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Old 7th Jul 2017, 4:36 pm   #21
Graham G3ZVT
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Didn't know about 2222, is it still working?
Sam.
I think you will find that G6Tanuki was referring to 2222 in the context of PABXs particularly in hospitals, giving rise to an unfortunate euphemism about withdraw of resuscitation "Not for twos"
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Old 7th Jul 2017, 4:54 pm   #22
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

Not specifically hospitals: 2222 is the standard emergency-contact number for MoD bases/Government facilities as well as loads of quasi-gov places [research labs, nuclear plants, palaces...]
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Old 7th Jul 2017, 8:38 pm   #23
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

For universities, a quick google shows:

UCL London 222
Aston 222 or 2222 (apparently either works)
Glasgow, Gilmorehill 4444 or Garscube 2222 (and matching DDIs)
Nottingham 8888
Heriot Watt (Edinburgh campus) 2222 (Malaysia campus) 2222
Edinburgh 2222
Stirling 2222
KCL (London) 2222
Queens Belfast 2222
USQ Australia 2222
Twente Netherlands 2222


In 2004, 34 per cent of hospitals in England used 2222 for another purpose (i.e. other than 'crash calls'). 2222 in hospitals should be standardised for crash calls.
http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?EntryId45=59789
https://www.theguardian.com/society/...spitals.health

A lot of police forces/stations had 222 based numbers, eg Leicester had 0116 222 2222, Dorset 01202 222 222, West Yorkshire 01924 375 222,
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Old 7th Jul 2017, 10:03 pm   #24
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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As far as I know, on a mobile, dialling 112 or 999 merely triggers a generic call to the Emergency Services defined in the protocol stack.
Not according to the first-aid instructor on my last HV SAP refresher course, it doesn't. It 'offers greater accuracy in triangulating calls from mobile telephones'. Unfortunately, he couldn't elaborate... There were issues discussed if Britain left the EU regarding 112 as well.

Of course, none of this was documented, so a pinch of salt is necessary...

One other point raised regarding 911. According to aforementioned first-aid instructor (ex-Army, working for 'Develop' at Easingwold) it was considered that it may be introduced in the UK. Why? Because the youth of today is brought up on US-based TV and are familiar with the US emergency number.

Pinch of salt again, mind!
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 12:40 am   #25
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

There have numbers issued in Nottingham starting with 911.

Really, come on. If you're going to use the same numbers people see on foreign TV programmes, why not just make it 001-809-563-0000? (Only people of a certain age will get this .....)
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 12:46 am   #26
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

Nothing to stop us using 112, or assimilating 911. In a connected world whatever first comes to mind. In the past I've noticed PAX phones with other emergency numbers on the dial label, 222 possibly but it was some time ago. A bit quicker than 999 on a dial phone.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 12:52 am   #27
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Originally Posted by julie_m View Post
There have numbers issued in Nottingham starting with 911.

Really, come on. If you're going to use the same numbers people see on foreign TV programmes, why not just make it 001-809-563-0000? (Only people of a certain age will get this .....)
Pennsylvania 65000
6345789
Just about anything beginning with 555
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 1:10 am   #28
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

There are numbers/ranges reserved for film/TV work here too. American 555 numbers are better known through long term exposure, but you won't get far ringing them in an emergency!
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 1:17 am   #29
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Quote:
Originally Posted by rambo1152 View Post
As far as I know, on a mobile, dialling 112 or 999 merely triggers a generic call to the Emergency Services defined in the protocol stack.
Not according to the first-aid instructor on my last HV SAP refresher course, it doesn't. It 'offers greater accuracy in triangulating calls from mobile telephones'. Unfortunately, he couldn't elaborate
I find it bizarre that important functionality would be added to the number that only a small minority would dial in an emergency.

I found this interesting, and it does show that if one is dialling from a landline and was unable to speak, dialling 112 rather than 999 may just save your life. This stems from the "Phantom dialling" problem that we've been discussing and the slightly different protocol the operator follows for 999 vs 112
It's also worth mentioning that this is the nearest I could find to a definitive document on "Silent Solution" yet it contains the phrase "It is understood that" no less than seven times.

https://tinyurl.com/ybgu3qva
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 1:29 am   #30
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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There are numbers/ranges reserved for film/TV work here too. American 555 numbers are better known through long term exposure, but you won't get far ringing them in an emergency!
True, but it might get you their equivalent of Dial a Disk, or Dish of the Day.

If you're going to die you may as well go emotionally uplifted and on a full stomach.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 8:24 am   #31
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

Fake numbers in the UK often have the STD code 01632. 0632 was the old, old code for Newcastle on Tyne, already superseded by 091 by PhONEday.

If they needed two towns for a plot device, I'm sure there are other fake STD codes they could use, based on other cities where 7-figure numbers were introduced.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 8:47 am   #32
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Originally Posted by julie_m View Post

Really, come on. If you're going to use the same numbers people see on foreign TV programmes, why not just make it 001-809-563-0000? (Only people of a certain age will get this .....)
Well, indeed... He may have just heard it down the pub.

However...

