Giving your location to the emergency services
In an emergency, call 999 or 112 now. You can come back to this page later.
Who to ask for
- On hills, moors, mountains and in caves: call 999 or 112, ask for the police, then ask for mountain rescue (or cave rescue).
- On the coast or at sea: call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
- Anywhere else: ask for the service you need: ambulance, fire or police.
Give a grid reference
Mountain rescue teams plan searches on maps that use the National Grid, so a grid reference is the most direct way to tell them where you are. Give the two letters and all the digits, slowly, one character at a time, using the phonetic alphabet if you know it: “Sierra Hotel, six zero nine eight six, five four three seven five.” Then say what is around you, such as a path, a stream, a cairn or a car park.
To get your grid reference quickly, open gridref.org.uk and press Where am I?. The page shows your grid reference and how accurate the GPS fix is. Write it down or take a screenshot in case your battery or signal fails.
Your phone may also send your location
When you call 999 or 112 from most modern smartphones, the phone automatically sends its location to the emergency services in the background (a system called Advanced Mobile Location). That helps, but it doesn’t replace telling them clearly where you are, especially if the call is short or the location is approximate.
If you can’t call
If you have a weak signal or can’t speak, you can contact 999 by text, but only if you’ve registered your phone in advance. Text register to 999 and follow the reply. Do it before you go out. In a text, include the service you need, what has happened and your grid reference.
Before you go
- Register for emergency SMS.
- Charge your phone and carry a power bank. Cold drains batteries fast.
- Carry a paper map and compass, and know how to read a grid reference without your phone (see how to read a grid reference).
- Leave your route and expected return time with someone at home.