Questions and answers on the subject of Alarm

Select the subject area for answers to frequently asked questions and further information.

• What should I do in the case of an emergency abroad?

  In the event of a medical problem abroad, you can reach Rega’s Operations Center around the clock via our international emergency number +41 333 333 333 or by e-mail at ops@­rega.ch.

  If you suffer an accident or acute illness while you are abroad, you should first call out the local rescue services, or contact a local doctor or hospital; only then should you call the Rega Operations Center. Rega can only repatriate patients once they have been hospitalised. After receiving an emergency call, our medical consultants contact the local doctor in attendance and then, based on medical, social and operational considerations, decide on the necessity, time and form of repatriation.

  If the Rega medical consultant considers transportation to be indicated, the flight coordinator organises the repatriation – either by Rega ambulance-jet or on board a scheduled airline. Rega can waive its costs for any missions carried out on patrons’ behalf in the event that insurance companies or any other third party are not liable to pay and thus not required to reimburse the costs of the rescue operation, whether wholly or in part. However, this only applies to services provided or organised by Rega; we are not liable for any costs for other services provided abroad (for example, a medical consultation or a stay in hospital).

  You can find out more here

  • Illustration: emergency abroad
  • Leaflet: Medical emergencies abroad

   

• When calling out Rega, what details about my position does the Rega Operations Center need?

  The following details about the location of the accident are of greatest use to Rega:

  • Name of the village or location
  • Name of meadow or local area
  • If possible, the Swiss coordinates (XXX XXX / YYY YYY)
  • Altitude in metres above sea level
  • Weather (visibility, wind)
  • For the helicopter rescue: obstacles in the area (cables, power lines)?
  • Can the helicopter land or is a rescue winch required?
  • Additional information about the cause of the accident: What happened where and when?
  • No. of casualties and nature of injuries (age/ level of consciousness/breathing)

  Leaflet: Calling out a rescue helicopter

• Nowadays, many mountain-climbers, hikers and ski tour enthusiasts carry a GPS device with them in the mountains. Is that an advantage in the case of an emergency? How important are GPS coordinates to Rega when it is called out and during the rescue missio

  Exact coordinates, whether taken from a GPS finder or from a map, are of great help to us. After the alarm has been raised, our Operations Center passes on the coordinates to the helicopter crew, who, with the aid of a navigation device, are then able to fly to the precise site of the accident. As a result, complex and time-consuming search operations can be avoided. Therefore, in the event of an emergency, we are pleased if you can provide us with the exact GPS coordinates of the person in distress.

  However, as is often the case, this is not quite as straightforward as it might sound: for example, after it is switched on, a GPS device usually takes a few minutes to display the exact position. You should also familiarise yourself beforehand with which buttons you need to push or which menu displays the relevant coordinates. Experience has shown that unfortunately many GPS users do not know exactly where they can find their coordinates in an emergency.

  Moreover, in a stress situation - which is often the case when raising the alarm - it is only too easy to get a digit or the position of the comma wrong when giving the GPS coordinates. It is therefore extremely important to remain calm and to read off the exact coordinates, including the position of the comma and any spaces. It is best to set your GPS to the Swiss coordinate system, Swiss Grid, which delivers the information clearly and simply. We are also are able to take over this data direct without having to convert it.

  One last tip: Never blindly rely on your GPS finder - at that all-important moment, the batteries might fail or it might break as a result of the accident. You should always also know and be able to describe your position without using your GPS, wherever possible giving the place names as shown on official Swiss maps. It is also recommended that you always take a detailed map with you when you go off on a hiking tour. And you should never be tempted to take greater risks - for example, in adverse weather - simply because you are carrying a GPS device.

  Six tips on how to use your GPS device properly:

  • Does it have sufficient battery power for the planned tour?
  • Do I know how and where to find out the coordinates of my position at any given time?
  • Is it switched to Swiss Grid?
  • In stress situations, take care to read the data accurately!
  • Do not take greater risks simply because you are carrying a GPS device!
  • Even if you have a GPS device, always take a map with you (scale 1:50,000 or 1:25,000)

  If you are in possession of a smartphone, it is worthwhile downloading Rega's free mobile application:

  • www.iphoneen.rega.ch
  • www.androiden.rega.ch

  In the case of emergency, besides calling out a rescue helicopter, the emergency app also automatically transmits the coordinates of the caller and then sets up a telephone connection with Rega's Operation Center. After speaking to the person who has raised the alarm, Rega initiates the rescue. In order for the Location Services function of the app to work, the GPS signal needs to be enabled on the phone settings. And particularly important: the smartphone requires an adequate mobile phone reception.

