Need to Know...

Imagine this scenario. Your spouse is TDY and your kids are rough housing as usual. One of them is injured so badly that you cannot drive the child to the hospital and care for the child at the same time. You call 112, the emergency number, and the German on the other end doesn’t speak any English and hangs up! You call 112 again, trying to tell the German about your emergency, giving the name of the village and your address, but no Krankenwagen comes!

Sounds pretty horrible, doesn’t it? This is exactly what happened to one of AWGK’s members in November. Luckily she was able to procure help from neighbors and her child is fine now, but how could this nightmare have been prevented? First, arm yourself with knowledge. German phone numbers are not connected by some magic program to addresses like they are in the U.S. The German emergency workers have no idea where you live if you can’t tell them. Knowing this, you need to be able to speak enough German to get help.

As a bare minimum you should be able to say your name, address and phone number in German and, here’s the key, be able to German phonetically spell your name and address and use German number words to say your phone number. For example, I live on the street Hartweg, so I would spell it “ha, aah, air, tay, vay, ay, gay.” Will I ever be able to remember this in an emergency? No, so I should write or type this up and place it by my phone in case I or one of my family members needs to call 110/112 for emergency help.

Secondly, if you would feel more comfortable, take a basic German class at the Airman and Family Readiness Center or a more in depth course. Third, make friends with your neighbors. Most Germans are friendly, willing to help, and quite a few speak English! Lastly, be prepared! Practice emergency scenarios with your family members, especially the children. What if it is you that needs help and your spouse is TDY? Train your children not to panic and to follow the procedures you establish.

Fill in the emergency card on the next page and keep by your telephone to prevent these emergencies from becoming tragedies!

Submitted by: Stephanie Mittuch
Emergency Procedures

Emergency Card
Mein Name ist ________________________________________________________________
( My name is. . . See chart below for phonetic spelling!)
(phonetic spelling ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________)
Meine Telefonnummer ist _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(German numbers: 0: null, 1: eins, 2: zwei, 3: drei, 4: vier (pronounced ‘fear’), 5: fünf, 6: sechs,
7: sieben, 8: acht, 9: neun, rhymes with coin)
Meine Adresse ist ______________________________________________________________
(my address is: street name, house number, zip code, then city/village)
(phonetic spelling _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________)
Key phrases:
Do you speak English? Sprechen Sie Englisch?
Emergency! Notfall!
Call the police! Rufen Sie Die Polizei!
Danger! Gefahr!
Fire! Feuer!
Get a doctor! Holen Sie einen Arzt!
Help! Hilfe!
Get help! Holen sie Hilfe!
I do not speak German. Ich spreche kein Deutsch.
I only speak English. Ich spreche nur Englisch.
Please call an ambulance! Bitte rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen!


German phonetic alphabet:

A = aah J = yut S = es
B = bay K = kah T = tay
C = say L = el U = ooh
D = day M = em V = fow
E = ay N = en W = vay
F = ef O = oh X = icks
G = gay P = pay Y = oops-il-on
H = ha Q = koo Z = t’set

Hospitals in Netherlands:

Atrium Hospital Heerlen (sees Children!)
Henri Dunantstraat 5
T: 0031 (045) 576 66 66 or 0031-45-577-8844

Maasland Hospital Sittard (sees Children!)
Walramstraat 23
T: 0031 (046) 459 77 77

Hospitals in Germany:

University HospitalUniversity Hospital
(sees Children!)
Pauwelsstraße 30
52074 Laurensberg,
Aachen, Germany
Phone: 0241 8088008

Elisabeth-Krankenhaus
(sees Children!)
Hubertusstraße 100
DE-41239 Mönchengladbach
Germany - Nordrhein-Westfalen
Phone: 02166 3940

Heinsberg Hospital
Auf dem Brand 1
DE-52525 Heinsberg
Phone: 02452-188-569

Geilenkirchen Hospital
Martin- Heyden- Strasse 32
DE- 52511 Geilenkirchen
Phone: 02451-409-2339

Red Cross (GK)
0049-2451-63-2068
M-W-TH 0900-1200

Base providers:
Dentist 0049-2451-99-3535 470th on call provider: 0171-260-9570
Med center 0049-2451-99-3200 470th on call provider:0171-260-9365
Tricare 02451-99-3400/3401/3402
Nurse Advise Line, Europe: 00800-4759-2330
Submitted by: Sarah Archer