1-1-2
Encyclopedia
112 is the principal emergency telephone number
that can be dialed free of charge from any telephone
or any mobile phone
in order to reach emergency services (ambulances, fire-fighters and the police) in the European Union
(EU), its candidates for accession
, members of the EEA
agreement, as well as several other countries in the world. It was established by a decision of the EU Council
on 29 July 1991.
Since 2009 and a tripartite convention of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have designated 11 February as European 112 Day and events take place to promote the existence and the appropriate use of this EU wide available emergency number. Worldwide on GSM mobile networks and their more modern equivalents.
The GSM mobile phone standard designates 112 as an emergency number, so it will work on GSM phones even in North America where GSM systems redirect emergency calls to 911
, or Australia where emergency calls are redirected to 000
. It is one of two numbers (the other being the region's own emergency number) that can be dialed on most GSM phones even if the phone is locked.
The number is now regulated across the EU by the Universal Service Directive.
, Portugal
, Norway
, the Netherlands
and Denmark
and as the emergency number for the Carabinieri
(gendarmerie
) in Italy
.
This choice of number has the following advantages:
-enhanced version of 112. The telecom operator transmits the location
information to the emergency centre. The EU Directive E112 (2003) requires mobile phone networks to provide emergency services with whatever information they have about the location a mobile call was made. This directive is based on the FCC's Enhanced 911
ruling in 2001.
The new eCall project for automated emergency calls from cars is based on E1000.
and Denmark
has already introduced a system where less urgent callers can call 114 14 to get connected to the local police-station. Depending on current load and situation, however, the call could potentially be connected to any station in Sweden or Denmark respectively. Calls to this number are charged according to the same rates as any other national calls.
, 112 will redirect to the Carabinieri
. Other emergency numbers exist for other issues, such as 113 (National Police
), 115 (Firefighters), 117 (Financial Police
), 118 (medical emergency and alpine rescue), 1515 (State Forestry Department
), 1530 (Coast Guard
). However, Carabinieri can redirect the call to other needs.
114 is used in Denmark for non-urgent calls to the nearest police station.
'15' is used in Pakistan for Emergency Services (15 Madadgar).
117 is used in Portugal
to call Firefighters in case of forest fire.
Emergency telephone number
Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...
that can be dialed free of charge from any telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
or any mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
in order to reach emergency services (ambulances, fire-fighters and the police) in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU), its candidates for accession
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
, members of the EEA
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
agreement, as well as several other countries in the world. It was established by a decision of the EU Council
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
on 29 July 1991.
Since 2009 and a tripartite convention of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have designated 11 February as European 112 Day and events take place to promote the existence and the appropriate use of this EU wide available emergency number. Worldwide on GSM mobile networks and their more modern equivalents.
The GSM mobile phone standard designates 112 as an emergency number, so it will work on GSM phones even in North America where GSM systems redirect emergency calls to 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
, or Australia where emergency calls are redirected to 000
000 emergency
Triple Zero is the primary national emergency number in Australia. The Emergency Call Service is operated by Telstra a condition of its telecommunications licence, and is intended only for use in life-threatening or time-critical emergencies...
. It is one of two numbers (the other being the region's own emergency number) that can be dialed on most GSM phones even if the phone is locked.
The number is now regulated across the EU by the Universal Service Directive.
Origins
Before 112 became a European and (via GSM) worldwide standard emergency number, it had already served for many decades as the fire brigade emergency number in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and as the emergency number for the Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
(gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
) in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
This choice of number has the following advantages:
- Using at least two different digits significantly reduces the risk of accidental calls from numeric keypads. Young children, vibrations, defective keys and collisions with other objects are much more likely to press the same key repeatedly rather than pressing a sequence of different keys. Accidental calls to emergency centres from mobile phones are a particular problem with same-digit numbers, such as the UK's 999999 (emergency telephone number)999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
. - In the days of rotary dialRotary dialThe rotary dial is a device mounted on or in a telephone or switchboard that is designed to send electrical pulses, known as pulse dialing, corresponding to the number dialed. The early form of the rotary dial used lugs on a finger plate instead of holes. Almon Brown Strowger filed the first patent...
telephones, using only those digits that require the least motion of a rotary dialRotary dialThe rotary dial is a device mounted on or in a telephone or switchboard that is designed to send electrical pulses, known as pulse dialing, corresponding to the number dialed. The early form of the rotary dial used lugs on a finger plate instead of holes. Almon Brown Strowger filed the first patent...
(1 and 2) permitted a dial lock in hole 3 to effectively disable unauthorized access to the telephone network without preventing access to the emergency number 112. The same choice also maximized dialing speed. Additionally, in accordance to the previous point, prior to DTMF it was possible to dial "1" by shortly activating the hook, so repeatedly pushing the hook might result in calling 1-1-1. For this reason, Germany's police department emergency number was changed from 111 into 110.
