RNLI
RNLI
Information from the Coast Guard
The RNLI and the volunteer crews at the Dart lifeboat station take a lot of effort in ensuring that a lifeboat is launched as quickly and efficiently as possible after the initial pager alert, writes John Fenton.
Currently this is just over seven minutes on average, although it can be as short as three and a half minutes if the crew are in the lifeboat station or close by, as happened on five occasions in 2010. Of course the crew can respond instantaneously if they are out on exercise and this happened on seven occasions.
A greater factor influencing the time taken for the lifeboat to reach the incident, however, is the accuracy of the information given to the Coast Guard in the first place.
I had been told that if one uses the 112 emergency number with a Mobile phone it would provide greater accuracy by pinpointing the position of the caller. It turns out that this is not true and, after extensive investigation by the RNLI Inspectors and the Coast Guard, Tom Mansell, our Training Divisional Inspector based at Saltash, has provided the definitive answer.
“The entire mobile phone system is networked for emergencies, whether you are on Orange, Talk Talk or whatever - all the masts will connect you if you call 999 or 112. Immediate priority is given and both numbers are exactly the same. 112 was taken up in 2005 to come into line with the EU and 999 was only kept to stop people getting confused!
When a 999/112 call is received in the MRCC it goes through to the emergency phone. At the same time it is picked up by the operator of the ‘Incident management Computer’ who starts a new log. Immediately this computer opens a mapping programme which centres on the area thought to be where the call is coming from.
The computer by the emergency phone does the same and flashes up data such as mobile type, signal strength and the receiving network. It also gives a circle or oval with the casualty in the middle and a radius (or two for an oval) - the smaller the distance, the more accurate the computer believes it to be.
Critically, the system works on signal strength not on ‘direction finding’. This is fantastic if the caller is on a boat in a bay with three mobile masts around it or on a mud flat with good coverage, but if they are on a beach with a cliff behind them, (for example Whitsand Bay) they could be shielded from the nearest mast at Tregantle and a good/ better signal may be picked up from a mast further to the west.
This would give poor positional accuracy. It is one of the many skills of a good Coastguard to question the caller properly to get as much quality information as possible to help validate the position or reduce the area of doubt.
I have spoken to Bruce Lack, Watch Manager at Portland who has in turn requested 999 and 112 checks to be done by Portland, Belfast and Thames Coastguards. This has been done to confirm that there is no difference in the quality of data that can be gleaned from each number and I can confirm that there is NO difference.
He has spoken to Geoff Matthews at CG HQ who is their technical man and until recently an active CG on watch. He can see no reason for 112 to have any extra benefit either.
Which ever number you use, 999 or 112 does not matter, but make the call early!
Emergency calls. 999 or 112 – the facts.
First published May 2011 By the Dart