  In addition, the app features a map function that displays the caller's current position, or calculates the coordinates of any location on the map, and shows this data in various formats.

• Can Rega trace the location of my mobile phone?

  If you have called an alarm centre - such as 1414 (Rega) or 144 (ambulance) - by mobile phone within the last two hours, these emergency services are able to determine with which mobile radio antenna or network cell you were last in contact. However, due to the broad coverage range provided by the mobile radio antennae, in the mountains this position-finding method is not very accurate; sometimes it can deviate by several dozen kilometres. Nevertheless, it is one more method of swiftly pinpointing a possible location. However, currently this procedure does not work with all mobile phones.

  If you are in possession of a smartphone, it is worthwhile downloading Rega's free mobile application:

  • www.iphoneen.rega.ch
  • www.androiden.rega.ch

  In the case of emergency, besides calling out a rescue helicopter, the emergency app also automatically transmits the coordinates of the caller and then sets up a telephone connection with Rega's Operation Center. After speaking to the person who has raised the alarm, Rega initiates the rescue. In order for the Location Services function of the app to work, the GPS signal needs to be enabled on the phone settings. And particularly important: the smartphone requires an adequate mobile phone reception.

  In addition, the app features a map function that displays the caller's current position, or calculates the coordinates of any location on the map, and shows this data in various formats.

• If I am in canton Valais and have an emergency radio with me, which rescue organisation should I contact?

  The Valais Cantonal Rescue Organisation (KWRO) is responsible for carrying our rescue operations in the canton of Valais (emergency tel. no. 144).

  You can find further information about emergency radios here:
  Emergency radio

• I often go hiking in the mountains in regions just over the Swiss border. How can I contact the rescue services using an emergency radio?

  If you want to use your emergency radio in the Haute-Savoie and/or Aosta Valley regions, it needs to be equipped with a tone squelch of 123 Hz. Without this, you will not have access to the alarm centre of the local rescue services, and you will only be able to be picked up by other hikers on an «open» line.

  You can find further information about emergency radios here:
  Emergency radio

• How does calling out Rega by emergency radio actually work?

  The countrywide emergency radio channel (161.300 MHz) is at the disposal of the general public for calling out the emergency services if it is not possible to raise the alarm by telephone. Direct help can be requested via this frequency. The emergency channel is monitored by Rega's Operations Center.

  The emergency radio network uses the infrastructure of Rega's emergency radio system. Although this provides widespread coverage, there are some areas without radio contact. It is not possible to call out Rega via the E-channel from everywhere in Switzerland.

  When you buy a new emergency radio, please ensure that it emits a 123.0 Hz tone squelch.

  You can find further information about emergency radios here:
  Emergency radio

• I take a satellite communication device (e.g. Garmin inReach or Spot) with me on my tours. Can I use it to call out Rega directly?

  If you initiate an emergency call via the SOS function of your satellite communication device, it will be transmitted to an international emergency call centre. This call centre then alerts the rescue services responsible for the region concerned, anywhere in the world. In the case of Switzerland, the emergency call is transmitted to Rega.

  If you want to be able to alert Rega directly and without delay, we recommend that you store the e-mail address, alarm@­rega.ch, in your device and use it to contact our Operations Center in an emergency. If you send a message to this address, your current location will also be transmitted and we can reply to you directly. Please note, however, that this option is only available within Switzerland and in areas close to the Swiss border. As soon as you are abroad, we advise you to amend the settings in your device and, if necessary, to raise the alarm via the SOS button.

  Also: If you always have mobile phone reception and are in Switzerland, we recommend that you use our emergency number 1414 or the Rega app to call out Rega.

• What number should I call if I am in Switzerland with a foreign mobile phone and want to call out Rega? Can I simply call 1414 or do I need to precede it with an area code?

