The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) has warned against misuse of the emergency number - 112.
“Anyone who willfully or thoughtlessly places additional burden on the operations control centers with unnecessary conversations will, in the worst case scenario, risk human lives,” said vfdb President - Dirk Aschenbrenner on the occasion of the European Emergency Call 112 Day on February 11th.
The date was set ten years ago by the European Parliament, the EU Council and the EU Commission because of the emergency number it contained - February 11th. - chosen. The aim is to make the Europe-wide number even more widely known, which has been available free of charge in all 28 Member States since December 2008.
Emphasis on emergency calls
It is not uncommon for the lines to be blocked by questions, for example, about the traffic situation
“Unfortunately, the load on the control centers has increased in recent years for various reasons,” points out Dirk Aschenbrenner, adding “It is all the more important for everyone to help ensure that the emergency number 112 is only used for real emergencies.”
It is not uncommon for the lines to be blocked by questions, for example, about the traffic situation, about minor illnesses that could actually be treated by the family doctor, or other everyday matters. '112' is also not available for prank calls. 'The emphasis is on 'emergency calls' - i.e., cases in which people urgently need immediate help'.
Joint Committee for Fire Safety Education
On the topic of 'making an emergency call', the Joint Committee for Fire Safety Education and Information of the vfdb and the German Fire Brigade Association has issued a technical recommendation that has been considered the standard since last year.
This is primarily about fire safety education for children. The most important role here is played by the emergency number '112' and its meaning, which needs to be conveyed.