Trail sign numbers help rescuers find emergencies faster

Small numbers on hiking trail signs can help emergency services locate accidents quickly in Vorarlberg’s mountains, ORF reports. Giving the number of the nearest sign during an emergency call can save valuable time and, in some cases, lives.

Each sign has a unique location number made up of the municipality number and the sign’s individual number in that municipality. For example, a sign numbered 06 in Fraxern, whose municipality number is 28, has the location number 28.06.

The numbers are centrally recorded by the rescue and fire service dispatch centre. More than 6,000 trail sign locations across Vorarlberg are mapped in V-Atlas, the state’s geographic information system. Each has a record listing details such as destinations, walking times, sign design and mounting directions.

Hikers can find the numbers on the signs, in their location records and in V-Atlas.