# 112 - Europe wide emergency number



## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Just thought I'd look up the numbers for the emergency services for France, Spain and Portugal and found that its 112 for everywhere.
Has anyone had to use it and how do they cope if you only speak English?


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Never called it but yes, it's the European wide emergency number. You would have no problems being understood in English as that is the most widely spoken second language and all emergency centres will be able to deal with calls in English.

ps just found this link to the EU that confirms you can speak in English or French. No doubt if we come out of the EU then they'll refuse to speak English to us but so be it!!

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/112


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

Never used it either but I think it's been going some years. I believe those numbers were chosen because in the day of the "finger in hole rotary dialling" (remember them??) those numbers were amongst quickest to dial in an emergency


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

peribro said:


> Never called it but yes, it's the European wide emergency number. You would have no problems being understood in English as that is the most widely spoken second language and all emergency centres will be able to deal with calls in English.
> 
> ps just found this link to the EU that confirms you can speak in English or French. No doubt if we come out of the EU then they'll refuse to speak English to us but so be it!!
> 
> https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/112


Thanks.
We're away at the time of the referendum probably will have got through France and be in Spain by then. Wonder if we'll notice any difference in attitudes to us if Brexit succeeds.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I used it in Germany in the Black Forest when some nutter was trying to get into all the vans on a Stellplatz in the early hours.

They spoke pretty good English and sent the Rozzers to investigate. Took em a while to turn up though by which time the Axe Murderer had buggered off having been defeated by me hiding under the Duvet which as everyone knows makes you immune from Axe Murderers.


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

StephandJohn said:


> Thanks.
> We're away at the time of the referendum probably will have got through France and be in Spain by then. Wonder if we'll notice any difference in attitudes to us if Brexit succeeds.


Similar here-we'll have to compare notes! I'm on the lookout for a like-minded someone who I can trust to vote Proxy for me:laugh:


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

I looked at the proxy thing but the person doing the voting has to go to your polling station and I couldn't think of anyone who could do it. If they can't go they can vote on your behalf by getting a postal vote but thats a lot to ask someone to do. Decided the nation would have to do without me so I hope the referendum isn't one or lost by one vote!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

112 is EU wide and they are *supposed* to be able to respond in alternative languages if asked..... but that may require the call being transferred to another call handler elsewhere in the country.

English is one of the more popular options but is not universal, I have used 112 twice for medical emergencies in our local "Producers Market" on Monday evenings (great event with locally produced food cooked and served by the producers, always popular and very friendly - but that's enough of a tourist flyer).

In each case I was answered in French and actually continued the conversation in that language as it was not difficult to get the gist over. They alerted the _Pompiers_ (we were literally just underneath the siren that alerts them) but it still took 25 minutes for them to arrive (from 150m away......). :crying:

The vehicle was not properly equipped IMO (blood pressure machine was broken and had not been replaced and oxygen was empty.......). Fortunately we had enough expertise to keep the casualty going..... (1 x GP + 1 x specialist nurse + 2 trained ambulance technicians for emergency vehicles in UK).

The system *DOES* work, but the response standard is *MUCH* lower than in the UK (IMO), no paramedic coverage, "ambulance" scoops and shoots to local health centre for Doctor to have a look when he arrives, then another ambulance is called to transport to "_Urgence_"........ The whole process of retrieving a casualty and that person arriving at a specialist _Urgence_ can be more than 2 hours :surprise: - in the UK the 999 Ambulance Service is required to get to 75% of Cat A calls (heart attacks + respiratory arrest + childbirth) in less than 8 minutes in built up areas, 17 minutes in rural..... most ambulance services return around that % but some are lower....... :frown2: )

So don't expect the same standard as you get in the UK, or the same speed of response, or the same level of knowledge and care and the crews do NOT speak English always, although some MIGHT.

That sounds negative, but our experience of emergency medical care is not positive ad I suspect that a lot of people with e.g. heart conditions would not survive, bear in mind that when Diana crashed (in Paris), the crew did not think to take her blood pressure, or even take a pulse, it was not part of their training - if that had been done it could have been picked up that she had internal bleeding at the scene rather than much later in the _Urgence_..... If there is no discernible wrist (radial) pulse then the bp is <90mmHg - a figure that clearly indicates the need for serious fluid replacement and shows probable internal bleeding if none is evident at the scene......

I hope that makes sense - it does to me, but then I know what I am trying to say..... :nerd:

Dave


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Strange you say that Dave. A mate of mine had a heart attack, on a services just south of Tours. he was whisked in to the main hospital in Tour without delay. The main Heart Consultant just happened to call in and saved his life.
This was a Saturday!
he swears that in the UK, he would not have survived!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Grath said:


> Strange you say that Dave. A mate of mine had a heart attack, on a services just south of Tours. he was whisked in to the main hospital in Tour without delay. The main Heart Consultant just happened to call in and saved his life.
> This was a Saturday!
> he swears that in the UK, he would not have survived!


I am VERY sure that things differ wherever you are, in the UK and in France.

