Emergency telephone number

Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may differ from country to country. It is typically a three-digit number so that it can be easily remembered and dialed quickly. Some countries have a different emergency number for each of the different emergency services; these often differ only by the last digit.

1 Use of emergency numbers
2 Emergency numbers and mobile telephones
3 Configuration and operation
4 History of emergency services numbers
5 Emergency numbers
6 See also
7 Notes
8 External links

Use of emergency numbers

In all areas, the emergency number is intended to be used only in an emergency. Routine and non-urgent calls as well as hoax or prank calls to emergency services numbers waste the time of both dispatchers and emergency responders and can endanger lives. False reports of emergencies are often prosecuted as crimes.

For routine and non-urgent enquiries emergency services in most countries generally provide traditional telephone numbers for contact. These are normally listed in the local telephone directory. In England and Wales, for example, where serious emergencies have a three-digit number 999 (or 112), the number 0845 46 47 can be dialled for NHS Direct, a non-emergency medical service. (In Scotland the number 08454 24 24 24 is used to connect to NHS24, the equivalent service). A similar non-emergency class of numbers is also offered by the police in most countries. For example in Austria, 059133 would be used to report a crime which does not require an emergency response.

In many areas, in the North American Numbering Plan, 311 has been assigned as an urgent telephone number that may be used to contact the police and other services to report minor incidents and historic crime that does not endanger life, to avoid overloading 911. Other cities in North America use 311 as a general contact number for municipal government or for reporting situations such as power outages.

The telephone number 112 is the international emergency telephone number for GSM mobile phone networks. It does not necessarily work on mobile phone networks based on other technologies. In all European Union countries it is also the emergency telephone number for both mobile and fixed-line telephones.^[1]

To avoid overloading the European normal 112 number, Sweden has an automatic routing of the incoming phone calls. If the local emergency center is overloaded the call will be routed to another emergency center that's not overloaded, thus avoiding queuing of emergency calls.

Recently, the FCC has required that all phones in the US be capable of re-routing "1-1-2" to 9-1-1 networks.

Emergency numbers and mobile telephones

The GSM mobile phone standard includes 112 as an emergency number, and in countries where 112 is not the standard emergency telephone number, GSM telephone users who make calls to 112 generally have their calls redirected to the local emergency telephone number, if it exists. This is valuable for foreign travelers, who may not know the local emergency number. Most GSM mobile phones can dial 112 calls even when the phone keyboard is locked, the phone is without a SIM card, or instead of the PIN.

Using 112 instead of another emergency number on a GSM phone may be advantageous, since 112 is recognized by all GSM phones as an emergency number. A phone dialing a different emergency service's number may refuse to roam onto another network, leading to trouble if there is no access to the home network. Dialing 112 forces the phone to make the call on any network possible. Some GSM networks will not accept emergency calls from phones without a SIM card, or even require a SIM card that has credit.

However, not all countries treat wireless emergency calls in the same way. For example, Latin American GSM networks typically do not allow 112 calls without a SIM, and Singapore mobile networks do not support 112 except for foreign travellers with roaming mobile phones.

In the United States, the FCC requires networks to route every mobile-phone and payphone 911 call to an emergency service call center, including phones that have never had service, or whose service has lapsed. As a result, there are programs that provide donated used mobile phones to victims of domestic violence and others especially likely to need emergency services.

Mobile phones generate additional problems for emergency operators, as many phones will allow emergency numbers to be dialed even while the keypad is locked. Since mobile phones are typically carried in pockets and small bags, the keys can easily be depressed accidentally, leading to unintended calls. A system has been developed in the UK which connects calls where the caller is silent to an automated system, leaving more operators free to handle genuine emergency calls.^[2]

Configuration and operation

The emergency telephone number is a special case in the country's telephone number plan. In the past, calls to the emergency telephone number were often routed over special dedicated circuits. Though with the advent of electronic exchanges these calls are now often mixed with ordinary telephone traffic, they still may be able to access circuits that other traffic cannot. Often the system is set up so that once a call is made to an emergency telephone number, it must be answered. Should the caller abandon the call, the line may still be held until the emergency service answers and releases the call.

