Slightly obscure, but still tech-related - having to give them your number when you call 999

Murmansk

I've been unfortunate enough to have had to call 999 a few times over recent years and did so again yesterday. It seems very strange to me that once you've been put through to the appropriate service they more often than not ask what number you're calling from.

I was under the impression that even if your number is normally withheld (mine isn't) the emergency services could see it? Why on earth do they have to ask for it?

On a related topic, I found that when I called 999 from a motorway and gave them the details of the nearest of those distance markers that are every couple of hundred metres or so, so they'd know where I was, they didn't seem to have ever heard of such markers! Maybe next time I should try What Three Words and see what they make of that!

TonyMMM

The call taker knows immediately what number you are calling from ( its called CLI - Caller Line Identification). They ask as a secondary check, it helps to weed out hoax callers.

Robin9

Can someone confirm please ?

112 from a mobile is the better way.

I understand this works with all providers even if you don't normally get a signal  -  the signal strength is boosted and by triangulation the operator knows where you are ?

[Deleted User]

Robin9 said:

Can someone confirm please ?

112 from a mobile is the better way.

I understand this works with all providers even if you don't normally get a signal  -  the signal strength is boosted and by triangulation the operator knows where you are ?

112 and 999 are exactly the same. 112 is just the EU number for emergency services but goes through to exactly same call centre as 999 in exactly the same way.

Both 999 and 112 will roam to another network provider if you don't have a signal from your current provider but there is no signal boosting, just roaming to whatever other network is strongest when yours isn't available.

And triangulation works from both numbers but can be terribly inaccurate depending on location, probably better in a city with a lot of cell towers, less so or even impossible in rural areas where maybe only 1 or 2 cell towers are in range.

Neil_Jones

Calling 911 should work the same, even though it isn't "our" number for that purpose, but I believe this only works on a mobile

missile

Perhaps they ask for your number so that it is identified on the recording of your call?

onomatopoeia99

Murmansk said:

I was under the impression that even if your number is normally withheld (mine isn't) the emergency services could see it? Why on earth do they have to ask for it?

Correct.  Witholding the number only causes an instruction to be added the call metadata (to use a modern term) saying to the final exchange "do not send the CLI to the recipient".  This instruction is not sent to emergency service call centres so they always get the CLI where it is available.

Why they then ask for it I have no idea.  I'm going to guess as a double check.

pete-20-11

Might be phoning from a pay phone, so give a different number - e.g. best one to call back later if need be. 

Believe the emergency services can only see withheld numbers if it’s a 999 call. It’s not shown for other types of call. 

Neil_Jones

Murmansk said:

On a related topic, I found that when I called 999 from a motorway and gave them the details of the nearest of those distance markers that are every couple of hundred metres or so, so they'd know where I was, they didn't seem to have ever heard of such markers! Maybe next time I should try What Three Words and see what they make of that!

The emergency phone markers (white, tall, thin with a blue band and appear every 100 meters or so) aren't locators.  They just point towards the nearest emergency telephone and say how far up (or down) the motorway you are.  Which may be useful for mobile phones.

The actual location details appear every 500 metres or so (geography permitting) and are on a blue sign, holding text like M6 A 306.0:

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Driver_Location_Signs

Rosesgirl

I had to call them about 3 weeks ago, someone was acting very distressed on the street and they asked me for my name address and phone number which took me a bit by surprise .

Murmansk

Neil_Jones said:

The actual location details appear every 500 metres or so (geography permitting) and are on a blue sign, holding text like M6 A 306.0:

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Driver_Location_Signs

OK - but very useful pinpointing info for when you have no idea where you are and are trying to direct the emergency services to an accident - so why can't they use the info - I actually thought that was why the signs were there and the link seems to say that is indeed the case.