Getting help
@ Carney James-Turner
Maximise your mobile
Many accidents occur towards the end of the day, when both you and your phone are low on energy. And, whilst your mobile phone may feel a handy backstop in case of emergency, it’s not always the most reliable way of calling for help in the mountains. Signal coverage can be hit and miss and batteries can quickly fade.
Make sure you fully charge up before setting off, then keep call time to a minimum to conserve power — and maybe consider carrying a power bank for those long days out. And don’t forget to register your phone with emergencySMS.
In the event of accident first note any relevant details (location, name, gender and age of casualty, nature of injuries, number of people in the party, your mobile phone number).
• Dial 999 or 112, ask for ‘Police’, then ‘Mountain Rescue’.
• Give all your prepared details of the incident.
• Do NOT change your position until contacted by the rescue team.
• If you have to make a further 999 call, follow this procedure in full again.
If you have hearing or speech difficulties you can contact the 999 emergency services by text. You will only be able to use this service if you are registered with emergencySMS first. Register now – don’t wait for an emergency!
Text ‘register’ to 999 then follow the instructions sent. In an emergency contact emergencySMS by texting 999. Your message should include ‘Police’ + details of incident + location.