Emergency telephone number
Encyclopedia
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 service
s 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. Inside the European Union
, 112 was introduced as a common emergency call number during the 1990s, and as the GSM standard emergency number it is now a well known emergency number across the globe today alongside 911 and 999.
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; they can be assisted by computer aided call handling
systems (CACH). 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.
In small towns, operators frequently provided additional service, knowing where to reach doctors, veterinarians, 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 United States, 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.
, New Zealand
before the introduction of 111
in the 1960s – the city had 40 exchanges, all with different emergency numbers, and finding the telephone number for the local exchange would require having to search through the city's 500-page telephone directory
.
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.
Because 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. However in modern times, where repeated sequences of numbers are easily dialed on mobile phone
s, this is problematic, as mobile phones will dial an emergency number while the keypad is locked or even without a SIM
card. Some people have reported accidentally dialing 112 by loop-disconnect for various technical reasons, including while working on extension telephone wiring, and point to this as a disadvantage of the 112 emergency number, which takes only four loop disconnects to activate.
Southern California Telephone Co. began using 116 as an emergency line for Los Angeles
, California
in 1946. The first implementation of the 911 system was deployed in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
in 1959 at the urging of Stephen Juba
, mayor of Winnipeg at the time.
The first United States 911 emergency phone systems went into use nine years later in Alabama
and Alaska
in 1968. The first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama
on February 10, 1968. The second system, in Nome, Alaska
was put into service later that same month. However, 911 systems were not in widespread use until the 1980s when the number 911 was adopted as the standard number across most of the country under the North American Numbering Plan
.
The implementation of 911 service in the USA was a gradual and haphazard process. Because telephone service boundaries did not always exactly match governmental and other jurisdictional boundaries, 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.
Electromechanical switching equipment still in use made it difficult 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 a toll-free "800" area code number.
Gradually, various problems were overcome; "smart" or "enhanced" 911 systems were developed that not only would display 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 what central office the caller was served from. In the United States, most cities have E911 systems either in use, or in their emergency systems design plans.
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.
have a preprogrammed list of emergency numbers. When the user tries to set up a call using an emergency number known by a GSM or 3G
phone, the special emergency call setup takes place. The actual number is not even transmitted into the network, but the network redirects the emergency call to the local emergency desk. Most GSM mobile phones can dial emergency calls even when the phone keyboard is locked, the phone is without a SIM card, or an emergency number is entered instead of the PIN
.
Most GSM mobile phones have 112
, 999
and 911
as pre-programmed emergency numbers that are always available. The SIM card issued by the operator can contain additional country-specific emergency numbers that can be used even when roaming abroad. The GSM network can also update the list of well-known emergency numbers when the phone registers to it.
Using an emergency number recognized by a GSM phone like 112 instead of another emergency number may be advantageous, since GSM phones and networks give special priority to emergency calls. A phone dialing an emergency service number not recognized by it may refuse to roam onto another network, leading to trouble if there is no access to the home network. Dialing a known emergency number like 112 forces the phone to try the call with any available network.
On some networks a GSM phone without a SIM card may be used to make emergency calls and most GSM phones accept a larger list of emergency numbers without SIM card, such as 112, 911, 118, 119, 000, 110, 08, and 999. However, some GSM networks will not accept emergency calls from phones without a SIM card, or even require a SIM card that has credit. For example, Latin American networks typically do not allow emergency calls without a SIM. Also, GSM phones sold in some countries like Singapore do not accept 112 as an emergency number even if they have a SIM card inserted.
The GSM phones may regard some phone numbers with one or two digits as special service codes. It might be impossible to make an emergency call to numbers like 03 with a GSM phone.
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 to connect calls where the caller is sent to an automated system, leaving more operators free to handle genuine emergency calls.
(following Directive 2002/22/EC – Universal Service Directive) and also standard on GSM
mobile phone
s. 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, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom in addition to their other emergency numbers.
