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Hidden stories behind emergency numbers

What’s the story behind our ‘three digit’ emergency numbers – and where did they originate? The phone experts at Telephone Systems.Cloud explain all…

999 – UK Emergency number - London launched this

service in 1937 during a period of popularity for telephone call boxes. 000 could not be used as it indicated the start of an STD call, while 999 was said to be the easiest to locate on a rotary-dial telephone in the dark, as it was next but one to the small metal finger stop. 101 - Police (non-emergency) - This UK number is

designed to reduce pressure on 999, allowing police to prioritise emergency calls. Through this number you can talk to your local officer, receive crime prevention advice and report crimes which don’t warrant an emergency response such as if you suspect drug dealing or if your property has been damaged. 105 - National power cut service - This service was

introduced in the UK to enable people to either report or find out more about power cuts in their area. People can also ring this number if they spot damage to electric substations or power lines. 111 - NHS non-emergency - The idea behind this

number was to make it easier for the public to access local health services. People can speak with an advisor who assesses their needs, gives advice and points them in the direction of the next best place to help them, which might be a late opening chemist or out of hours doctor. 119 - NHS track and trace - UK health officials hope

this service can provide early warnings if coronavirus cases increase again as well as helping take the pressure off the 111 NHS service by concentrating on COVID-19 specific cases. It helps trace recent close contacts of anyone who tests positive for the virus and notifies them if they must self-isolate at home to suppress the virus from spreading in the community. 123 - Talking Clock - The talking clock was launched in July 1936, created by the General Post Office (GPO) to settle time disputes, and relieve the pressure on people ringing telephone exchanges to ask the time. London telephonist Ethel (Jane) Cain beat 15,000 telephone operators to become the Speaking Clock’s first voice and won £10.50 in today’s money for her work! Around 12 million calls are made to this service each year with specific peaks around clock changing days, New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Day. 159 - Scams crackdown - A range of major banks and technology firms have backed a new service to help you determine whether a call you receive is from your bank or is the work of scammers. It has been launched by Stop Scams UK and the Global Cyber Alliance. Today, many people fall victim to impersonation fraudsters who pose as banks or other firms to trick customers into sending them money. This new hotline aims to disrupt this crime. 888 - Public safety - This new service has been proposed and greeted with a mixed reception and could be introduced in the UK by the end of the year. The idea is to allow people to use an app, or dial or text 888 to trigger GPS tracking. It would send automatic alerts to emergency contacts such as family or friends if the person does not reach home safely by a set time. Also worth a mention: 555 was introduced by film companies in the 1950s in America to curb prank callers who saw numbers in movies. These digits were chosen as the combination of J, K and L, the letter assigned to the number five on a phone, were not associated with any major American states. Ghostbusters and Fight Club are among popular films featuring telephone numbers with 555 in the code.

OLIO Borrow

has launched

A new section of the OLIO app has launched. Borrow allows neighbours to lend and borrow everyday household items, helping communities cut waste and save money.

On a mission!

The UK Space Agency and NASA have agreed to work together on a mission to observe and map the heliosphere - the area of space surrounding the Sun filled with charged particles known as the solar wind. Scheduled to launch in 2025, the US-led mission will be crucial for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars, and could also improve the UK’s space weather monitoring capability and our understanding of potentially damaging solar flares. As part of the agreement, Imperial College London will design and build one of the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe’s (IMAP) ten instruments – a magnetometer called MAG – while providing ground support and personnel to support the instrument and science team.

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