The best place to have a heart problem is Seattle (bit of a long way to go in a MH for a weekend) as they have the highest number of defibs and the highest % of the population trained to use them anywhere in the world - they were the first place to start a "Community AED" scheme with the machines in hotels, train stations, aircraft, restaurants, shopping malls and many other places.

The UK is gradually having more readily available thanks to charities such as the BHF, France has lots of them around (called DEA here) and the machines are identical so if you can use one in the UK you can use one virtually anywhere and they will NOT deliver a shock unless it would help the casualty....

So Mr Bean's efforts are not the best role model...... - for those with long memories....






Much better is the example given by Vinnie Jones for the British Heart Foundation;






Nelly the Elephant, The Theme from the Archers and Staying Alive have all been used as reminders of the correct pace....

Dave


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Dave, I went to the hospital to visit, and I took my mates Wife. I returned with his truck! 
He really was thankful
But a different day, a different place, who knows?


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

StephandJohn said:


> Just thought I'd look up the numbers for the emergency services for France, Spain and Portugal and found that its 112 for everywhere.
> Has anyone had to use it and how do they cope if you only speak English?


Using 112 in UK works alongside 999

This is to assist foreign visitors not familiar with 999.

Geoff


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I am CPR, defib and oxygen trained.

The worry is that if is *me* having the cardiac arrest none of that will help!

I remember not so very long ago that PHILIPS (the Dutch Co) issued a mission statement to the effect it wanted to make things like defibs so cheaply that every house would have one, they would be as common as kettles and electric toothbrushes.

However please remember that *immediate CPR* is the real lifesaver.

Ensure that everyone in your immediate family, work or social circle knows how to do it - *instinctively*.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

A lot of schools have this training for the students as well, done by volunteers.It is amazing how many school children aged 12 and upwards have been taught down here in the south and I expect all over the UK. 

cabby


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Yep - the more people who get to know "Little Annie" the better.

On the differences between the ambulances of UK and France:

Virtually every little town and large village in France has an ambulance enterprise. 

Great, you might think.

When you realise that they also double as the local taxi firm then you start to feel a little uneasy.

99.9% of the heehaws you hear in France are these ambulances transporting non-urgent patients.

Look up the derivation of the word "ambulance" - they are in fact rather more accurately defined as such.

In the UK our paramedic crewed and highly equipped vehicles deserve a better name than "ambulance".


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

and in the knowledge and practice of CPR the UK has made many strides forward, sadly the UK Government about 10 years ago said no to a scheme to introduce CPR education in all schools.....

The reason?

It was deemed too expensive to provide a "LittleAnne" for each school, even if they were pooled and taken around to the staff to use - the staff would have required training and that was deemed unnecessary in a school as the incidence of cardiac arrest is low...... Under the Health and Safety First Aid Laws, only the school employees count as regards the need for first aid cover - the students/pupils count as visitors and so provision is only needed at a lower level and for specific activities such as sports...... Hence most schools only have one or two trained first aiders at FAW level......

Any initiative has been done by Charities such as the BRCS, St John, BHF, RLSS but they can onlyy be stretched so far......

In Germany a First Aid kit MUST be carried (with specified contents) and every driver has to have a first aid certificate before qualifying...... why not have the same in the UK? Because skills date very quickly and people forget how to do things......

Hence I totally support the comment from Pippin earlier;

_However please remember that immediate CPR is the real lifesaver.

Ensure that everyone in your immediate family, work or social circle knows how to do it -* instinctively.*_

Dave


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Don't end up in an Italian Amblance they are rubbish. When mrs d had kidney stone problems and needed emergency treatment in the Alps they had to transport her on a drip in one to Trento hospital with me chasing in Hank  apparently the bloke in the back spent the first five minutes texting on his phone before lying down for a kip! The hospital service was excellent but I got the impression the ambulance drivers were just ex cabbies.

When she took Ill in the early morning we were 4000ft up a mountain and I figured it was quicker to drive Down to the nearest hospital than call for help. A good tip when making this decision is to check the sat nav. On Tomtom you can select "drive to help" and the nearest hospital came up as Roveretto 12 miles away. We were there in less than 20 min.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You should watch this too


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> You should watch this too


Thanks for this. Very useful for we intrepid motorhomers. Could be a lifesaver.
Steph


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

StephandJohn said:


> Thanks for this. Very useful for we intrepid motorhomers. Could be a lifesaver.
> Steph


:laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

We live here in Spain.

The Emergency services number is 112, just like the rest of Europe, BUT there is NO GUARANTEE whatsoever that an English speaking operator will answer. 

The language here in Spain is Spanish, not English.

You may well get someone who can speak a bit of English as a foreign language, but their native language here in Spain will of course be Spanish.
If you don't speak Spanish, then ideally get a Spanish speaker to make the call for you.....just as a Spanish person might have to do if they called 112 in the UK.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> :laugh::laugh::laugh:


Why the laughs Kev?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Why the laughs Kev?


