Knowing your location can save your life

When it comes to emergency calls, the most important thing in terms of getting help is to know where you are so that help can reach you as quickly as possible. Technology and especially the 112 Suomi app are good tools for determining your location.

In the summer, people spend time at cottages, go boating, hike outdoors and travel on roads. But the more activities people engage in, the more accidents they get into as well. When help is needed, it is essential to know where the person in need of help is.

Downloading the 112 Suomi app on your smartphone is a safety action. The app helps you prepare for various surprising everyday situations, as it features a comprehensive selection of phone numbers and services related to safety. In addition to them, the app also helps locate you: in an emergency, you can call the emergency number directly via the app, in which case your exact location is also transmitted to the emergency response centre. Your location information is also transmitted when you call the maritime search and rescue emergency number or the Road Users’ Hotline via the app. In addition to retrieval of the technical location data, the caller’s location is also always determined verbally.

Coordinates help in thick fog

In the early spring, maritime search and rescue services received a request for assistance via VHF radio. Someone needed help in a sea area, and their location was ultimately determined with the help of the 112 Suomi app.

“Three seal hunters had gotten their boat stuck in the ice off the coast of Raahe. The hunters had trouble determining their exact location, and at the start of the assignment it was somewhat unclear where rescue services should go. The men were also out of mobile phone range. The men were asked to provide their coordinates several times before finally getting them right. They were ultimately able to determine their coordinates using the 112 Suomi app, as the excellent app allows you to see your current coordinates even without making an emergency call. That’s a good tip to keep in mind,” says Sea Rescue Director Tomi Maunu from the West Finland Coast Guard District.

The seal hunters were ultimately rescued from the middle of thick fog in a rather unconventional way.

“The fog was too thick for a sea rescue helicopter. The area was also so far out at sea that sending a hovercraft was out of the question. Sea rescue services ended up enlisting the help of icebreaker Otso, and the hunters were successfully helped back to open waters,” Maunu explains.

Know where you are

When it comes to emergency calls, the most important thing in terms of getting help is to know where you are so that help can reach you as quickly as possible. Because of this, a wide range of different tools has been developed to determine the location of an emergency caller in addition to the 112 Suomi app. However, nobody in an emergency situation should rely solely on location technology. If you are on an island, at a holiday house or a hiking destination, for example, it is a good idea to determine your location in advance in case of any emergencies. You can fill in your location information on a location form, which you should then put on prominent display. If you are spending time at a summer cottage, you should also check the signs on the road leading to the cottage regularly.