• WIN 1 of 2 copies of OGOF FFYNNON DDU in our latest caption competition!

    Featuring 176 pages of lavish photography, a history of this classic Welsh system's exploration and first hand accounts of that dramatic rescue - from both sides of the stretcher!

    Click here to enter

New 999 txt service.

Steve_Woods

Member
Whilst the headlines herald this as a service pitched at walkers it will clearly also offer a greater chance of calling cave rescue in areas with poor mobile phone reception. Full instructions on when and how to use this service can be found here. If you require Cave Rescue you should txt 'Police, Cave Rescue <incident details>, <location>'. As per the instructions you need to register for this service first.
 
i suppose it has its uses - but sadly i am so " text deficient " that by the time i had composed a text with all the required info - the causalty[ies] would probally be dead :(
 
Unconvinced.

It is not easy to know whether a txt has been received and, unless the service has changed in some way, there is no way of knowing how long they take to arrive.

We stopped people using txt to stand down callouts when the message arrived back at base an hour after the cavers, even though it was over an hour's drive from the entrance. Receiving a message while standing next to the person who sent it several hours previously is quite illuminating.
 
Surely a text would be worth a try, followed up by a phone call when someone gets to an area with a signal/phone box?
 
Lets see:

> execute "decryption chav text mode"

Chav text decryption mode enabled innit:
------

>plice, kv resq, omfg k8s hrt leg brkn, dunno wer, pls cum qwik

Translating...

:Police, Cave Rescue, Oh My F***ing god Kate has hurt and broken leg, do not know where, please come quick.


> Exit

:Cya

 
dont forget it was designed to be used by people who wouldnt be able to call the emergency services because they either cant hear or cant speak.

if you get your head stuck in a gate and cant talk properly, it may come in useful, as it could in other random medical emergencies. shock can make it hard to get sensible sentences out too.

chav text translation most appreciated  :)
 
As above, text messages sometimes go astray or take a while to arrive (generally though the service works fine) - I would say for initial call-out in an area where the signal is not so great and then a follow up call, unless you receive a text/call back to confirm the call-out, it could be useful..

One example might be Bull Pot Farm, I know I can't make a phone-call with my mobile but I did once send and receive a text when stood in the right place and yes I know there's a phone at BPF, it's just an example of one place where I know I can't make a call but have sent a text in the past, just a thought of how the service might be of benefit potentially saving precious minutes instead of time being wasted searching for a decent signal to make a call.
 
Back
Top