Err because I though Steph saying "Could be a lifesaver" well it is innit, literally. and it tickled me.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks to StephandJohn for starting this thread which MIGHT be of help to a reader in a way that we had never envisaged, I think a lot of us have learned things from the various posts on here and the links to other sources of information.

Just a reminder if you are not aware, but satnavs like TomTom have a built in emergency help advice section which will tell you how to do simple basic, but key, first aid including CPR, there are also apps that are available for phones which do the same thing.

I KNOW that St John used to have an app for that - I believe that they still do but am not so familiar with what they are doing now as I don't use a smart phone here. But I would implore all of you to make sure that you can do such basic but essential skills such as CPR as second nature, along with being familiar with such things as FAST for stroke (Cardiovascular events), which sadly are more commonly encountered in older people - and many of us MH users are in that category.

Not knowing how to, for instance, treat a fracture, will not normally be life-threatening, but the same cannot be said for not being able to recognise the need for effective CPR or intervention for someone in need of FAST assessment so another link for you to follow;






Before anyone asks, no I am not trying to give you a complete First Aid course via the internet - I do that locally for expats who realise the need to stay aware of the skills and knowledge to help others in distress......

Thanks StephandJohn - IMO a great and very useful thread and thanks to all those who have added their little snippets - they are all of great value for all of us.

Dave


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> You should watch this too


Thanks for that, Kev, I knew about the universal 112 number but I didn't know about the hidden advantages of using it on a mobile. I hope I never need to use it but who knows know what will happen?:surprise:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

emmbeedee said:


> Thanks for that, Kev, I knew about the universal 112 number but I didn't know about the hidden advantages of using it on a mobile. I hope I never need to use it but who knows know what will happen?:surprise:


That clip was part of a TV program a few months ago, I kept the url, and I downloaded it to my laptop so I could refresh my memory if and when it might be needed.

I used a free program called YTD for the download.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Brilliant thread. Thank you all


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> You should watch this too


Going back to the point in the video about registerring to be able to send texts to 112, I tried to do it in Poland and got no response using the word 'Register' and nobody here including a family police officer knows how to do it.

The video clip did not say whether registration for text is available in all 112 countries *nor* whether having registered in one 112 country that registration is valid for all 112 countries. If it is, is it for the phone regardless of SIM card inserted?

Anyone know?

Geoff


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

A good read here:

http://www.eena.org/uploads/gallery/files/operations_documents/2012_06_18_smsaccessto112.pdf


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

pippin said:


> A good read here:
> 
> http://www.eena.org/uploads/gallery/files/operations_documents/2012_06_18_smsaccessto112.pdf


Certainly is a lengthy read..... I can understand the problems but there still seems to be a lack of ability to use reported at the registration point....

I am not sure how this can be sorted by individual users - it probably requires discussion by the service providers or even the Governments, I am NOT using this as a reason for staying in the EU (before I get accused of it).

If you happen to be in the US, the number to use is 911

In Australia the prime number appears to be 000 but they also use 999 and 112 in parts.....

New Zealand is 111

South Africa the National Emergency number is 10177 (10111 for the Police)

Canada on a GSM phone accepts; 112, 911, 118, 119, 000, 110, 08, and 999.

Russia (ambulance) 103 (old number 03), Police 102, General emergency 112

Switzerland 117 for Police, 118 for Fire, 144 for Ambulance, 1414 / 1415 for rescue by helicopter from e.g. glaciers.....

Turkey 112 for ambulance, 110 for fire, Police 155, Coastguard 158

Israel 100 for police, 101 for ambulance 102 for fire

Maybe we should build up a database for all countries.......

Just so that you are aware......

Dave :nerd:


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Not a bad idea Dave.

However the likelihood of my ever needing an ambulance in *Russia* is nil.

I wouldn't like to chance my luck there!!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

pippin said:


> However the likelihood of my ever needing an ambulance in *Russia* is nil.
> 
> I wouldn't like to chance my luck there!!


There have been accounts on here of people taking their MH into Russia I am sure - maybe some years ago, but I am pretty sure that I have read it here somewhere....

The chances of needing one in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. are also quite small, although people do go to those lovely countries and hire vehicles for a tour - in the same way as we have used RV's twice in Florida.....

Dave


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Penquin said:


> There have been accounts on here of people taking their MH into Russia I am sure - maybe some years ago, but I am pretty sure that I have read it here somewhere....
> 
> The chances of needing one in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. are also quite small, although people do go to those lovely countries and hire vehicles for a tour - in the same way as we have used RV's twice in Florida.....
> 
> Dave


Dave

Thanks for those numbers.

The info you posted on various emergency service numbers is not only useful for when we are in our own or rented MHs but also for when we are holidaying/visiting without MHs.

It is just like Don Madge's excellent compilation of what medical services are available to UK citizens and how to access them and or claim back any charges(still useful however one travels). Now Don has hung up his MH steering wheel it may need updating.

Anyone heard from Don recently? Being March he is probably still in Fethiye, Turkey.

Geoff


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