Are you a solo RVer? Here’s a “stop and ponder” issue for you. Every year thousands of RVers descend on the Desert Southwest, looking forward to a great time of exploration and relaxation. And every year, reports a representative of the Quartzsite, Arizona, fire department, a body is found in the desert. It’s usually of someone who wandered off, got disoriented, and never made it back to their RV.
It turns out, many of these folks were solo RVers, and since there wasn’t anybody “home” waiting for them, nobody put out the cry for help when that RVer vanished.
Here’s an immediate thought: If you’re planning on setting out to explore, if you’ve made an acquaintance with someone near your rig, it might be an act of good foresight to let them know you’ll be away for a bit and that you’ll check back in on your return. That way, if something does come up and you can’t make it back, they’ll “have your back.”
Paramedics also ask you to go one step further
If you’re a solo RVer, please put emergency contact information on your person and in your rigs. The latter is the so-called “vial of life,” something as simple as a jar inside your refrigerator with your personal information inside.
At times government officials finally wind up going inside an apparently abandoned RV to try and get to the bottom of a missing owner. Often they’re able to identify the owner from vehicle registration information, but just who to contact may not be clear. In one instance the police found a cell phone in an “abandoned” rig and kept it charged up and at the station until a concerned friend called to find out why they hadn’t heard from their loved one.
A few steps in advance could save a lot of heartache – and maybe even your life.
Related:
• Camper’s death could have been prevented with a satellite messenger. Don’t let it happen to you!
• Here is a satellite messenger on Amazon, highly recommended by Dave Helgeson, long-time boondocker and volunteer with search-and-rescue.
##RVDT1630
Everyone with a cell phone should have a contact under ICE – in case of emergency- This should be the name and number of who to call in an emergency.
If you have a “Vial of Life” in your fridge, be sure to mark the outside of the fridge so that we know to look there. Also, Tiffin Owners Club sells a cool, clearly identified emergency information sleeve that wraps around the seat belt containing emergency information.
I am a 40-year Paramedic and EMS Educator.
I have a “Vial of Life” in my freezer and a Red Cross symbol on the out side of the freezer door. I also have emergency information on the seat belt in my RV and my car. I review all these periodically to make sure they are up to date. I also wear a “medic alert” necklace. On my cell phone contacts I have the numbers listed in this format: _ICE Bro Cell and _ICE Bro Home. The underscore places them at the top of the list.
I don’t understand why you would put a “Vial of Life” in the fridge. Why not just leave the information sitting on the counter? That way it would be the first thing you see when entering the RV.
Putting it in the refrigerator gives a standard place to look when time may be short. Emergency services will look there no matter the jurisdiction. Counters maybe cluttered or if there’s been an accident the entire contents of the vehicle will be spread around.