In the midst of hurricane season, state officials are reminding Floridians to update their emergency contact information in a statewide database. Less than half of people living in Florida have registered so far.
For anyone with a state-issued drivers’ license or ID, it’s free to register up to two emergency contacts with the state of Florida. Leslie Palmer, a Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman, said, officers can scan the ID after an emergency and see who to call right away.
She said, it would have helped in a recent case of a woman who died in a car crash, leaving behind a young child.
“She had registered her emergency contact information but had not updated it. It took more than six and a half hours to get in touch with a grandparent," Palmer said.
She recommends updating emergency contacts once a year. It can be done at a local DMV office or online at the Department of Highway Safety website.