An emergency telephone number call may be answered by either a telephone operator or an emergency service dispatcher. The nature of the emergency (police, fire, medical) is then determined. If the call has been answered by a telephone operator, they then connect the call to the appropriate emergency service, who then dispatches the appropriate help. In the case of multiple services being needed on a call, the most urgent need must be determined, with other services being called in as needed.

Emergency dispatchers are trained to control the call in order to provide help in an appropriate manner. The emergency dispatcher may find it necessary to give urgent advice in life-threatening situations. Some dispatchers have special training in telling people how to perform first aid or CPR.

In many parts of the world, an emergency service can identify the telephone number that a call has been placed from. This is normally done using the system that the telephone company uses to bill calls, making the number visible even for users who have unlisted numbers or who block caller ID. For an individual fixed landline telephone, the caller's number can often be associated with the caller's address and therefore their location. However, with mobile phones and business telephones, the address may be a mailing address rather than the caller's location. The latest "enhanced" systems, such as Enhanced 911, are able to provide the physical location of mobile telephones. This is often specifically mandated in a country's legislation.

History of emergency services numbers

When an emergency happened in the pre-dial (or "manual") telephone era, the user simply picked up the telephone receiver and waited for the operator to answer "number, please?" The user responded with "get me the police," "get me the fire service," or "I need an ambulance/doctor." Even in a large city it was seldom necessary to ask for these services by number.

In small towns, operators frequently went the extra mile by knowing where to reach doctors, vets, and law enforcement personnel at all times. Frequently, the operator was also responsible for activating the town's fire alarm.

When manual switching systems began to be replaced by automatic, or "dial" systems, there was frequently concern among users that the very personalized emergency service provided by manual operators would be lost.

This problem was at least partially solved in the USA, Canada, and the UK by dialing "0" for the local assistance operator in case of emergency, although faster service could be obtained if the user dialed the full number for the Police or Fire Department. This system remained essentially unchanged throughout most of North America until the 1970s.

The first emergency number system to be deployed was in London on June 30, 1937. When 999 was dialed, a buzzer sounded and a red light flashed in the exchange to attract an operator's attention. It was gradually extended to cover the entire country, but it was not until the late 1970s that the facility was available from every telephone.

In the days of loop disconnect dialing, attention was devoted to making the numbers difficult to dial accidentally by making them involve long sequences of pulses, such as with the UK 999 emergency number. This contrasts to modern times, where repeated sequences of numbers are easily dialed on mobile phones, particularly as mobile phones will dial an emergency number while the keypad is locked or even without a SIM card. Some people in the UK have reported accidentally dialing 112 by loop-disconnect while working on extension telephone wiring, and point to this as a disadvantage of that number.

The first North American emergency number was the 911 system deployed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1959 at the urging of Stephen Juba, mayor of Winnipeg at the time. The first US 911 emergency phone system came nine years later and was set up in Alabama in 1968, but it was not in use everywhere until the 1980s to standardize the number across most of the NANP.

The implementation of 911 service in the USA was a gradual and haphazard process. The chief obstacle was the fact that telephone service boundaries seldom, if ever, coincided exactly with governmental and other jurisdictional boundaries. In other words, a user might dial 911, only to discover that he had been connected to the wrong dispatch center because he had telephone service from one location, but lived within the boundaries of another jurisdiction.

Furthermore, a great deal of electromechanical switching equipment was still in use, and much of it was difficult if not impossible to adapt to recognize 911, especially in small towns and rural areas where the call might have to be switched over a considerable distance. For this reason, it is still not unusual for a County Sheriff's Department to have an "800" (long distance, toll-free) number.

Gradually, various problems were overcome; "smart" or "enhanced" 911 systems were developed that not only displayed the caller's number and address at the dispatch center, but also could be configured so that 911 calls were automatically routed to the correct dispatch center, regardless of which central office the caller was served from.