E112
Public switched telephone network
The public switched telephone network is the network of the world's public circuit-switched telephone networks. It consists of telephone lines, fiber optic cables, microwave transmission links, cellular networks, communications satellites, and undersea telephone cables, all inter-connected by...
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 service
Emergency service
Emergency services are organizations which ensure public safety and health by addressing different emergencies. Some agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities...
s 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. Inside the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, 112 was introduced as a common emergency call number during the 1990s, and as the GSM standard emergency number it is now a well known emergency number across the globe today alongside 911 and 999.
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
Telephone operator
A telephone operator is either* a person who provides assistance to a telephone caller, usually in the placing of operator assisted telephone calls such as calls from a pay phone, collect calls , calls which are billed to a credit card, station-to-station and person-to-person calls, and certain...
or an emergency service dispatcher
Dispatcher
Dispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
. The nature of the emergency (police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, fire
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, medical
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
) 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; they can be assisted by computer aided call handling
Computer aided call handling
Computer aided call handling is a methodology for managing calls to service providers, such as emergency services, through the use of computer based algorithms in order to make consistent and objective decisions on action to be taken...
systems (CACH). 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
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
or CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
.
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
Caller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
. 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
Enhanced 911
Enhanced 911, E-911 or E911 in North America is one example of the modern evolution of telecommunications based system meant as an easy way to link people experiencing an emergency with the public resources that can help. The dial-three-digits concept first originated in the United Kingdom in 1937....
, are able to provide the physical location of mobile telephones. This is often specifically mandated in a country's legislation.
Operator assistance
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 large cities, it was seldom necessary to ask for these services by number.In small towns, operators frequently provided additional service, knowing where to reach doctors, veterinarians, 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 United States, 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.
Direct-dial numbers
Because numbers were different for every exchange, callers either had to dial the operator or look up the telephone number. An example of this was AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
before the introduction of 111
1-1-1
111 is the emergency telephone number in New Zealand. It was first implemented in Masterton and Carterton on 29 September 1958, and was progressively rolled out nationwide with the last exchanges converting in 1988...
in the 1960s – the city had 40 exchanges, all with different emergency numbers, and finding the telephone number for the local exchange would require having to search through the city's 500-page telephone directory
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
.
The first emergency number system to be deployed was in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
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.
Because 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. However in modern times, where repeated sequences of numbers are easily dialed on mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s, this is problematic, as mobile phones will dial an emergency number while the keypad is locked or even without a SIM
Subscriber Identity Module
A subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module is an integrated circuit that securely stores the International Mobile Subscriber Identity and the related key used to identify and authenticate subscriber on mobile telephony devices .A SIM is held on a removable SIM card, which...
card. Some people have reported accidentally dialing 112 by loop-disconnect for various technical reasons, including while working on extension telephone wiring, and point to this as a disadvantage of the 112 emergency number, which takes only four loop disconnects to activate.
Southern California Telephone Co. began using 116 as an emergency line for Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1946. The first implementation of the 911 system was deployed in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1959 at the urging of Stephen Juba
Stephen Juba
Stephen Juba, OC was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1953 to 1959, and served as the 37th Mayor of Winnipeg from 1957 to 1977. He was the first Ukrainian Canadian to hold high political office in the city.Juba left school at age fifteen, when...
, mayor of Winnipeg at the time.
The first United States 911 emergency phone systems went into use nine years later in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 1968. The first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama
Haleyville, Alabama
Haleyville is a city in Winston and Marion counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. Most of the city is located in Winston County, with a small portion of the western limits entering Marion County. Haleyville was originally named Davis Cross Roads, having been established at the crossroads of Byler...
on February 10, 1968. The second system, in Nome, Alaska
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
was put into service later that same month. However, 911 systems were not in widespread use until the 1980s when the number 911 was adopted as the standard number across most of the country under the North American Numbering Plan
North American Numbering Plan
The North American Numbering Plan is an integrated telephone numbering plan administered by Neustar which encompasses 24 countries and territories, including the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 nations of the Caribbean...
.
