Please register with the 999 Emergency Text Service – you owe it to your family. Why leave it to chance

One of the worst parts of a life involved with Mountain Rescue is dealing with families after an  accident in the mountains. Unfortunately I did this fairly regularly in my time with the RAF Mountain Rescue Teams. I traveled all over Scotland to many call outs and got to know relatives after a loved one was missing or lost at times with tragic consequence Every year I am still contacted by families many a long time after and accident who are  still coming to terms with it, their loss remains with them forever.

A haunting photo of a loved one whoes Uncle went missing in Glencoe. They live with our actions in the mountains we love. Be careful.

Few if any outside our small insular world can understand why we go out in the mountains and so many who love us worry every time when we are chasing our dreams. As lovers of the wild places we are at times very selfish and as mountaineers even more so and as we chase our ambitions there is a chance we could have an accident. This is where we owe it to those who love us to be careful and make sure we do everything we can for our adventures to be as safe as possible. I would advise everyone to ensure they leave information on where they are going and their plans, especially if like me you go out alone. It is also easier to ensure if you do have a problem to get help and gives the rescue services an idea where to look. Many will say this is an intrusion on their privacy but try telling that to a wife, husband, mother, father or child if anything happens. What can we do one way is to register your phone to assist in getting a message out if you have a problem and also leaving a note with a friend where you intend to go. Very few do this especially the phone registering s when I speak at Mountain Safety lectures about 10% of the audience have registered! Have you

The following information will only take a few minutes to complete

please do it now!

MCofS Urges Walkers and Climbers to Register -with 999 Text Service
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) is urging everyone who walks
climbs and skis in the Scottish mountains to register with the 999 emergency text
service. This service has been set up to allow people to text 999 when voice calls
cannot be made, but where there is sufficient signal to send a text.

Heather Morning, the MCofS Mountain Safety Advisor, is urging mountaineers to
register for the new service. She said: “You can now contact the 999 emergency
services by SMS text from your mobile phone. This is going to be particularly useful
for those needing 999 assistance in the hills when mobile phone reception is often
intermittent and there is not enough signal to make a call.”
However, you will only be able to use this service if you have registered with
emergencysms first. The MCofS is urging mountaineers to register now rather than
wait for an emergency.

To register,

text ‘Register’ to 999 on your mobile phone.

You will get a reply and will then need to follow the instructions you are sent.

The text system is meant to be used only when voice calls cannot be made and the system does not guarantee that texts will be delivered, so users should wait until they receive a reply from the emergency services before assuming help has been summoned.

The system was originally set up to help deaf and hard of hearing people. Further details, including guidelines on how to register, can be found at http://www.emergencysms.org.uk.
“This is a great idea that is bound to save lives.

I’ve just registered a new phone myself and it took less than two minutes.“

Please pass this on to your friends and family, it may save your life!