The rapid replacement of electromechanical switching systems in the 1980s with electronic or digital systems eliminated the problem of older switches that would not recognize 911. At this point, 911 service is available in most of North America, but there is still the occasional small, remote town that does not have it.

In France, in 1928, telephone operators had to connect the calls for emergency reasons even when the phone service was closed. In 1929, an automatic connection system was set up, initially for fewer than 10,000 people in Paris, allowing them to dial 18 to reach the fire brigade. The service was not widespread until the 1970s.

The CEPT recommended the use of 112 in 1972. The European Union subsequently adopted the 112 number as a standard on 29 July, 1991. It is now a valid emergency number throughout EU countries and in many other CEPT countries. It works in parallel with other local emergency numbers in about 2/3 of EU states.

In January 2008, the Internet Engineering Task Force released a set of RFC documents pertaining to emergency calls in IP networks.^[3]

Emergency numbers

Africa

Country	Police	Medical	Fire	Notes
Chad	17		18
Djibouti	17		18
Egypt	122	123	180	Tourist Police - 126; Traffic Police - 128; Electricity Emergency - 121; Natural Gas Supply Emergency - 129.
Ghana	191	193	192	999 for any of the 3 services.
Mali	17	15	18
Morocco	City 19 Country 177	15	15
Nigeria	199	199	199	199 for any of the 3 services.
South Africa	10111	10177	10111	112 from mobile phones (soon also from fixed line phones).
Tunisia	197	190	198	National guard - 193.
Rwanda	112
Uganda	999
Zambia	999	991	993	112 from mobile phones (see www.zambiatourism.com/travel/listings/emergency.htm).
Zimbabwe	995	994	993	999 for any of the 3 services.

Asia

Country	Police	Medical	Fire	Notes
People's Republic of China	110	120	119	Traffic accident - 122. 999 for any of the 3 services in most large cities (e.g. Beijing and Shanghai).
Myanmar	199
Hong Kong	999			992 (fax on fixed line; SMS on mobile phones – latter being only available to subscribers with disabilities); 112 from mobile phones
Republic of China (Taiwan)	110	119
India	100	102	101	Traffic police - 103. 112 from any GSM handsets are redirected to the local emergency number. Talks are underway to designate 108 as the national emergency contact number for Police, Medical and Fire emergencies.^[4]
Indonesia	110	118/119	113	Search and rescue team - 115; Natural disaster - 129; Electricity - 123; Mobile phone and satellite phone emergency number - 112.
Iran	110	115	125	110 also serves as general relay. 112 also works for all emergencies from mobile phones.
Israel	100	101	102	112 also works for all emergencies from mobile phones. 103 IEC.
Japan	110	119		Emergency at sea - 118.
Republic of Korea	112	119		National security hotline - 111; Reporting spies - 113; Reporting a child, mentally handicapped, or elderly person wandering - 182 (missing child report hotline); 114 connects to the phone service provider.
Kuwait	777
Lebanon	112	140	175
Macau	999 318
Malaysia	999			Civil defense - 991; Fire - 994; 112 can be dialed from mobile phones.
Mongolia	102	103	101	100
Nepal	100/103		101
Oman	9999
Pakistan	15/1122	115	16	15/1122 can be used to redirect to any service. 112 from any GSM handset will forward to the local emergency number.
Philippines	117			112 and 911 redirect to 117. 112 and 911 can be dialed from mobile phones. 117 may also be texted from mobile phones. 136 for motorist assistance (Metro Manila only), 163 for child abuse (Bantay Bata)
Qatar	999
Saudi Arabia	999	997	998	Traffic police - 993; Rescue emergency - 911, 112 or 08
Singapore	999	995		Foreign travellers in Singapore with roaming hand phone facilities can dial either the 112 or 911 emergency numbers to reach an Emergency Call Centre in Singapore.
Sri Lanka	119 or 118	110	111	Accident service - 11-2691111.
Thailand	191	1669	199	Bangkok EMS Command Center - 1646 (Bangkok only), Tourist Police "1155" (English speaking emergency and routine assistance).
United Arab Emirates	999 or 112	998 or 999	997
Vietnam	113	115	114

Europe

The most common European emergency number 112 (following Directive 2002/22/EC - Universal Service Directive) and also standard on GSM mobile phones. 112 is used in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom in addition to their other emergency numbers.(sources: European Radiocommunications Office, European Union, SOS 112 Europe, latest status on E-112 initiative: http://www.esafetysupport.org/en/esafety_activities/28_recommendations/).