The implementation of 911 service in the USA was a gradual and haphazard process. Because telephone service boundaries did not always exactly match governmental and other jurisdictional boundaries, 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.
Electromechanical switching equipment still in use made it difficult 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 a toll-free "800" area code number.
Gradually, various problems were overcome; "smart" or "enhanced" 911 systems were developed that not only would display 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 what central office the caller was served from. In the United States, most cities have E911 systems either in use, or in their emergency systems design plans.
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
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, allowing them to dial 18 to reach the fire brigade. The service was not widespread until the 1970s.
The CEPT
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations
The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations was established on June 26, 1959, as a coordinating body for European state telecommunications and postal organizations...
recommended the use of 112 in 1972. The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
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
Internet Engineering Task Force
The Internet Engineering Task Force develops and promotes Internet standards, cooperating closely with the W3C and ISO/IEC standards bodies and dealing in particular with standards of the TCP/IP and Internet protocol suite...
released a set of RFC documents
Request for Comments
In computer network engineering, a Request for Comments is a memorandum published by the Internet Engineering Task Force describing methods, behaviors, research, or innovations applicable to the working of the Internet and Internet-connected systems.Through the Internet Society, engineers and...
pertaining to emergency calls in IP
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
networks.
Emergency numbers and mobile telephones
Mobile phones can be used in countries with different emergency numbers. A traveller visiting a foreign country does not have to know the local emergency numbers, however. The mobile phone and the SIM cardSubscriber Identity Module
A subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module is an integrated circuit that securely stores the International Mobile Subscriber Identity and the related key used to identify and authenticate subscriber on mobile telephony devices .A SIM is held on a removable SIM card, which...
have a preprogrammed list of emergency numbers. When the user tries to set up a call using an emergency number known by a GSM or 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
phone, the special emergency call setup takes place. The actual number is not even transmitted into the network, but the network redirects the emergency call to the local emergency desk. Most GSM mobile phones can dial emergency calls even when the phone keyboard is locked, the phone is without a SIM card, or an emergency number is entered instead of the PIN
Personal identification number
A personal identification number is a secret numeric password shared between a user and a system that can be used to authenticate the user to the system. Typically, the user is required to provide a non-confidential user identifier or token and a confidential PIN to gain access to the system...
.
Most GSM mobile phones have 112
1-1-2
112 is the principal emergency telephone number that can be dialed free of charge from any telephone or any mobile phone in order to reach emergency services in the European Union , its candidates for accession, members of the EEA agreement, as well as several other countries in the world...
, 999
999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
and 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
as pre-programmed emergency numbers that are always available. The SIM card issued by the operator can contain additional country-specific emergency numbers that can be used even when roaming abroad. The GSM network can also update the list of well-known emergency numbers when the phone registers to it.
Using an emergency number recognized by a GSM phone like 112 instead of another emergency number may be advantageous, since GSM phones and networks give special priority to emergency calls. A phone dialing an emergency service number not recognized by it may refuse to roam onto another network, leading to trouble if there is no access to the home network. Dialing a known emergency number like 112 forces the phone to try the call with any available network.
On some networks a GSM phone without a SIM card may be used to make emergency calls and most GSM phones accept a larger list of emergency numbers without SIM card, such as 112, 911, 118, 119, 000, 110, 08, and 999. However, some GSM networks will not accept emergency calls from phones without a SIM card, or even require a SIM card that has credit. For example, Latin American networks typically do not allow emergency calls without a SIM. Also, GSM phones sold in some countries like Singapore do not accept 112 as an emergency number even if they have a SIM card inserted.
The GSM phones may regard some phone numbers with one or two digits as special service codes. It might be impossible to make an emergency call to numbers like 03 with a GSM phone.
In the United States, the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
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
Pocket Dialing
Pocket dialing refers to the accidental placement of a phone call while a person's mobile phone in the dialer's pocket or handbag. The recipient of the call typically hears random background noise when they answer the phone...
. A system has been developed in the UK to connect calls where the caller is sent to an automated system, leaving more operators free to handle genuine emergency calls.
