When it comes to emergency medical information – EMS says so far nothing replaces pen and paper.

There are several companies selling medical alert devices which use a USB flash drive to store emergency information; however Alberta EMS crews can’t access that information.

Stuart Brideaux from Calgary Emergency Medical Services said “it's good that people are thinking of putting their medical information in one place, but EMS, fire, or police can't access it. It's not a reliable system to use at this time.”

Calgary EMS crews will look for a couple of things during a medical emergency.

They will look for a medical alert bracelet or necklace and if the person is at home they also look for something called the Capsule of Life.  It’s a plastic tube which contains written detailed information outlining a patient’s medical conditions and current medications.

Brideaux adds “pen and paper is the most reliable, It's never going to fail, it's something that is easy to find….we find them routinely all over the city. We know exactly how they are laid out; we know exactly how the information is presented in there.”

The EMS crews don’t use computers on board their ambulances that accept USB drives.  The USB drives are also not used in local emergency rooms.

The Capsule of Life is free and once it is filled out, it is kept in the fridge and there’s a fridge magnet alerting emergency crews to its existence.