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I certainly didn't. This short film is well worth a watch, you may have to use it one day.
i keep watching and waiting for the bit that was worth watching. the vid is now finished and i am still waiting.
only watch if your a remedial.
if your a remedial
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only watch if your a remedial.
Oh teh ironing.
Edit: beaten to it! Curses!
FWIW You can ring 999 from any mobile and it will use whatever network is there, irrelevent of the mobile's home network.
Top info, I for one wasn't aware of that, cheers.
I knew. It was sort of at the back of my mind but it came to the front again when I tied to call extension 112 at work, without realising I was on an external line. Slightly odd conversation followed before I realised that I had a wrong number.
Also once my mobile (Nokia 'brick') rang 112 while it was locked - in a bum bag while on a m/c.
Seems that if you dialed 112 it overrode the 'locked keys'.
If you dial 666 it summons Beelzebub
only watch if your a remedial.
Really?
In the US, 9-1-1 has been the universal emergency number for 40+ years. Per the video linked above, it says that the 1-1-2 will work in the US as well, at least from a cell phone.
If I was in an emergency, I'd probably dial 9-1-1 no matter where I was at. And people from 2-1-1 countries would instinctively dial that, even if they were in the US.
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😆 hilarious. And complete BS.
To expand. There is no difference or priority between 999 and 112 calls in the UK. All mobile phones with keypad lock / PIN on them allow 999 as well as 112 (as well as 911). The emergencySMS service [url= http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/registering_your_mobile_phone.php ]actually uses 999 officially[/url] although 112 works too. The cell towers all have spare capacity for emergency calls beyond normal voice calls (hence you sometimes see "emergency calls only" on your phone) and if there's lots of people also calling 999 / 112 then you're SOL. Ofcom apparently ensured a few years ago that you can roam across UK networks to make an emergency call, even if your own network is out of reach (subject of course to your phone working on that network's frequency - almost all do now).
I think that just about covers it. Well-intentioned but variants of this 112 BS have been going around for at least a decade.
The phone is actually capable of making a 999 call without a sim card fitted but that facility is blocked by the networks in the UK.
112 works in Europe as well.
Didn't watch the vid but (and this needs verifying)...
Apparently (was informed on a Red Cross First Aid Course) the benefit of 112 in the UK from a mobile is that it is quicker & easier to trace the call and pinpoint location! If your out in the hills and have an off this could be of paramount importance.
The phone is actually capable of making a 999 call without a sim card fitted but that facility is blocked by the networks in the UK.
Source? Struggling to believe that tbh.
Ianv, I heard that somewhere too.....
Hello. 20 years working in the technology team of a mobile operator here.
Simon_g is correct. I'm pretty sure SIM-free emergency calls were blocked due to abuse, they used to work.
112 and 999 route exactly the same in the switch. They will both pass through the location in the same way. Think about it - if the networks have the ability to pass through a location for 112, why wouldn't they do it for the number that most people use, i.e. 999?
Yes, 112 works in Europe. In Czech there are 4 separate emergency numbers for fire, ambulance and 2 flavours of police, which I'd never remember.
Also, I'm told 112 will have English speaking operators everywhere, which is useful if you're traveling and don't speak the language.
Videos like this perpetuate a myth and make emergency situations more complex than they need to be.
Apparently (was informed on a Red Cross First Aid Course) the benefit of 112 in the UK from a mobile is that it is quicker & easier to trace the call and pinpoint location!
This was doing the rounds on Facebook recently with various people saying how "Awful it is that the networks don't tell us this vital life saving information"
It is of course bollocks. Why would they get a GPS fix from 112 but not 999?
Apparently (was informed on a Red Cross First Aid Course) the benefit of 112 in the UK from a mobile is that it is quicker & easier to trace the call and pinpoint location
Also told this on an AA Drivetech course.....
Using 112 goes direct to the nearest regional call centre and they immediately know your exact location
Using 112 goes direct to the nearest regional call centre and they immediately know your exact location
and when you ring 999 from a mobile, it puts you through to the call room of the Police force area you are in. You don't have to tell them where you are. Clever eh?
GrahamS & Kato, be my guest carry on calling 999 and dismiss this but its something to consider and there is obviously a reason we were explicitly told that its better than 999 for pin pointing location.
I'll stick with 112 god forbid I ever need it for either myself or somebody else.
[i]there is obviously a reason we were explicitly told that its better than 999 for pin pointing location[/i]
could it be that the person that told you was also a sucker for urban myths?
Celery.
Of course, there is a very simple way to test these claims. Though a complete waste of time, and very illegal.
Dial 999 from your mobile and then asking for the service will put you through to the nearest service for that area. 112 makes no difference what so ever.
GrahamS & Kato, be my guest carry on calling 999 and dismiss this but its something to consider and there is obviously a reason we were explicitly told that its better than 999 for pin pointing location.
Show me an official emergency services site that recommends calling 112 instead of 999.
Some quick googling...
The number 112 does work to connect to 999 in case European visitors use it in a hurry (it being their equivalent). You would still need reception on your mobile phone to be connected to an operator.[b]The 999 number should always be dialled in an emergency[/b] , when life is in danger, or a crime is in progress.