Africa
| Country | Police | Medical | Fire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria |
17 | 14 | 14 | National Gendarmerie : 1055; Counter Terrorist Unit : 1548; support for children : 3033. |
 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 | |
 Mauritius |
999 | 114 | 115 | |
 Morocco |
City 19 Country 177 |
15 | 15 | |
 Nigeria |
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 | |||
 Sudan |
999 | Traffic Police 777777 | ||
 Sierra Leone |
019 | 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. 112 from mobile phones |
Asia
| Country | Police | Medical | Fire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan |
119 | 102 | 119 | Rewards for Justice 010-8600-070 |
 Bangladesh |
999 | For the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong only (Dhaka Metropolitan Police – "999" and Chittagong Metropolitan Police-"999") | ||
 Bahrain |
999 | |||
 Mainland China |
Patrol: 110 Traffic: 122 |
120 | 119 | Traffic accident – 122. 999 for private ambulance service in Beijing, along with government owned ambulance service 120. |
 Myanmar |
191 | |||
 Hong Kong |
999 | 992 (fax on fixed line; SMS on mobile phones – latter being available only to subscribers with disabilities); 112 from mobile phones (routes to any network service) but redirected to the 999 call centre. | ||
 India |
100 or 2611 | 102,1298,108 1-0-8 108 is a free telephone number for emergency services to call in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Goa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh when emergency... ,112,2611 |
101 or 2611 | Chennai Traffic Police – 103. Delhi Traffic Police – 1095. Kolkata Traffic Police – 1073. 112. Bangalore uses both 108 and 100. There is no national emergency number, but 108 is used in many states. |
 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 Israel Police The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism... |
101 Magen David Adom The Magen David Adom is Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. The name means "Red Star of David"... |
102 Israel Fire and Rescue Services The Israel Fire and Rescue Services is the Israeli state organization for fire fighting and rescuing. The organisation also provides rescue services from terror attacks, car accident and dangerous substance spillages, along with Magen David Adom, the National EMS. They are also involved in public... |
112 also works for all emergencies from mobile phones. 103 Israel Electric Corporation Israel Electric Corporation Israel Electric Corporation is the main supplier of electrical power in Israel.IEC builds, maintains and operates power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as the transmission and distribution networks.... . 106 For municipal hazards that are not emergencies, works in any municipality. |
 Japan |
110 | 119 | Emergency at sea – 118. | |
 Jordan |
911 OR 112 | From Land-line and Mobile will call Command and Control Center "CCC" – 911. | ||
 Kazakhstan |
112 | Police – 102; Ambulance – 103; Fire – 101; Gas leaks 104. | ||
 North Korea |
119 | 112 also works with cellphones. Operators mostly speak only Korean, some may speek English, Russian or Chinese | ||
 South 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 |
112 | Used to be 777 | ||
 Lebanon |
112/999 | 140 | 175 | |
 Macau |
999 | |||
 Maldives |
102 | Civil defence – 118; Police service – 119 can be dialed from mobile phones. | ||
 Malaysia |
999 | The worldwide emergency number for GSM mobile phones, 112 are redirected to the 999 call centre. | ||
 Mongolia |
102 | 103 | 101 | 100 |
 Nepal |
100/103 | 102 | 101 | 112 from any GSM handset will forward to the local emergency number. |
 Oman |
9999 | |||
 Pakistan |
15 Traffic:1915 |
115/1122 | 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 1-1-7 117 is the national emergency telephone number for the Philippines. It is managed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and is also referred to by its official name, Emergency Network Philippines . Colloquially, it is also called Patrol 117, the name used by the Philippine... |
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 Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines... only), 163 for child abuse (Bantay Bata Bantay Bata Bantay Bata 163 is a social welfare program of the ABS-CBN Foundation. Launched in 1997, it aims to protect disadvantaged and at-risk children through a nationwide network of social services... ) |
||
 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. |
 Syria |
112 | 110 | 113 | |
 Republic of China |
110 | 119 | 112 from any GSM handset will forward to the local emergency number. | |
 Tajikistan |
112 | Fire – 101; Police – 102; Ambulance – 103; Gas leaks 104. | ||
 Thailand |
191 | 1669 | 199 | Bangkok EMS Command Center – 1646 (Bangkok only), Tourist Police "1155" (English speaking emergency and routine assistance). |
 Turkey |
155 | 112 | 110 | Gendarmerie Gendarmerie A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as... – 156; Coast Guard – 158 |
 United Arab Emirates |
999 or 112 | 998 or 999 | 997 | |
 Vietnam |
113 | 115 | 114 | |
Europe
The most common European emergency number 1121-1-2
112 is the principal emergency telephone number that can be dialed free of charge from any telephone or any mobile phone in order to reach emergency services in the European Union , its candidates for accession, members of the EEA agreement, as well as several other countries in the world...
