If things do go wrong, Stay Put, Stay Calm, Take Time, Make a Plan, Stay Warm. 

• If you need help and you have phone coverage, phone 999 or 112; request An Garda Síochána and then ask for Mountain Rescue assistance.
• If you cannot contact emergency services, then send preferably two people for help with details of your location (Six figure grid Reference). Never leave the casualty alone unless absolutely necessary to signal for help.
• When dialling 999/112, what do you ask for?
  • You will get through to an Emergency Service Operator who will ask you whether you require Gardaí, Fire brigade or an Ambulance
  • Ask for An Garda Síochána/Gardaí
  • Then ask for Mountain Rescue and provide your details and location and nature of emergency.
• A mountain rescue team member will then phone you back, if possible, once we have been tasked by the Gardaí.

Information which will help the Gardaí and Mountain Rescue

1. Nature of the emergency: Lost, Injured, Disorientation, Hypothermia (very cold), etc.

2. Number of people in party.

3. Injuries type (If any), numbers of injured, level of consciousness, degree of disability or mobility.
4. Medical history injured parties.
5. Medications.

6. If lost, last known location or any obvious visible landmarks.
7. Where was your point of departure, direction of travel, route plan, duration and speed of travel.

8. Your name, address and contact number.

9. Do you have protective clothing and shelter (Bivvy bags, etc) available

If you are calling on a mobile phone from a mountain, MMRT will be mindful of problems that this may involve such as poor signal, limited battery life, descending darkness and/or visibility and other factors and so they will be attempting to determine the most vital information to initially dispatch a First Response team and ultimately, if necessary, a full rescue team.

Keep in mind that, depending on your location and your accuracy in pinpointing this to the mountain rescue representative, it may be an hour or more before a First Response team from Mountain Rescue reach you and yet longer before a complete rescue is possible. With this in mind the rescue team will endeavour to make your wait as comfortable and safe as possible.

Remember; accidents can happen to experienced and inexperienced mountaineers and hillwalkers. With common sense and preparation you will prepared for any eventuality including an emergency.

Things to remember if you are injured or a member of your group is injured on the mountains:

1. You are responsible for your own safety and you have a duty of care to yourself and others.
2. Your mobile phone may not have a signal, but bring it fully charged.
3. If you are lost, the mountain rescue team will use the information you provide and if you have a mobile phone, use SARLOCK to locate you.
4. It may take the mountain rescue team several hours to reach you.
5. A helicopter is not always available and very limited by bad weather.
6. Weather conditions on the top of a mountain are very different than at the bottom.
7. Weather can deteriorate rapidly to a level that could bring on hypothermia and even death within a short period of time.
8. Use any extra clothing to keep warm, if you have an accident and are immobile hypothermia comes on very fast even in mid- July.
9. Try insulate yourself from the ground.
10. If you get lost or have an accident you could be on the mountain much longer then you had originally planned.
11. Plastic bivvy/survival bags cost about €6 and fit neatly in the bottom of even a small backpack but they could save your life on a mountain. Kishu Tents are inexpensive and a life saver from the elements.

SAFE HILL WALKING AND ENJOY!