What number should my spouse call if I'm late?

[GoldenBear]

I invariably hike alone on the trail, but I'm not stupid. I always tell my spouse (1) where I'm hiking and (2) what day and time I should be done. But let's say she DOESN'T hear from me when that time arrives -- who exactly should she call? I could be unconscious just off the trail, in need of medical attention, and every minutes might count. But who should be alerted to that possibility?

If *I* make the call for help (and I have, and I make not the slightest apology for using a cell phone to summon aid when I thought I might be having a heart attack), then it's a simple matter of dialing 911. But what about a call that someone else MIGHT need assistance? Is there a reference or list of numbers for those situations? Particularly if it's after hours?

In a national or a state park, it'd probably be the park rangers. Probably be the same for a national or a state forest. But would the park or forest office be a useful place to call? What to do if the office is closed and the recording says, "In the event of an emergency, please dial 911." That won't help much if the person is 500 kilometers away from the potential problem!

And what if I hike where there isn't a central office that administers the land? Or over several jurisdictions? Should she call the county sheriff? The local police? The fire department?

As a specific example of what I faced, this past week I hiked in the Pennsylvania State Game Lands of Dauphin County (DC). I figured the DC Sheriff would be the best place to make the first call. So I went to the county Internet site, and found that the sheriff's office of DC lists its main job as transporting prisoners and securing courtrooms! The URL listed its emergency numbers as '911' -- useful for me, but NOT for my spouse. I ended up giving her the numbers for the local police and fire departments -- and not really being sure if that would have been the best choice. If my spouse is worried over my not calling to say that I've finished my hike, the LAST thing I want her to do is spend time finding the correct number to dial when every recorded message says, "In the event of a emergency, please call 911."

Any thoughts or suggestions -- particularly SPECIFIC ones -- are welcome. I'm going to be doing a lot of solo hiking over the next few years, and we'll BOTH feel a whole lot better if we know that help will be summoned if a hike doesn't end when expected.

[WetBottom]

This is an interesting question, and I'm curious to hear what other people think.

I horseback ride, and while I try not to ride when no one is around, I occasionally do. I always call and tell someone I'm getting on, and if I haven't called you back by X-time please attempt to call me, and if you can't reach me call the police.

I personally don't think it's inappropriate to call 911 in a circumstance where someone really felt another person was missing or indanger. The 911 operator should be able to contact the correct authority.

[Dances with Mice]

County sheriff would be my first choice. If they're not exactly the right contact they'll know who is.

[Blissful]

You know, to be honest I never worried about that, and as a female I hiked 90% of the time alone last year and my son had the cell phone (!). We tried to call in with my hubby - like we arrived in town or we happen to get a signal at a shelter. If he didn't hear from us, he knew he would eventually. Sometimes cells just don't work, you run out of battery power, and it would be a shame for your wife to track down authorities because you have run into a problem with your phone (phone problems happened to us many times). As far as getting hurt, yeah it can happen, but the chance of you totally unconscious and unable to call is about as rare as it can get. But it's best anyway to keep your emergency contact info on your person or trail wallet so the authorities can call to track down emergency contacts. It's amazing actually how things work out, even if you are injured (again, happened to us several times. People were there when we needed them). Sometimes you can try to plan it, but really you have to trust it will work out.

If your wife has an emergency, it's best to have someone there to help her on the home front and to call your cell phone and you call when you can. Unless you are in specific jurisdictions like national forests and parks with park officials to help.

[RedneckRye]

867-5309

[mudhead]

In Maine I use the State Police.

In Canada I use the RCMP.

They know who to get in touch with. I trust them.

Plate number and vehicle description. Digital photo of unshaven self on home computer.

In a particular park, the local contact may or may not be good. Here in Acadia National Park, good luck getting a warm (coherent) body to answer the phone, and all the trailheads say to call 911.

[sasquatch2014]

We had a situation this year where parents had not heard from their son for a while. I was really regular in checking in so they became concerned. They called the ATC office who called the Mid Atlantic office who then called the NY/NJ Trail Conference and found out who the area supervisor of this area of trail was. They had an idea of where on the trail he should have been at this time. She in turn contacted me as she know that I am often out on the trail and may well have heard of him. I got a call that next AM from some hikers wanting a ride into town from the trail and when I took them in to meet up with their friends and asked about the wayward son turns out I had just missed him by 15 min and they had camped with him the night before and planned to see him again that night. He had taken a few days to go in to NYC.

Long and the short of it is most times someone can find you with a bit of calling and looking.

[rlharris]

In the Whites, call the NH State Police. They have a toll-free number: 1-800-525-5555

[Wise Old Owl]

I am with Mudhead - Here in PA calling 911 for a State PD - looses critical minutes. Almost 10 in fact, for them to forward. I load my phone with family and state pd's of the area. The local park where I exercise, etc. And don't forget to put "ICE" after your wifes name. Just do your best.


On a side note if they can't get to you with a patrol car - they claim a helicopter can get anywhere in the state within a hour. But think, depending on the emergency - dialing 911 can be best for a med team can be there, such as Hershey, can pluck you out of a clearing within half an hour. The real issue is how do you plan to signal your exact location to helicoptor that's looking for you under a canopy of trees? The mirror idea only works on sunny days.

[thestin]

I usually find the county of the area I'm hiking in, and write down the sheriff's department number. I've been involved in looking for lost hikers, and in mountainous areas they seem to be the ones who will either start the search, or know who to call.

The problem with calling ATC is that they are not in the office nights, weekends and holidays.

[bathtub boy]

this gadget came to mind when i read your post http://www.explore64.com/explore64/SOT0001/SPOT-Satellite-Messenger.html?CMP_ID=SH_FRO005&mv_pc=r126

[bmac]

I think the reason for having "911" is so you don't have to look up or remember the right number to dial if you need help or if your family member has not heard from you and may think that you need help. If your wife or loved one knows your general location, He / She can dial 911 and the 911 operator will put him / her in contact with the proper authorities. In some counties (as with mine), there are several law enforcement offices in service, however they all do not serve the same purpose. For example, the sheriff's office is responsible for serving warrants / subpoenas and providing security for the courts, while the county police department is responsible for the typical law enforcement activities. So the moral of the story is to call 911, tell them the location of the person, and the operator will figure out who should be contacted to search for the missing / injured person.

[Sly]

I think I've seen where some have called the ATC, which probably relays the message to the proper authorities.

[ki0eh]

In most of Pennsylvania, the Sheriff's office is not a general law enforcement agency and there is no such thing as county police. The ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.856595/ is a good source during business hours, I'm not sure what happens after hours if you call (Lauriep ?)

For the A.T. north of the Susquehanna especially the "St. Anthony's Wilderness" area of SGL 211 the best single number is probably the Southeast Region PA Game Commission http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=463&q=150202 . West of the Susquehanna try the Southcentral Region http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=463&q=150195 .