Research published in New Scientist magazine last year by Leysia Palen , assistant professor of computer science at the University of Colorado , revealed that social networking sites , including Twitter , were more effective than government emergency services when it came to distributing information during emergencies such as the Virginia Tech shooting of April 2007 . Emergency number 112 was introduced in 1991 , works in all EU member states . A recent survey found only 24 percent of Europeans are aware that it exists . Comment: Tech-savvy travelers are using blogs , location and instant messaging tools .
Emergency number 112 was introduced in 1991 , works in all EU member states . A recent survey found only 24 percent of Europeans are aware that it exists . Comment: Tech-savvy travelers are using blogs , location and instant messaging tools .