Sometimes hillwalkers or others in a remote place and involved in or coming across an accident cannot be sure exactly where they are.
These days everyone’s first action is to reach for their mobile phone – an instrument that has been responsible for saving countless lives.
If you find yourself in this position – and Argyll is a big walking area – and can get a signal on your mobile, ring 112 in preference to 999.
This number not only takes you direct to the emergency services but lets them take a GPS fix on your position so that rescue teams will know where to find you.
Sadly, this isn’t entirely true.
999 and 112 perform the same functions and will connect you to the emergency services even if you have no coverage on your own network and even if you have no SIM card present (except on very old phones) but it does require that you can find a signal from a transmitter of one of the networks.
Relatively few phones support GPS (only higher spec ones) so this isn’t used. If you are in range of more than one phone mast, they may be able to triangulation to get an estimated location for you, but this can often only pinpoint to a fairly wide area (dependant on mast location) and might be hundreds of yards (or more) away from where you are.
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For Phil Marshall: Happy to have this more informed comment – thank you.
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Have placed a more detailed comment on the page 999/112 are same. No Gps supplied RT @iGrannie @ForArgyll: [link to post] @Torranislay
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Thanks to @MarshallBuckley info re “Outdoor emergncy phone tip” (@ForArgyll) hs been corrected. see comment on page: [link to post]
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Use 112 not 999 in emergency!- RT @ForArgyll: [link to post] > Outdoor emergency phone tip
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RT @iGrannie: Very good idea,Please RT as it helps rescue services > RT @ForArgyll: [link to post] > Outdoor emergency phone tip /vi
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@shrewmaus BUT > RT @MarshallBuckley: “Have placed a more detailed comment on page 999/112 are same. No Gps supplied” [link to post]
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Very good idea,Please RT as it helps rescue services > RT @ForArgyll: [link to post] > Outdoor emergency phone tip /via @Torranislay
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999 & 112 are same. No Gps supplied but poss transmitter triangulation RT @iGrannie @ForArgyll: [link to post] @Torranislay
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@MarshallBuckley Thanks!
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