  If your mobile phone is equipped with a SIM card from a Swiss network operator, you should dial 1414 without any area code or, if you are outside Switzerland, Rega's emergency number +41 333 333 333. If you are phoning with a SIM card from a non-Swiss provider, you should in all cases use the number +41 333 333 333.

• Does it help Rega if I have saved an ICE (in-case-of-emergency) number on my mobile phone? What is Rega's attitude to such numbers?

  If you have saved an ICE number on your mobile phone, in most cases this only comes into its own after Rega's work has been completed. Directly at the site of the accident, where Rega is usually involved, such a number is not (yet) of any significance, as at this point the prime objective is to get the patient to hospital as quickly as possible. Here personal details are not a priority; Rega primarily wants to know not what the patient is called, but rather what the patient needs. Unfortunately, at this stage there is usually no time to inform the next-of-kin.

  It is not until the patient is admitted to hospital that the matter of informing the next-of-kin arises, and with it, the question as to whether the casualty's mobile phone might contain an ICE number. By then, however, Rega is usually no longer involved in the case.

  We consider it useful to save a so-called ICE number on your mobile phone. However, whether it will really be of any use in the event of emergency we cannot say, as by this time we are no longer attending to the patient but are back at the helicopter base or already out on another mission.

• I am often out and about in areas where mobile phone reception is poor. How can I nevertheless call out Rega in an emergency?

  We recommend that wherever possible emergency calls are made via Rega’s emergency app or by calling our emergency number 1414. If this fails, change your location or try calling the European emergency number 112. If there is no mobile phone network available at all, you also have the possibility of requesting assistance via the emergency radio channel. For this, however, you need a radio device.

  You can find further information about emergency radios here:
  Emergency Radio

• When they are out of range, mobile phones display an «emergency calls only» message. Can I still call out Rega? And how is that possible if I am not able to make normal telephone calls?

  If this message appears, it means that you have a telephone connection, but either you are not within the network reception area of your own telecom provider or your prepaid account is empty. As a result, you are not able to make normal telephone calls. Emergency calls, however, are still possible, but only via the European emergency number 112, which is otherwise hardly used in Switzerland.

  If, however, you are entirely outside the range of the mobile telephone network, e.g. in very remote mountainous regions or at a high altitude, it is not possible to raise the alarm by mobile telephone. Therefore, in such locations it is advisable to take with you an emergency radio device, which can be used to establish a link with Rega's radio network.

  You can find further information about emergency radios here:
  Emergency Radio

• Is it correct that Rega can also be called out by SMS - for example, in the case of a mobile phone battery being very low, very poor reception, or not being able to speak due to a lung injury?

  Yes, in exceptional cases Rega can also be contacted on its emergency number 1414 by sending a SMS. However, this only makes sense when the reception is insufficient to establish a phone connection (a SMS does not need such a strong network connection as a telephone call) or the battery is so low that it is not possible to make a telephone call. Wherever possible, the alarm should always be raised by telephone, so that the operation coordinator on the other end of the line can ask questions about the situation at the accident site. Moreover, very occasionally, SMS messages fail to be delivered to the receiver, and are therefore not a very reliable method of raising the alarm. When calling out Rega by SMS, it is vital to provide precise details and/or the GPS coordinates of the site of the accident, and, if possible, a keyword or two indicating the nature of the accident and the injuries sustained.
  
  Please note: If you have a mobile phone from a foreign provider or are located in a country bordering Switzerland, you should use the number +41 76 601 14 14 for raising the alarm via SMS.

• I am often in Alpine regions along the Swiss border. Can I still call out Rega in the event of an emergency?

  The majority of European countries operate a general emergency telephone number, 112. In all emergency situations, this is the number to call. The alarm center will pass on the information to the appropriate rescue services. We therefore recommend that in the event of an emergency – particularly if you are not sure whether or not you are on Swiss territory - you call the emergency number 112. If it is necessary for Rega to be called out, our Operations Center will be informed immediately.
  
  However, Rega attaches great importance to the fact that, where necessary, it can be contacted directly, including by members of the public. Basically speaking, this concerns cases where the casualty is difficult to reach, the approach route is too long for the rescue services on the ground to reach the patient quickly, or the person raising the alarm considers the use of a rescue helicopter to be necessary.