Getting hold of the Pompiers on a UK mobile?

General Discussion
1

I’m putting together some notes for guests arriving this Thursday re fire risk - no BBQ this year, careful putting out cigarette stubs, etc. It’s still very dry round here and the risk of grass fires is high.

As they are pretty much self-contained as a group (not running to us to know what to do) I want to include the pompiers number in the notes.

Using their UK mobile phones, do they have to dial 0033 before the 18? Or not?

2

Easy
https://www.info.gouv.fr/actualite/le-112-le-numero-durgence-europeen

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3

Sorry Wozza, that doesn’t really answer my question. Yes, it works in France, because France is part of the EU, so a French mobile phone works, of course it does. But what about a British (non EU) phone in France?

And they can use the 18 number because they speak French.

I’m still not sure how, if at all, their phones will work.

4

Auntie Google says:

No Dialling Codes: You do not need to add the French country code (+33) before 112, 15, 17, or 18 when calling from your UK mobile while in France. Just dial the numbers exactly as they are.

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5

Thanks Chris.

6

You didn’t read the article

7

Interestingly, I did. Where does it tell me what to do if I am using a non-EU mobile phone in the EU?

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8

112 isn’t an EU thing. The EU adopted it as a bloc but it’s used in most other countries too at this point. In some countries it just tells you the correct numbers to call but in most that use it, it will work as expected. 112 has been an alternative for 999 in the UK for years so if they dial it while in any other country it will just connect to the local ‘version’.

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9

Correct. 112 is actually part of the GSM standard - GSM standing for Global System for Mobile Communication (don’t ask me why it’s not GSMC though). It’s not just a European thing.

A fun fact: you can call 112 from a mobile phone even if the SIM doesn’t allow international roaming or is no longer valid. You can even call it on a phone without a SIM card in certain countries. The SIM card is really only used for customer identification, and ultimately for billing purposes.

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10

Here in detail:

dialling 112 routes you directly to the local emergency dispatch

, which connects you to the fire service or transfers your call to them.

How 112 Works

  • Free number: You can call 112 for free from any mobile phone or landline.
  • Automatic routing: The dispatcher tracks your location and connects you to the nearest local emergency center.
  • Direct transfer: In most places, the operator sends your call straight to the fire brigade, police, or ambulance.