or a medical emergency, you might not be able to give them. Preparing a few ways to find those details is something you can do ahead of time, for yourself and for the people you would want notified.

Two documented situations in Canada

On July 9, 2026, a pedestrian without identification was critically injured in a collision in Lethbridge, Alberta, and taken to hospital. Police asked the public to help identify her. Their July 10 release includes an update confirming that she was identified. It does not describe her recovery. Read the Lethbridge Police Service release.

In Winnipeg, a man found in medical distress on May 31, 2023, was taken to hospital, where he died. After several attempts to establish his identity, police issued a public appeal on June 21. The next day, they announced that he had been identified and his family notified. Read the Winnipeg Police Service update.

These events show that identifying someone and finding their family can require additional work. They do not establish that care was delayed or that an identification accessory would have changed a medical outcome.

For people who find it difficult to communicate in an emergency, Accessibility Standards Canada recommends carrying contact and personal information lists. These can help responders understand the person’s needs and reach members of their support network.

Choose your contacts and talk with them

Choose someone you would want notified in an emergency, along with a second person in case your first contact is unavailable. Ask for their agreement. Check the phone numbers together, including the country code, and describe your relationship clearly: partner, sibling, friend or another trusted person.

Let them know if you change your main contact. When a phone number or family situation changes, update every place where you have recorded the information. A regular calendar reminder can help you remember to review it.

Provide more than one way to find the details

  • Carry identification. Keep ID and, if you wish, a card listing your emergency contacts somewhere you normally take with you.
  • Set up your phone’s emergency information. Depending on your device, you can choose which details are available from the locked screen. Check the setting and try the access steps yourself.
  • Check the details with your contacts. Read the numbers together. One wrong digit or an old phone number can make the list less useful.

Think about your routines, too. You may carry a different bag when walking, working or cycling. Choose places for your information that fit what you actually keep with you.

Use SOSCAN as an additional option

A SOSCAN tag can complement these steps. You prepare its profile in the SOSCAN app, then write it to the NFC chip. After making a change, you must write the chip again. Until you do, it keeps the previous version.

With a compatible NFC phone and Internet access, someone reading the tag can view the profile in their browser without installing SOSCAN. Offline reading requires the SOSCAN app on the phone doing the reading. Try the process with your tag after setting it up.

Reading a tag does not automatically place a call or send an alert. Anyone who reads the chip with a compatible device can access the recorded information. Choose what you are comfortable making readable and leave out unnecessary confidential details.

In an emergency, do not wait to reach a contact

In an emergency in Canada, call 911 and follow the instructions you receive. Looking for a profile or calling a loved one should not delay that call. An emergency profile provides access to information you have prepared; it does not replace emergency services.

Already using SOSCAN? The help and setup guide explains how to prepare your profile and set up your tag.

Sources

Sources consulted on November 3, 2026.