112: A number that can save your life

THREE out of four people across the European Union still do not know that a single phone number will allow them to call emergency services, according to official figures.

Since 1991, anyone who has needed the help of the emergency services has been able to dial the number 112, regardless of which country they are in.

In France, awareness of the pan-European emergency number stands at 33%, the European Commission says - but the number of people who know about the existence of the number is stagnating and even declining in some member states.

Tomorrow, February 11, is the seventh annual 112 Day, which is intended to raise awareness of the number, which operates across all 28 states in the EU in conjunction with locally recognised numbers, such as 999 in the UK, or 15, 17 and 18 in France.

The 112 Emergency Service number was developed in response to the increasing number of people traveling from one country to another for leisure or work, and is available free of charge 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In 2012, Emmanuel Paul, president of the Brussels-based 112 Foundation, which was set up to promote the number, said: “Each year, more than 150 million people travel all over the EU. They should all know 112.”

The emergency number 112 is recognised in 81 countries across the world, including the 28 EU states.