X-Message-Number: 3428
Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 18:14:32 -0800
From:  (American Cryonics Society)
Subject: CRYONICS ACS Emergency Notification

Recently one of our members, Mr. Raphael Haftka, posted an e-mail message
on the net concerning his dues and our emergency notification. We have
replied to Mr. Haftka by e-mail, by phone, and regular mail, but the
questions he raised may also be concerns of other American Cryonics Society
(ACS) members.

ACS has its own service for emergency notification and response where
members wear a medic alert bracelet or necklace which lists a dedicated 800
number to be called in case of an emergency.  Also printed on the bracelet
is the Medic Alert Foundation's own emergency number.  This second number
acts as a back-up if, for any reason, the first number can't be reached.

The emergency line is answered 24 hours a day.  A person qualified to
respond to an emergency is always either on line or on call.  Personnel
carry pagers so they can be readily reached.

Anyone calling our regular business number, when we are out of the office
(on Thanksgiving Day, for example) can also request that the answering
service page the person on call.

Besides bracelets or necklaces, members may wear a medical notification
watchband which contains a special pocket with a message to doctors or
ambulance drivers. My own watch is equiped with this special watchband.  I
like it because it allows a much more detailed message to be included.
Medic Alert also operates its own "push button two-way voice contact"
service similar to those much-criticized commercial services ("I've fallen
and I can't get up,"). This is a relatively expensive service which members
probably would not want to subscribe to unless their state of health so
warrented.

We believe it is in the interest of our members that ACS itself maintains
an emergency response number and service rather than a contract suspension
company as was the case in the past.  ACS is then in the position of being
able to call on companies currently under contract for suspension and/or
long-term storage, which is more difficult when we are closely tied to the
company operating the response service.

Members of the Cryonics Institute (CI) may also subscribe to our emergency
notification service by also becoming full members of ACS.  For CI members
where CI is their primary suspension service provider, our responsibility
is limited to notifying CI personnel (we are available as a backup to CI if
they so request).  In addition to the notification service, such dual
members (members of any cryonics society for that matter) can take
advantage of ACS funds management system in order to obtain some
diversification in the investment and management of funds set aside for
cold storage and possible future revival. In theory, our notification
service could be a back-up service for members of any cryonics society, but
we don't currently have agreements in place to cover such a contingency.

We changed over from one automated billing system to another about a year
ago and have observed some billings problems related to that transition.
Whenever errors in dues billing are called to our attention, we make
corrections.

Long life,


Jim Yount

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American Cryonics Society                 (408)734-4200
                   FAX (408)734-4441
P.O. Box 1509
Cupertino, CA 95015
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