Country	Police	Medical	Fire	Notes
Albania	19	17	18
Austria	112			Alternative numbers: 133 for police, 144 for medical emergencies, 122 for fire, 140 for alpine emergency, 147 support for children and teens (crisis-hotline).
Belarus	102	103	101	Gas leaks - 104;
Belgium	101	100		112 for any of the 3 services. Missing children - 110; Mental problems/suicide - 106.
Bosnia and Herzegovina	122	124	123	From mobile phones, dial the international emergency numbers 112, 911 and 08 for information about the local emergency numbers that are to be dialed (122, 123 and 124).
Bulgaria	166	150	160	Bulgaria is currently in the process of introducing the universal 112 emergency telephone number.
Croatia	92	94 or 112	93 or 112	Road help - 987.
Cyprus	112 or 199
Czech Republic	112			Alternative numbers: Police - 158; Ambulance - 155; Fire - 150; Municipal police - 156.
Denmark	112			Alternative numbers: 114 for nearest police station (non-urgent).
Estonia	112			Alternative numbers: 110 for police.
Faroe Islands	112
Finland	112			Alternative numbers: 10022 for police.
France	17	More severe 15 Less severe 18	18	112 for any of the 3 services. 112 calls are answered by 15 or 18 dispatchers, depending on the caller's location. 115 for homeless.
Germany	110 or 112	112		116116 Block Emergency Electronic Authorisation e.g. credit cards
Greece	100	166	199	112 for any of the 3 services. Forest fire - 191; Coast guard emergency intervention - 108; Counter-narcotics immediate intervention - 109.
Hungary	107	104	105	112 for any of the 3 services.
Iceland	112			Alternative numbers: Police in Reykjavík Capital Area Non-urgent 4441000
Republic of Ireland	112 or 999			The Irish telephone directory says "Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the emergency service you require" but it has been reported that 911 also works on some networks.
Italy	113	118	115 or 1515	112 for any of the 3 services. Carabinieri (military police) - 112; Guardia di Finanza (Italian Customs/Financial/Border Police) - 117; Polizia di Stato (National Police) - 113; Medical Emergency and Alpine Rescue - 118; Vigili del Fuoco (Firefighters) - 115; Corpo Forestale dello Stato - 1515 (forest fire). 113 also works as a general relay.
Kosovo	911			The previous number used to be 112 like all ex-Yugoslav states, as of 2008 the number was changed to 911 for all emergency services.
Latvia	02	03	01	112 for any of the 3 services. Gas leaks - 04.
Lithuania	02, 102, 022	03, 103, 033	01, 101, 011	112 for any of the 3 services. The non-112 numbers are for separate emergency services differ in distinct telecommunications networks, whereas 112 is available on all networks.
Luxembourg	112 or 113	112
Republic of Macedonia	192	194	193	112 for any of the 3 services.
Malta	112
Moldova	902	903	901	112 is being implemented by 2010.
Netherlands	112			Formerly 06-11. Police (non-urgent) 0900-8844.
Norway	112	113	110	Police (non-urgent) 02800.
Poland	997	999	998	112 for any of the 3 services. Municipal wardens - 986; natural gas/LPG emergencies - 992.
Portugal	112			Forest fire 117
Romania	112
Russia	02 (until 2010-2012)	03 (until 2010-2012)	01 (until 2010-2012)	112 for any of the 3 services (starting 2008-2009) Gas leaks -04.
Serbia	92	94	93	112 for any of the 3 services.
Slovakia	158	155	150	112 for any of the 3 services.
Slovenia	113	112
Spain	National 091 Local 092	061	080,085	112 for any emergency services. Civil Guard 062; Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) 088.
Sweden	112			Non-urgent police 11414
Switzerland	117	144	118	112 for any of the 3 services. Poison - 145; Road emergency - 140; Psychological support (free and anonymous) - 143; Psychological support for teens and children (free and anonymous) - 147; Helicopter air-rescue (Rega) - 1414 or by radio on 161.300 MHz; Air rescue (Air Glaciers) (in Valais only) - 1415.^[5]
Turkey	155	112	110	Gendarmerie: 156; Coast Guard 158
Ukraine	02 or 102	03 or 103	01 or 101	112 for any of the 3 services is being implemented. Gas leaks 04 or 104.
United Kingdom	999 or 112			In 2006 101 was made available in some areas as a non-emergency number for police and local authorities in several areas in England and Wales with complete coverage scheduled for 2008, however funding was pulled by the Home Office in 2007 causing some of the 101 lines to close.^[6]^[7]^[8] However, some other numbers are sometimes classed as "emergency", particularly 0800 111 999 for gas leaks (0800 being a free call prefix), and 08 45 46 47 for NHS Direct (0845 being a local-rate prefix).

