There was little informal contact between the two sides; East German guards were under orders not to speak to Westerners.[97] After the initiation of détente between East and West Germany in the 1970s, the two sides established procedures for maintaining formal contacts through 14 direct telephone connections or Grenzinformationspunkte (GIP, "border information points"). They were used to resolve local problems affecting the border, such as floods, forest fires or stray animals.[98]