[b]You should always call 999[/b] in a life-threatening emergency—if someone is seriously ill or injured, and their life is at risk.
The 112 emergency services (ambulance, fire, police) can be called while travelling across the EU. [b]Please remember to dial 999 while in England.[/b]
Clearly the emergency services all want us all to die and are withholding this vital information 🙄
Having watched the video in the link there is actually not a lot wrong with it. The guy states you should dial "112" on your mobile as this will work anywhere in the world (it's part of the GSM standard, as well as a European directive). Good advice.
He then mentions he's in the UK and gives some examples of dialling "112" in the UK. What he doesn't say is if you are in the UK, you can also dial "999" and this works in EXACTLY the same way.
I assume this is because the message "dial 112" is a lot more succinct than "dial 112, or if you'd prefer dial an alternative local number if you know it, such as 999 in the UK, although that won't work on a locked non-UK phone, so in that case you may still have to use 112"
The EU also provides plenty of information about "112", including things like geolocation of mobile handsets etc. But again the EU does not publicise the option of "999" in the UK.
So the assumption people (incorrectly) jump to when they hear about "112" without any mention of "999" is that it must be something new and/or different to "999". It's not - in the UK it is exactly the same. And has been for almost 20 years.
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/999_(emergency_telephone_number) ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/999_(emergency_telephone_number)[/url] is a pretty good summary of the situation. While Wikipedia has it's faults, it's usually a better source than a Facebook status that ends with the phrase "make sure you pass this info on to everybody you know!"
"999" remains the official emergency number because it is known by just about everybody (compared to 13% who are aware of "112") and changing it would introduce confusion. However, I know some fire engines (for example) have both numbers shown on the side, where previously they only showed "999".
In a slightly seperate issue. I'm told that there is a smart phone app for sending a distress call of some sort to the mountain rescue bods. On it's activation they then send an SMS to your phone and you respond via text. Once this is complete they can then track the location of your phone.
A point to note: If this is correct and you're in a situation where a member of a group has been injured sufficiently badly to warrant calling out mountain rescue, if you need to leave the casualty for any reason, leave the phone that made the call with the casualty as that will be acting as a beacon to guide the rescue team to the casualty.
Hope this makes sense to everyone and if anyone's interested I found a wee article about the service I mentioned above:
Christ, what happened to directing the Mtn rescue guys by grid reference, or can no one do that any more?
Fair point bland. But in a situation where someone is injured and possibly screaming in pain in your ear, chances are you'll be flapping a bit so this reduces the possibility of human error.
Being located by your phone is not likely to be as useful in a remote area compared to in an urban area, as the masts your phone is picking up will be so much further apart meaning the search area will be fairly large. That said its better than no location data.
the other thing that's worth knowing is http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/ originally devised for deaf people it requires you to register your phone first! well worth doing as often an SMS message will trickle out when there may not be a good enough to have a lengthy conversation.
I received a new phone on Friday powering it up with no SIM in it still allowed 999 calls.
Just for reference.
its like a suffix for utter bollocks!"make sure you pass this info on to everybody you know!"
I received a new phone on Friday powering it up with no SIM in it still allowed 999 calls.
Hmmm interesting. The Red Cross site says:
Some people think that 999 calls can be made from a phone without a SIM. In fact, because of the high number of hoax calls, the United Kingdom decided to block emergency calls from mobile phones without a SIM card.-- http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Quick-activities/999
I'd guess it is either handset/network dependent or only kicks in when you dial the number.
Or they're wrong.
Or they're wrong.
Possibly. You'd hope the Red Cross would get it right. Does seem to be a lot of conflicting info out there though. A post on the "Police Specials" forum says:
Access to the 112/999 system is blocked in the UK for phones without a SIM. I'm afraid you've fallen for a myth (kind of). You do need a SIM card.The phone may well say "Emergency calls only" when there's no SIM in it, but that's a feature in the phones software, the actual call is blocked at a network level in the UK, so will not connect.
SIM'less calls were fully blocked in 2009, when emergency call roaming was finally fully introduced.
Wikipedia says:
Originally a valid SIM card was not required to make a 999/112 emergency call in the UK. However, as a result of high numbers of untraceable hoax calls being made, this feature is now blocked by all UK networks. Most UK mobile telephone handsets will dial 999/112 without a SIM inserted (or with a locked/invalid SIM), but the call will not be connected. Following the blocking of SIM-less calls, in 2009 the UK networks introduced emergency call roaming.
-- http://en.newikipedia.org/wiki/999_(emergency_telephone_number)
But both are light on sources.
Possibly. You'd hope the Red Cross would get it right. Does seem to be a lot of conflicting info out there though. A post on the "Police Specials" forum says:
Why don't you try it? pop the SIM out and give it a go
They won't mind 🙂
Preparing my old phone for selling with no sim in and it says Emergency calls. Of course it could be it can't connect, I'm not sold on the hoax calls thing PAYG will be just as bad so seems pointless.
Not sure about the hoax thing but I can certainly imagine a potential buyer of your phone dialling 999/112 to check the phone works before handing over the cash.
bland - Member
Christ, what happened to directing the Mtn rescue guys by grid reference, or can no one do that any more?