On a modern switch it's easy to translate an assigned number to something else. It's also easy to re-allocate local (and not-so-local) codes with a little planning and forewarning, as has happened before. It's just another 'PhoneDay', after all.

And what's wrong with the concept of an international emergency number rather than just a pan-European one (and not one susceptible to random line pulses caused by, typically, the elderly and infirm trying unsuccessfully to replace a handset on a loop-disconnect compatible system)?

We have international Mayday and Pan-Pan calls on the radio, so why not on the landline too? Granted, the engineering is rather more clear-cut and easier dealt-with than the political aspect.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 11:05 am   #33
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Originally Posted by julie_m View Post
Fake numbers in the UK often have the STD code 01632. 0632 was the old, old code for Newcastle on Tyne, already superseded by 091 by PhONEday.

If they needed two towns for a plot device, I'm sure there are other fake STD codes they could use, based on other cities where 7-figure numbers were introduced.
Far more codes than just 01632 are 'allocated' by OFCOM - From the OFCOM website -
1. Ofcom has not selected a telephone number range for all geographic area codes, as it has to ensure that there is sufficient numbering capacity available to meet future requirements for 'real' telephony purposes. Telephone numbers recommended for drama purposes cannot be allocated to communications providers for their customers because of the potential influx of calls that customers might receive should their telephone numbers be shown in a drama.

2. Ofcom suggests using numbers in the 01632 range (no area code) for any geographic area code not listed.

3. The use of any telephone number in the ranges below does not imply that the number has been allocated. The numbers will not be allocated to communications providers in the foreseeable future.

Geographic area code
Telephone number range (1000 numbers in each range)

Leeds 0113 496 0000 to 496 0999
Sheffield 0114 496 0000 to 496 0999
Nottingham 0115 496 0000 to 496 0999
Leicester 0116 496 0000 to 496 0999
Bristol 0117 496 0000 to 496 0999
Reading 0118 496 0000 to 496 0999
Birmingham 0121 496 0000 to 496 0999
Edinburgh 0131 496 0000 to 496 0999
Glasgow 0141 496 0000 to 496 0999
Liverpool 0151 496 0000 to 496 0999
Manchester 0161 496 0000 to 496 0999
London 020 7946 0000 to 7946 0999
Tyneside/Durham/Sunderland 0191 498 0000 to 498 0999
Northern Ireland 028 9649 6000 to 9649 6999
Cardiff 029 2018 0000 to 2018 0999
No area 01632 960000 to 960999

Other telephone numbers
Telephone number type

Telephone number range (1000 numbers in each range)
Mobile 07700 900000 to 900999
Freephone 08081 570000 to 570999
Premium rate services 0909 8790000 to 8790999
UK-wide 03069 990000 to 990999

And then you find 0161 715 XXXX is used for 'Coronation Street' for 'Weatherfield' which isn't in the list above.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 5:03 pm   #34
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

I thought that 9 was used as the first number because on many private exchanges connected to the public system you often had to dial 9 to get an outside line.
The US used 11 after the 9 as it was quicker to dial two 1's than 9's. and every second could be vital in an emergency.

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Old 8th Jul 2017, 6:06 pm   #35
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

How do mobile phones manage to make emergency calls only, when there is no signal?

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Old 8th Jul 2017, 6:10 pm   #36
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

They don't.

But under certain conditions [for example overloaded infrastructure or during network maintenance] the network-provider may prevent normal calls being placed and only allow emergency calls or calls from pre-nominated mobiles [such as those used by the emergency services].

Equally, some providers will allow emergency-calls from a phone when its credit for making normal-calls has run out.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 6:27 pm   #37
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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I thought that 9 was used as the first number because on many private exchanges connected to the public system you often had to dial 9 to get an outside line.
This is very commonly the case that 9 is required from a PABX to connect to the public network, so you would have to dial 9-999 to get through to the public emergency services.

On a slightly different tack, in bygone days of local codes between main exchanges and their satellites it was common to require a 9 before accessing a number from the main exchange - including for the emergency service. When I lived in the Oxford exchange area the emergency number from Oxford itself was actually 99 (a fact that I discovered by accident by double-dialling the initial 9 of a local code* and being rather shocked to be asked "Emergency, which service please?") so that the satellites were able to dial 999 without an extra access digit.

*As I recall I was dialling a Witney number, which needed to prefixed by 97.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 7:10 pm   #38
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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How do mobile phones manage to make emergency calls only, when there is no signal?
"Emergency calls only" means your phone DOES have a signal, just not the network you subscribe to, or have roaming rights on.

The UK was slow to implement this ability to call 999 on any available network compared to many other countries, I think it's been in place for less than 10 years.
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 8:44 pm   #39
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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'When I lived in the Oxford exchange area the emergency number from Oxford itself was actually 99 (a fact that I discovered by accident by double-dialling the initial 9 of a local code* and being rather...'
Same with Whitehaven. Been there; done that...
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 8:46 pm   #40
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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but under certain conditions [for example overloaded infrastructure or during network maintenance] the network-provider may prevent normal calls being placed and only allow emergency calls or calls from pre-nominated mobiles [such as those used by the emergency services].
accolc?
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