In case of emergency, dial 112 across Europe for ambulance and fire brigade The district administration provides monthly information on emergency preparedness. This time, the focus is on the Europe-wide emergency number 112.

Oberbergischer Kreis. With a video on the social media and on its website, the Oberbergischer Kreis raises awareness today on the occasion of the "European Emergency Number 112 Day" about the importance of the toll-free emergency number. "The 112 is the European emergency number for fire services and emergency medical services. Please only call this number in real emergencies for fire services and emergency medical services," says Achim Schmidt (head of the fire and rescue control center of the Oberbergischer Kreis) in the video message to the public.

The emergency number 112 should always be dialed in cases of acute or life-threatening emergencies: "These can be medical emergencies, accidents, or fires." This includes, for example, severe accidents with injured persons, suspected heart attacks or strokes, circulatory collapse, severe shortness of breath, heavy blood loss, poisoning, and other life-threatening situations.

Callers can rely on the support of trained control center personnel. The dispatchers are medically and fire service trained. They first ask for the location of the incident and then guide the callers through the conversation with targeted questions. "Recognizing cardiac arrest is particularly important. This allows first responders to be guided in performing CPR and bridging the time until the emergency medical service arrives," explains Achim Schmidt.

If communication is not possible in German or English, the control center team uses AI-powered translation software. This automatically analyzes the language of the callers and translates what is said in both directions using a computer-generated voice. Birgit Hähn (head of security and order for the Oberbergischer Kreis) emphasizes: "We have been using this software in daily operations for about a year after a successful pilot phase. It is an important step to quickly overcome language barriers and save valuable time."

An additional helpful service is the nationwide nora emergency call app. This app allows contact with the police, fire services, and emergency medical services. Making an emergency call without having to speak enables direct contact with control centers, especially for people with limited speech and hearing abilities. The location function of the mobile device transmits the exact location of the person seeking help. The emergency call app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

"Regardless of how you contact the fire and rescue control center, responsible use of the emergency call is always crucial. For concerns that are not emergencies, the designated contact options should be used," appeals Birgit Hähn. For medical problems requiring treatment (not emergency/not life-threatening) outside the office hours of private practices, the 116 117 is available. "Please contact the police emergency number 110 if you need police assistance because you feel threatened, are in danger, or are exposed to a criminal act," requests the department head.

European Emergency Number 112 Day
The European Parliament declared February 11 (11.2) as European Emergency Number 112 Day to raise awareness of the emergency number. Since 1991, the 112 has connected callers across Europe with the responsible fire and rescue control center (emergency medical services and fire services). The call is free of charge. The number can also be dialed from mobile phones without a prefix.

Further Information
Information on emergency numbers and other important telephone numbers is available at www.obk.de/notfallinfo. At www.bbk.bund.de, you can download the "Guide for Emergency Preparedness and Proper Action in Emergency Situations." It also includes information on the subject.