Well, in order to give a grid ref, you need a) a map, and b) to be able to read it and give an accurate GR from it.
I think most of us on here are well aware of the fact that a great many people go swanning off into sparsely populated areas totally ill-prepared for whatever emergency is likely to occur, or blithely assume that Google Maps works no matter where you are.
FWIW, I've got both Viewranger, and Theodolite Pro, so I can give highly accurate location details no matter where I am in the UK, but very few people go that far when out for a walk.
Not sure about the hoax thing but I can certainly imagine a potential buyer of your phone dialling 999/112 to check the phone works before handing over the cash.
Try as I might I can't. No really I can't.
One because I hope people aren't that silly and 2 as most people will probably think even a blocked phone can do this.
Could be wrong of course.
One because I hope people aren't that silly
Coming from someone who works with the general public AND is a mod here: I really admire your optimism. 😀
Fair point and crossed my mind after I posted it. 😀
The other issue for SIM-less 999 calls is that the operator can't get a number (as it doesn't have one) and so they have no way to call back if needed. As said, the phone may well think it can make an emergency call, but it doesn't mean it gets connected.
In the US, network operators are legally obliged to connect SIM-less phones to 911 - not so here.
As for the call itself, ALL UK emergency calls go operators in one of five centres - they're the ones who ask "which service?". For landlines, they get the full street address and for mobiles a rough location based on cells it's near (with an indication of accuracy - at worst within half a mile) - so they can route the call to the appropriate police / fire / ambulance / coastguard / etc centre nearest the caller.
This is all the same whether you use 999 or 112. I've come across misinformed people running first aid courses too - there must be someone training the trainers who's perpetuating this myth.
If you dial 999 backwards it does the same thing.
Christ, what happened to directing the Mtn rescue guys by grid reference, or can no one do that any more?
I'd [i]heard[/i] (and possibly Drac will be able to confirm/deny?) that callers phoning with grid references had caused all sorts of confusion at the new super duper computerised emergency services headquarters, which were all focused around the 99% of calls that involved postcodes that could then be zapped straight to the MDT of the response vehicles - apparently when given a grid ref, there was no way to track down a nearby postcode to send to the satnav...
Not heard that, yes they use Postcodes as one of the ways to track but they also use Grid Ref or seem to. If we get an RTC they'll ask what Juntcion they are near and will use that for example as an alternative to a postcode.
Just out of curiosity, who knows the correct procedure for calling Mountain Rescue out?
Just out of curiosity, who knows the correct procedure for calling Mountain Rescue out?
999 and ask for Police.
apparently when given a grid ref, there was no way to track down a nearby postcode to send to the satnav
Why would they get a GPS fix from 112 but not 999?
I didn't think locating mobile phones was anything to do with GPS (most of the time I've the GPS off on my phone as it eats the battery, and all my phones before this one didn't have GPS) - isn't it more like triangulating from the masts?
Now, as to ascertaining who knows what's what, and who is talking utter bobbins, do I go with:
Hello. 20 years working in the technology team of a mobile operator here.
which also seems to be borne out by the links from actual police forces' websites, or should I trust to the technical knowledge of:
was informed on a Red Cross First Aid Course
and
Also told this on an AA Drivetech course
Hmmmm...
I assume we are all aware that today is officially [url= http://www.112foundation.eu/view/en/vertical/the_112_events/european_112_day/2013.html ]112 Day[/url]
isn't it more like triangulating from the masts?
Yes.
Try as I might I can't. No really I can't.One because I hope people aren't that silly and 2 as most people will probably think even a blocked phone can do this.
Could be wrong of course.
There was a news story a couple of years ago which said that at Christmas time, the emergency services got loads more calls than normal from people trying out new phones. Open the packet Christmas morning and there's a shiny new smartphone but no numbers programmed in so the idiots dialled the only number available to them (999) to check the phone worked.
I hope people aren't that silly
Oh they are. In fact they're worse.
The one time I've called out Mtn Rescue, I dialled 999 and asked for Mtn Rescue, they put me through to the Police who established what Mtn Rescue area I was in and got the MRT to call me back. I gave them a grid ref and also the name of the trail I was on, they knew instantly even just from the name exactly where I was. Benefits of a volunteer workforce who are out there in their own leisure time and know the area.
Now Crazy-legs what the papers report and reality are sometimes a little bit exaggerated.
Thanks, Nobeer. I've just seen this useful little film on FB - but did a search, rather than start a new STW thread [insert smug smiley]
Even if it's not 100% accurate 🙄 it's a useful reminder - and I bet loads of people still don't know about registering for texting
...isn't it more like triangulating from the masts?
Triangulation needs a bearing from two points.
As I understand it, mobile masts do not know the direction of a mobile phone, so they can not triangulate it's position.
I would imagine that, by measuring the strength of the signal to two or more masts, they could work out the relative distance from each one.
It might seem pedantic, but a direction from one point gives a line to search along.
A direction from two points gives a location.
A radius from one point gives a circle.
a radius from two points gives two locations.