KYTC Launches New ICE Portal

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has launched a new emergency portal that will provide law enforcement officers and dispatchers with immediate access to citizens’ emergency contact information.

Citizens now have the option to include the name, relationship and phone number of the person they wish to be contacted in case of emergency via the drive.ky.gov website. This information will be added to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and will be available to officers and dispatchers on the screen alongside a citizen’s driver’s license information.

The portal went live March 1, 2019. Its goal is to help first responders quickly access an individual’s next of kin in a critical incident. The link for Kentucky citizens to begin submitting this data will be made public on Thursday.

“With technology today, officers are often in a race against social media to notify next of kin that a family member has been involved in a critical incident before they find out online,” said Steve Long, training director for the Department of Criminal Justice Training. “Identifying an emergency contact can sometimes be an involved process. Having this information in a database allows law enforcement to reallocate those resources previously dedicated to identification and better serve our citizens in times of emergency.”

This free service is available to all Kentuckians possessing a valid license, permit or personal ID.