Stay safe in the hills
There are many, many ways to enjoy Dartmoor. Whether you’re walking, climbing, running or cycling, they can be as treacherous as they are inspiring.
Many accidents occur towards the end of the day when both you and your phone are low on energy. But there are steps you can take to keep you and your party safe, and many of these are before you even leave home. Start by downloading Mountain Rescue’s handy guide.
Maximise your mobile
Whilst your mobile phone may feel a handy backstop in case of emergency, it’s not always the most reliable way of calling for help in the mountains. Signal coverage can be hit and miss and batteries can quickly fade.
Make sure you fully charge up before setting off, then keep call time to a minimum to conserve power – maybe consider carrying a power bank for those long days out. And don’t forget to register your phone with emergencySMS.
If you have hearing or speech difficulties you can contact the 999 emergency services by text. You will only be able to use this service if you are registered with emergencySMS first. Download the guide now.
In case of emergency
If you need to call out mountain rescue, first make a note of all relevant details:
- Location (with a grid reference if possible)
- Name, gender and age of casualty
- Nature of injuries or emergency
- Number of people in the party
- Your mobile phone number.
Dial 999 or 112, then ask for ‘Police’ then ‘Mountain Rescue’. Give all your prepared details of the incident and STAY WHERE YOU ARE until contacted by the rescue team. If you have to make a further 999 call, follow this procedure in full again.