Making an emergency call: what to say, staying reachable

When you dial the local emergency number (112 in the EU), you reach a dispatch centre. Trained people work there who decide what help is needed and send the right teams. Often help is already being alerted while you are still talking. So it is not a waste of time when the dispatcher asks questions – quite the opposite: the questions help send the right help to the right place.

In Germany many people learn the 'W questions' (Wo, Was, Wie viele, Welche, Warten): Where did it happen? What happened? How many people are affected? Which injuries? Wait for questions. This order is a good memory aid, but not a rigid form. Many dispatchers lead the call themselves with questions. It is best to listen carefully and answer briefly and clearly rather than telling everything at once.

The dispatcher can also guide you over the phone, for example with first aid. Follow these instructions as well as you can. You do not need to know what you do not know – 'I don't know' is an honest and helpful answer.

Without a location, nobody can come. In town an address with house number, floor or back yard is often enough. Outdoors it is harder: give the trail you are on, the last signpost, a hut, a summit, a lake or a distinctive bridge. The more such fixed points, the easier it is for rescuers to find you.

Many smartphones can show coordinates. Read them out slowly and say which format they are in – for example 'decimal degrees' or 'degrees, minutes, seconds'. If formats are mixed up, the location can be far off. In many countries the phone also automatically sends its location during an emergency call (for example via Advanced Mobile Location). That is a great help, but it does not replace stating your location yourself.

It helps even before the trip to know the route and follow on the map where you are. If you consciously check now and then where you are while walking, you can describe your position much faster in an emergency.

After the emergency call, your phone is the link to the rescuers. Keep it switched on, keep the line free and do not call other people, so that call-backs get through. Save battery: dim screen, no photos, no videos. In the cold a battery often lasts longer if you keep the phone warm close to your body.

If possible, stay at the place you described. If you have to leave it – for example because of rockfall, water or cold – try to inform the dispatch centre. Help the rescuers over the last stretch: bright clothing, a light, a whistle or, if it is safe, one person waiting at a highly visible spot.

Your own safety comes first. Do not put yourself in danger to help – not at the edge of a drop, not in the water, not in a burning building, not unprotected on a road. A second casualty makes things harder for everyone. The call itself is often the most valuable thing you can do.

When in doubt, call early. Many people hesitate out of embarrassment, worry about costs or hope that things will get better on their own. But the sooner the dispatch centre knows, the more time rescuers have – especially before dark or when the weather is getting worse. The dispatch centre decides what help is needed.

112 can be called free of charge in all EU countries. Outside the EU other numbers often apply. Look up the local emergency number before every trip and save it in your phone and on paper.

If the phone shows no signal, it is still worth trying: depending on the country and network, an emergency call may also go through another mobile network. Do not rely on it, though. Moving to a higher, open spot often helps – but only if you can do so without danger.

Some newer phones can send emergency messages via satellite. Whether that works with your device and in your destination country is something you need to check beforehand. Without a connection, signals without technology remain: whistle, light, mirror, bright colours. They do not replace an emergency call, but they can make you findable for people nearby and for search teams.