Oceania

Country	Police	Fire	Notes
Australia	000		On a mobile phone, dial 112, 000, remembering to tell the operator your exact location. If you have a textphone/TTY, you can use the National Relay Service on 106. SES units in The Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia can be contacted on 132 500. In Western Australia, the number is 1300 130 039. In Tasmania and Northern Territory, you will have to call the individual units. The number 131 444 is used for non-emergency police in NSW. For reporting crimes, Crime Stoppers can be called on 1800 333 000 from all internal states and territories. Threats to national security can be reported on 1800 1234 00. 911 may also be dialed in emergency situation from mobile phones ONLY however the call will be redirected to 000.
Fiji	911	9170
New Zealand	111		Urgent but not emergency police/traffic number 555 (from mobile phones only). Redirect connects many popular foreign emergency numbers. From mobile phones, the international emergency numbers 112, 911* and 08 also work. The 0800 161616 TTY and 0800 161610 fax numbers are operated by the police for all three services.
Solomon Islands	999		There are also local numbers for each service in each urban centre. These local numbers may be quicker than dialling 999.^[9]
Vanuatu	112

North America

Country	Police	Medical	Fire	Notes
Canada	911			Non-emergency 311 in certain areas. Some rural areas still lack 911 service.
Mexico	066, 060, or 080			Some regions redirect 911 calls to the proper number.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	17	15	18
United States of America	911			Non-emergency 311 in certain areas. A few rural areas still lack 911 service. Also 112 is being redirected to 911 on GSM mobile phones.

Central America and the Caribbean

Country	Police	Medical	Fire	Notes
Guatemala	110	120	123	Note:The number 911 exist but this is only for Private Services like a medical insurance
El Salvador	911
Costa Rica	911
Panama	911
Barbados	211	511	311	References: Police, Ambulance, Fire
Cayman Islands	911
Dominican Republic	911
Jamaica	119	110
Trinidad and Tobago	999	990

South America

Country	Police	Medical	Fire	Notes
Argentina	101	107	100	Emergency dispatcher for Buenos Aires (city) and Buenos Aires (province) 911.
Bolivia	110	118
Brazil	190	192	193	Federal highway police 191; federal police 194; civil police 197; state highway police 198; civil defense 199; human rights 100; emergency number for Mercosul area 128; 112 will be redirected to 190 when dialed from mobile phones and 911 will also be redirected to the police number (190) See also: Brazilian telephone numbering plan#Public utility.
Chile	133	131	132
Colombia	112 or 123 (landlines and mobile phones)			Traffic accidents 127, GAULA (anti-kidnapping) 165. More specialized three-digit numbers are available; check the local Yellow Pages for more information.
Colombia	156	132	119
Guyana	911	913	912
Paraguay	911
Peru	105		116
Suriname	115
Uruguay	911
Venezuela	171