Today is 1-1-2 day in the European Union. For those living in countries on the European Continent and those who may travel there, 1-1-2 is a very important number. It is akin to 9-1-1 in North America. It is the code that if dialed within most places in European from any mobile device and most land based telecommunications devices will link you without cost to local public safety resources.
1-1-2 is part of a concept that has gained global acceptance after an interesting history of over 70 years. The concept is that the ability to access emergency services from a telephone should be easy, immediate, free of cost and a culturally agnostic process.
The dial-three-digits concept originated in the London England area in 1937 where the code 9-9-9 was chosen. The concept migrated, as the English say, "across the pond," in 1959 when the Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Police Department adopted the Crown's practice and put in place their own 9-9-9 dialing system. Later as the 9-1-1 code gained hold in other parts of Canada and in the United States, Manitoba transitioned to that code.
In 1967 the first serious efforts to bring a similar system to the United States gained momentum during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson when the report of the Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice included a recommendation that police departments have a single number to call for citizens to report crimes.
This kicked off a series of governmental actions and recommendations, which resulted in a fascinating mix of politics and corporate intrigue. This all culminated in a poetic, David versus Goliath moment in 1968, when at 2 pm on Friday, February 16, Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite dialed 9-1-1 and at the Haleyville Alabama City Hall United States Congressman Tom Bevill answered the call at the city's police station. In that simple transaction the independent Alabama Telephone Company beat national giant Ma Bell (AT&T) in the race to complete the first 9-1-1 call in the United States.
After this transformative event, the 9-1-1 system grew organically across the country. Although we have come to think of the ability to dial 9-1-1 and get help as a long established right, it wasn't until October 26, 1999 when President Bill Clinton signed into law the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 that 9-1-1 became the official national three digit emergency code of the United States of America.
A no less colorful process has taken place in the European Union before and since the day in 1999 when European Parliament established 1-1-2 as the three digit emergency code for member states. Think about the challenges faced in bringing the 9-1-1 system to North American and add the complexity of multiple national governments, languages, cultures and so many more issues and you get a sense why 1-1-2 day is a reason to celebrate.
There's even a hymn performed by internationally known recording artist Nara Noian that celebrates the 1-1-2 system and teaches children how to use it.
Congratulations to all of those responsible for the success of 1-1-2 in Europe not in of the least of whom are the members of the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) and the 112 Foundation.
