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112 vs 999

  • 17-01-2013 11:46pm
    #1
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,468 ✭✭✭✭


    That story about the young guy shot recently got me thinking about this. Papers reported he rang 999

    Wasn't 112 to replace this the best part of a decade ago now? Just looking around online this seems to have changed from "replace" to either "112 or 999"

    or was it ever intended to replace 999, I'm sure it was initially?!
    Is it a case of 999 being so ingrained in peoples mind that there's no point in trying to change it?


Comments

  • #2
    stevie06
    Registered Users Posts: 102 ✭✭stevie06


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    That story about the young guy shot recently got me thinking about this. Papers reported he rang 999

    Wasn't 112 to replace this the best part of a decade ago now? Just looking around online this seems to have changed from "replace" to either "112 or 999"

    or was it ever intended to replace 999, I'm sure it was initially?!
    Is it a case of 999 being so ingrained in peoples mind that there's no point in trying to change it?

    Rumour has it that 911 also works........


  • #3
    seven_eleven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,558 ✭✭✭seven_eleven


    They both work. Personally I would chose 999, not that I have ever had to ring it (thankfully!). 112 is the standard all over europe, but I presume calling it would just direct you to the same place 999 would.

    and yes apparently 911 also connects you to 999.


  • #4
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 12,783 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    Mobile phones are programmed to make emergency calls using any of the three numbers, when any mobile phone connects to the nearest working network whether or not the phone is registered to that network, the network just sees 'emergency call', it doesn't differentiate what number was used. PIN numbers and even lack of sim card in phone can be over ridden in order to make an emergency call.


  • #5
    pa990
    Registered Users Posts: 3,884 ✭✭✭pa990


    112 is a Europe wide emergency number
    999 is our emergency number
    lots of different European countries have their own emergency numbers, but all also use 112

    so in other works 6 and half a dozen
    it's all the same


  • #6
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    112 is the GSM standard Emergency number

    GSM as we all know is the standard for Mobile Networks

    If you are on a Mobile Now its on a GSM network. 112 should work even without a SIM card inserted.


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  • #7
    Terrontress
    Registered Users Posts: 3,888 ✭✭✭Terrontress


    I think 08 would have worked on older Nokias too. When you type in the number and hit green / call it doesn't state it is calling 999 / 112 but says Emergency Services.


  • #8
    timmywex
    Registered Users Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭timmywex


    stevie06 wrote: »
    Rumour has it that 911 also works........

    Never used to be able to understand why we cant just use 911 aswell.

    Its portrayed in most films/tv shows as being 911 and engrained in a lot of peoples heads from that!

    Apart of course, from having to copy those damm yanks :cool:


  • #9
    psmate
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭psmate


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    That story about the young guy shot recently got me thinking about this. Papers reported he rang 999

    Wasn't 112 to replace this the best part of a decade ago now? Just looking around online this seems to have changed from "replace" to either "112 or 999"

    or was it ever intended to replace 999, I'm sure it was initially?!
    Is it a case of 999 being so ingrained in peoples mind that there's no point in trying to change it?


    Had a conversation about this the other day with someone who has a friend in Eircom, while 999 and 112 are the known numbers to contact the emergency services, there is a difference in how they connect.

    112 is the digital contact and when you ring from a mobile it will priortise that call through an exchange to the emergency services. An example he used was if you are in Croke park on match day at half time and you need to contact the emergency services dialling 112 will drop everyone elses calls in favour of the emergencycall to the nearest exchange and priortise it. The 999 call does not operate like that.


  • #10
    Esel
    Registered Users Posts: 22,001 ✭✭✭✭Esel


    psmate wrote: »
    Had a conversation about this the other day with someone who has a friend in Eircom, while 999 and 112 are the known numbers to contact the emergency services, there is a difference in how they connect.

    112 is the digital contact and when you ring from a mobile it will priortise that call through an exchange to the emergency services. An example he used was if you are in Croke park on match day at half time and you need to contact the emergency services dialling 112 will drop everyone elses calls in favour of the emergencycall to the nearest exchange and priortise it. The 999 call does not operate like that.
    Not doubting you, and interesting info there, but it is well down the hearsay road at the same time.

    Can anyone confirm this?

    Not your ornery onager



  • #11
    Bloodwing
    Registered Users Posts: 881 ✭✭✭Bloodwing


    Esel wrote: »
    Not doubting you, and interesting info there, but it is well down the hearsay road at the same time.

    Can anyone confirm this?

    If can't confirm everything but the bit about 112 being on a digital line is correct, it's not that long since I read something about it. If I can dig it up again I'll pass it on.


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  • #12
    King Ludvig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 640 ✭✭✭King Ludvig


    psmate wrote: »
    Had a conversation about this the other day with someone who has a friend in Eircom, while 999 and 112 are the known numbers to contact the emergency services, there is a difference in how they connect.

    112 is the digital contact and when you ring from a mobile it will priortise that call through an exchange to the emergency services. An example he used was if you are in Croke park on match day at half time and you need to contact the emergency services dialling 112 will drop everyone elses calls in favour of the emergencycall to the nearest exchange and priortise it. The 999 call does not operate like that.
    Esel wrote: »
    Not doubting you, and interesting info there, but it is well down the hearsay road at the same time.

    Can anyone confirm this?

    Heard the same thing from a third officer in Dublin Fire Brigade last week re 112 dropping calls when required to prioritise the emergency call.


  • #13
    Bazzy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭Bazzy


    there was huge trouble in Italy years ago

    Basically there was too many people using the networks they were over capacity and what people began to do was dial 112 and knock people off then call the correct number straight away and get the call through

    Has been fixed for a long time though


  • #14
    Mr Simpson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,332 ✭✭✭Mr Simpson


    Prioritising of calls is mentioned in this document

    http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/docs/m08_358en.pdf


  • #15
    Titanucd
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭Titanucd


    999 and 112 and indeed 911 have the same priority. There is no difference whichever one you ring. That's not hearsay nor second hand info. 112 was only introduced to bring us into line with Europe.
    In Europe there was usually a different emergency number depending on the service you needed and also the region of a particular country you were in. To try and stop the confusion of all these numbers 112 was introduced. We use it here in conjunction with 999 so Europeans who travel here know that if they dial 112 they will get through to a PSAP who can help. No doubt you'll want sources etc. PM me and I'll explain how I know this!


  • #16
    timmywex
    Registered Users Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭timmywex


    Your both right in ways.

    112 will be given guaranteed call prioritisation when called from a GSM phone, as 112 is recognised by all GSM phones as being the emergency number.

    Now, in Ireland, 999 is aswell, so receives the same prioritisation etc as 112, however say if the user was using a phone from the states or something, 999 would probably not be recognised by the phone as emergency where as 112 would, thus 112 receives the priority.

    The network will view 112/999 a equal and cannot prioritise one or the other, its the phone that sets the priority.

    In addition, 112 is the EU required number so all the advancements digitally are occuring on that, for example in 2011, all countries were asked to implement a recommendation that emergency calls coould be automatically generated by cars. This was done on the 112 number for sure


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