E112
E112 is a locationLocation (geography)
The terms location and place in geography are used to identify a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term 'location' generally implies a higher degree of can certainty than "place" which often has an ambiguous boundary relying more on human/social attributes of place identity...
-enhanced version of 112. The telecom operator transmits the location
information to the emergency centre. The EU Directive E112 (2003) requires mobile phone networks to provide emergency services with whatever information they have about the location a mobile call was made. This directive is based on the FCC's Enhanced 911
Enhanced 911
Enhanced 911, E-911 or E911 in North America is one example of the modern evolution of telecommunications based system meant as an easy way to link people experiencing an emergency with the public resources that can help. The dial-three-digits concept first originated in the United Kingdom in 1937....
ruling in 2001.
The new eCall project for automated emergency calls from cars is based on E1000.
116 115
Dispatchers in Finland's 112 service receive some 800 000 non-urgent calls every year. To curb this problem, which ties up precious resources, a committee proposes that Finland launch a new telephone number—116 115—for such calls. Calls to this number would also be free of charge.114 14
The same way that 116 115 would work, SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
has already introduced a system where less urgent callers can call 114 14 to get connected to the local police-station. Depending on current load and situation, however, the call could potentially be connected to any station in Sweden or Denmark respectively. Calls to this number are charged according to the same rates as any other national calls.
113, 114, 115, 117, 118, 1515
In ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 112 will redirect to the Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
. Other emergency numbers exist for other issues, such as 113 (National Police
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
), 115 (Firefighters), 117 (Financial Police
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
), 118 (medical emergency and alpine rescue), 1515 (State Forestry Department
Corpo Forestale dello Stato
The State Forestry Corps is a national police agency in Italy.It was established on 15 October 1822 by Charles Felix of Sardinia as "Amministrazione forestale per la custodia e la vigilanza dei boschi".An agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the CFS acts...
), 1530 (Coast Guard
Guardia Costiera
The Corps of the Port Captaincies - Coast Guard is the coast guard of Italy and is part of the Italian Navy under the control of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport....
). However, Carabinieri can redirect the call to other needs.
114 is used in Denmark for non-urgent calls to the nearest police station.
'15' is used in Pakistan for Emergency Services (15 Madadgar).
117 is used in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to call Firefighters in case of forest fire.
See also
- 1122Rescue 1122 PakistanRescue 1122 is emergency service that serves Punjab Province in Pakistan. It was established under the Punjab Emergency Service Act, 2006 to provide management of emergencies such as fire, rescue and emergency medical services.- External links :* *...
Emergency phone number in PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. - 000000 emergencyTriple Zero is the primary national emergency number in Australia. The Emergency Call Service is operated by Telstra a condition of its telecommunications licence, and is intended only for use in life-threatening or time-critical emergencies...
Emergency phone number in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. - 110 Emergency phone number in IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(works parallel to European emergency number, 112). - 1111-1-1111 is the emergency telephone number in New Zealand. It was first implemented in Masterton and Carterton on 29 September 1958, and was progressively rolled out nationwide with the last exchanges converting in 1988...
Emergency phone number in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. - 1191-1-9119 is the emergency telephone number in parts of Asia and in Jamaica.- 119 in South Korea :119 is a direct-dial emergency number for firefighter and ambulance services operated by the National Emergency Management Agency. The caller's location is automatically traced once the call is connected,...
Emergency phone number in parts of East AsiaEast AsiaEast Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. - 9119-1-19-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
Emergency phone number in United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. - 100 Emergency phone number in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. - 1081-0-8108 is a free telephone number for emergency services to call in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Goa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh when emergency...
Emergency phone number in some parts of India for Fire, police and Ambulance. - 999999 (emergency telephone number)999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
Emergency phone number in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(works parallel to European emergency number, 112) and Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Also an emergency number in several non-EUEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
countries. - *999 Some US States have implemented *999 (Star 9-9-9) as a secondary or situation specific emergency number.
- eCall
- Emergency telephoneEmergency telephoneAn emergency telephone is a phone specifically provided for making calls to emergency services and is most often found in a place of special danger or where it is likely that there will only be a need to make emergency calls....
- In case of emergencyIn case of emergencyIn case of emergency is a programme that enables first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and Hospital personnel, to contact the phone owner's next of kin to obtain important medical/support information...
(ICE) entry in the mobile phone book. - International Mobile Satellite OrganizationInternational Mobile Satellite OrganizationThe International Mobile Satellite Organization is the intergovernmental organization that oversees certain public satellite safety and security communication services provided via the Inmarsat satellites...
External links
- The 112 Foundation
- The European Emergency Number Association 112
- ec.europa.eu/112 - The European emergency number