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Most received messages from the General secretariat for Civil Protection, as it launched it’s 112 emergency programme this week.
Already in its first phase, operating out of two crisis centres, the European number of 112 will run through this year via SMS messaging. In conjunction with authorities it will also include Advance Mobile Location (AML) to receive location information from mobile phones by the end of the year.
What is 112
Thanks to the EU legislation adopted in 1991, people in distress can call the 112 emergency number from anywhere in Europe, free of charge.
However, previously, the system was not working in Greece, due to technical problems. Out of the 27 Member States which reported the time needed to receive the caller location, the longest periods were reported were in Greece. This week’s launch of an updated programme will change all that. Hopefully by the end of the year it will be fully operational.
Available soon
In due time, Citizens in the EU, need to remember only this emergency number to reach immediately local police, emergency medical service, fire brigade, mountain rescue or any other national emergency services. In this regard, 112 is of great value particularly for travelers within the EU, when they are in distress and in need of emergency help.
112 operates in all EU member states alongside the existing national emergency numbers, with the aim to facilitate access to national emergency services. However, some EU countries have opted for 112 as their main national emergency number. Some countries outside of the EU can also use 112, for example Africa and Switzerland
In Greece
In Greece, 112 operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and connects the callers with the following emergency services:
- Police
- Fire Brigade
- Emergency Medical Services
- Coast Guard ,
as well as two hotlines of social value:
- the European hotline for missing children 116000 and
- the National Helpline for children SOS 1056
When a person dials 112, specially trained operators answer immediately the call. The operators speak Greek, English and French. Depending on the emergency incident reported by the caller, the call operator dispatches the call to the appropriate emergency service.
112 operators cannot provide traffic or weather reports, road assistance or any other type of general information.
Where can we make the calls?
You can call 112 from any landline, public payphones and mobile phones (even without a SIM card). The number is always free of charge
Domestic and foreign mobile users can access “112”. Even when out of their home network coverage, through other available domestic mobile networks (national and international 112 roaming service ).
For those who are unable to provide an exact location, caller location information will be available.
More information
The competent public authority for 112 in Greece is the General Secretariat for Civil Protection under the Ministry of Public Order & Citizen Protection.
More information on the operation of 112 in every EU country can be found at www.112.eu
feature photo source:- https://www.civilprotection.gr
