Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home

It took several hours earlier this month to track down the families of two victims killed in a traffic accident. A free app can turn those hours to minutes. The Vital ICE app tells police and paramedics who a patient is when he or she can't speak. It can summon help to a specific location anywhere in the U.S., even when the patient has no idea where he or she is, explained Brenda Brockmeyer, who markets the app, which was developed by her husband, Gerard Brockmeyer. The app tells paramedics important medical information they need to know for treating the patient, such as pre-existing medical conditions, current medications and allergies, Brockmeyer said. Some businesses charge a monthly fee for similar services, but Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home in Lafayette picked up the annual fee for the Vital ICE app, so it's free to use and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play, Brockmeyer said. During the download, the user will be asked to enter a code. Type in #7873. "We take care of people in one of the worst situations in their life, which is death," said Rich Groeber, owner of Hahn-Groeber Funeral Home, who noted the funeral home signed on about a month ago to sponsor the app here. "There's no reason we can't help preserve life." Groeber invested in the app so that those in the community can have the service, and it works anywhere in the U.S, so if a Lafayette resident winters in a warmer climate, Vital ICE still works. West Lafayette Fire Chief Tim Heath and Lafayette Fire Chief Richard Doyle learned about the app Thursday when the Journal & Courier called them, and Brockmeyer is reaching out to them to answer their questions. Both said the app, which can be viewed online at vitalboards.com/vitalice, sounded useful, and Heath later Thursday afternoon downloaded the app to experimen...