EU launches '112 Day' to raise awareness of emergency number

The European Union wants to raise awareness of emergency number 112 after an EU study showed that only 26 percent know what number to call within the Union in case of a problem. The EU has therefore named 11 February "112 Day". Many major rail, air and other transport companies have joined European Commissioners Neelie Kroes (Information Society) and Siim Kallas (Transportation) in a campaign to raise 112 awareness rates. Kroes and Kallas also noted that although many 112 mobile apps have been developed in the last years, more could be done in this field. The emergency number will be publicised on e-tickets, in on-board magazines, on company websites and through staff. 112 is the pan-European alarm number to access police, fire services, and emergency medical staff. The central is offered in English in 25 countries, in French in 13 countries and in Germany in 12. The UK has an interpretation service which makes it accessible in 170 languages.