Can anyone in the emergency services help here?

nikicb

nikicb

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Hoping someone can clarify if this is true or not. This was posted on the Riding Buddies facebook page and I have also seen several other postings of it on FB. I am normally very sceptical about these sorts of post, but having googled some of the text nothing has come up on the hoax websites. So, is this true? My gut feeling is that it is a hoax, but I am prepared to be corrected.

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR HORSE RIDERS.
A bit of essential information for all horse riders. If you have an accident and need emergency services call 112 and not 999 from a mobile. If you dial 999 permission is required from your mobile provider to track your location which can take up to 17 minutes. Dialling 112 is immediate and requires no such permission so emergency services can get to you sooner. Important to know if you need help in the middle of nowhere! Please share with horsey friends , you never know when this info will come in very handy!
PLEASE PASS ON TO ALL HORSEY PEOPLE"

Thanks. :) x

ETA - just to clarify, I don't think the dialling 112 is a hoax, just the bit about permission to track your location.
 
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I also saw this on FB and wondered if it was correct? I've dialled 999 when a friend fell off and it seemed to work just fine! Hopefully someone on here could confirm if the post is true or a load of tosh! X
 
So far as I know 112 routes to 999 anyway (I've gone to calls involving European patients who have dialled 112 and it's ended up at Control). Call takers will ask for location postcode, which can be hugely frustrating for the caller if they're not at a postcode, ie on a roadside or in a field. Better to have a knowledge of the road numbers/names that you hack on, nearby farms/cottages etc I would say.
 
Not true, and finding your location from mobile signal is not that accurate anyway, we get which mast/masts the signal is bouncing off, which direction.and rough distance, then have to plot results to guess where someone is.
Getting this information is nothing to do with the number you ring, permission is granted if it is believed life is at risk, if not no permission due to data protection, the number you ring does not give automatic permission.
 
w1bbler said:
Not true, and finding your location from mobile signal is not that accurate anyway, we get which mast/masts the signal is bouncing off, which direction.and rough distance, then have to plot results to guess where someone is.
Getting this information is nothing to do with the number you ring, permission is granted if it is believed life is at risk, if not no permission due to data protection, the number you ring does not give automatic permission.
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brighthair said:
Exactly what was said above. I work as an emergency medical dispatcher and I think this was on Snopes as well at some point
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Thank you for this (and to everyone else that responded) - as I say I didn't think it was true, but did my usual and googled some of the text but didn't come up with any of the normal hoax sites. Will remove from the FB page as although the post was well meant, I wouldn't want anyone to be mislead by it. :)
 
I think people do need to know 112 exists though, as in for non emergencies. I often wonder what I would do if I was say 5 miles from home and injured myself so could not ride back. Like when I knackered my arm but luckily had got no further than the gate haha, would never have been able to ride or even walk back if far away and would have been dangerous anyway. I suppose I would have to arrange horse transport myself or get someone to do it, then would an ambulance take me to hospital? I worry as I do not have many friends who drive let alone have a horse box!
 
Aww that's nice, I guess there is usually somewhere horsey nearby wherever you are on a hack, the emergency services might be able to put the horse somewhere temporarily until a relative could sort transport.

I have been musing this recently since my little accident and thinking I should tell my BF who to contact and what to do if my horse needs getting home somehow! I'd be so worried!
 
On my recent first aid training at work we were told that in a few years time 999 won't exist anymore and it will be 112 instead, and that indeed it was better to ring 112 if you were out in the countryside as they would be able to find your location far more easily? Can't remember anymore as have a goldfish brain but I wrote it all in my notes which are somewhere around!
 
The other point about 112 is it works even on a phone with no credit on it, and I believe, where there is minimal or no signal. Can anyone clarify this last point?
 
999 or 112 work if there is no credit or no usual network. If your phone can find any signal it will let the call through. Even if you take a SIM card out of a mobile it will still allow 999 calls (unless it has been marked stolen, I've been told).
 
Both 999 & 112 numbers works the same - calls are routed through BT centers to the appropriate emergency service, in the required area. 999 is the "correct" number to use in this country, however as 112 is common abroad it does also work in the UK & is routed through the BT emergency centres.
Rough grid references are supplied to the call handler during the initial call from a mobile - but they do little more than confirm which area the call is from (i.e. I can see its from the western outskirts of Chichester, but no more accurate than that)
This mis-information about using 112 keeps doing the rounds, but it really makes no difference.
To get more accurate plotting from a mobile takes time as this information has to come from the mobile service provider.
Oh & for the persons that mention non-emergencies - that number is 101 to talk to the police.
Also 999 should always work when you have no credit.
Your phone will also try & find any network to make the call, not just your provider - the reason you sometimes see on a phone "emergency calls only"
 
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St John Ambulance told me on a recent first aid course that the 999 versus 112 number was untrue. It doesn't matter which number you dial, the callcentre will get the same information.
 
w1bbler said:
Oh & for the persons that mention non-emergencies - that number is 101 to talk to the police.
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So is that what you would call if you were out jogging and twisted your ankle etc? I would just feel ridiculous calling 999 but then if you were on your own and couldn't get home then it is a dilemma!
 
Suechoccy said:
St John Ambulance told me on a recent first aid course that the 999 versus 112 number was untrue. It doesn't matter which number you dial, the callcentre will get the same information.
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This. I was told this on a recent first aid course too!

mandwhy said:
So is that what you would call if you were out jogging and twisted your ankle etc? I would just feel ridiculous calling 999 but then if you were on your own and couldn't get home then it is a dilemma!
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This is a good point. I think I'd probably ring my husband or my mum to come and find me. This reminds me of an incident with my friend years ago, she'd gone to a field about half a mile away from the yard to bring a horse in, as she was walking up the field (which was on a very steep hill) another horse kicked out at her so she stepped backwards to get out of the way, but slipped and ended up dislocating her knee and pulling all the ligaments. This was before mobile phones, and she was stranded. She popped her knee back into place and hobbled (in great agony) to the nearest house for help. Horrible!
 
Slight side point.... can they find yoru positing from your GPS on the phone?

My phone pin points me down usually really accurately, can this information be obtained by the emergancy services? :confused:


Also, in the case of not knowing if its a real emergancy or not, like a twisted ankle, I really love NHS24 - they give awesome advice and tell you if you need to go to hopsital or not. Every time ive called they have said " A+E now!!" :o
 
I work for a mobile phone company.
112 allows the caller to make an emergency call over whichever network is providing network coverage, meaning if you had no network coverage with your provider you would piggyback over another network.
Location services are available real time, but emergency services have to request this info via a dedicated team.
Not sure whether 112 gives location information - I doubt it in relation to a standard 999 / 112 Operator as open to abuse - and we are really careful not to breach certain EU Rules around providing this kind of info.
There are apps out there that can give friends & family access to your location, but obviously this is based on you giving certain people permission
 
I had a BLS update at work the other day.....we were told to always call 112.

Your location CAN be tracked so if you don't know exactly where you are the relevant service can find you....great if you are in a remote location.

Also....after giving your info you will be connected to whoever is most appropriate....be that mountain rescue, coastguard etc rather than just the standard fire, police, ambulance you get when you dial 999.
 
I can't comment on the GPS facility of the number 112, however, it is the european emergency number. Therefore will function in all european countries provided you are able to receive network of some sort. It works from both mobiles and landlines free of charge. It is aimed in particular at those who travel a lot preventing the confusion over having to remember country specific emergency numbers.

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/index_en.htm

Have just read a bit further and european commission website says they can locate you within 2secs (UK) other countries may have a slightly slower response.

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/ms/gb/index_en.htm
 
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