Urban Myth dial 112
Submitted: Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 18:51
ThreadID:
45952
Views:
11300
Replies:
9
FollowUps:
3
This Thread has been Archived
outback epicurean
Hi
I have heard previously about being able to dial 112 on a mobile phone anywhere in outback Australia and summon help. I have always discounted this as I can't see how a mobile phone can connect if there is no reception. A few weeks ago, my wife was at a emergency training session at her work (Hospital) where a SES guy repeated this idea to dial 112 "anywhere in Australia, even if there is no mobile coverage". I cannot see how this can work and am concerend that reputatable people are giving out this message.
Am I missing something?
Reply By: Andrew from Vivid Adventures - Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 18:56
Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 18:56
112 will work when there is some sort of coverage - for a GSM phone, it must be GSM coverage from any company; for a CDMA or 3G phone, it needs Telstra ... some 3G phones also will do GSM too.
But, if there is no coverage from any company, like in most of outback Australia, it is not going to work.
Cheers
Andrew.
AnswerID:
242729
Reply By: Stu050 - Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 18:58
Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 18:58
I believe that this will only work where there is cellular coverage.
The 112 emergency number is not network dependant; eg if you are connected to Optus, and there is no Optus signal, but there is Telstra signal, the 112 call will go out on the Telstra network.
112 will work if the phone is locked, or even if there is no sim card in the phone.
AnswerID:
242730
Reply By: CapeYorkTroopy - Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 21:50
Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 21:50
Probably the same guys that are telling everybody to save an emergency contact in their phone.
They say it is so ambos can look through your phone so they can contact someone if you are in an accident.
This is rubbish.
All the ambos want to do is get you to hospital, not call your mum.
Once at hospital if your condition is that serious, the docs don't need permission to save you.
All the
first aid trainers were teaching this for a while but then it went away, I guess the ambos found out and told someone it was rubbish.
Cheers, Jack
AnswerID:
242787
Follow Up By: greydemon - Monday, May 28, 2007 at 11:53
Monday, May 28, 2007 at 11:53
This system, known as ICE , was actually invented by an
ambulance man and is spreading around the world. It's no big deal to put a contact number in your phone on the off chance that someone might need it, just put it under the name ICE (In Case of Emergency) and even though the hospital may not need to get permission to operate at least they will know where to deliver the body if they are too late. 8-)
FollowupID:
503903
Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 00:07
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 00:07
But remember if you have no phone access on your network and you want 112 to work for an Emergency call, it will only work on another network of the same type.
e.g. if you have a GSM phone, it will NOT work if you are in a CDMA-only area or Next-G only area.
Currently, if you plan to travel in remote areas and you want to have phone access, realsitically your ONLY choice is Telstra Next-G.
AnswerID:
243059