(following Directive 2002/22/EC – Universal Service Directive) and also standard on GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications
GSM , is a standard set developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to describe technologies for second generation digital cellular networks...
mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. 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, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom in addition to their other emergency numbers.
| Country | Police | Medical | Fire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania |
129 | 127 | 128 | Road police – 126 |
 Armenia |
102 | 103 | 101 | Search and rescue – 108; Gas leaks – 104; Traffic police – 177 |
 Austria |
112 | Police – 133; Ambulance – 144; Fire – 122; Gas leaks – 128; Alpine rescue – 140; On-duty medical unit – 141; crisis-hotline – 142; support for children and teens – 147. | ||
 Belarus |
102 | 103 0-3 0-3 is the landline emergency telephone number used in Russia, Kazakhstan for summoning emergency medical service... |
101 | Gas leaks – 104; also 112 is being redirected to 101 on velcom GSM-operator mobile phones. |
 Belgium |
112 | Police – 101; Ambulance / Firebrigade – 100; 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). |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
112 | Police – 166, Ambulance – 150; Fire – 160. | ||
 Independent State of Croatia |
112 | Police – 192 (old number was 92); Ambulance – 94; Fire – 93; Search and rescue at sea – 9155; Road help Hrvatski Autoklub Hrvatski autoklub is a Croatian motoring club, an equivalent of the American AAA and British AA. The club provides a number of services to members including technical assistance to drivers on the road, reporting on road congestion in Croatia and administering International Drivers Licenses to... – 987. |
||
| 112 | Police - 115; Fire - 199; Ambulance - 112. | |||
 Cyprus |
112 | Alternative numbers: 199 | ||
 Czech Republic |
112 | Police – 158; Ambulance – 155; Fire – 150; Municipal police – 156. | ||
 Denmark |
112 (old number was 000) | Nearest Police (non-urgent) – 114. | ||
 Estonia |
112 | Police – 110. | ||
 Faroe Islands |
112 | |||
 Finland |
112 (old number was 000) | |||
 Early Modern France |
112 | Police – 17; Hospital-based Ambulance (SAMU) – 15; Fire Service-based Ambulance – 18; Fire – 18. 112 calls are answered by 15 or 18 dispatchers, depending on the caller's location. 115 for homeless. | ||
 Georgia (country) |
022 | 033 | 011 | Gas leaks – 04; 112 from mobile phones, from 2011 from landlines as well; in 2011 emergency numbers will be replaced as follows: 111 (Fire), 122 (Police), 113 (Ambulance), 114 (Gas leaks). |
 Germany |
112 | Additional number for police - 110 | ||
 Gibraltar |
112 or 199 | Fire and Ambulance – 190 | ||
 Greece |
112 | Police – 100; Ambulance – 166; Fire – 199; Forest fire – 1591; Coast guard Hellenic Coast Guard The Hellenic Coast Guard is the national coast guard of Greece. Like most other coast guards, it is a paramilitary organization that can support the Hellenic Navy in wartime, but resides under separate civilian control in times of peace... emergency intervention – 108; Counter-narcotics immediate intervention – 109; Tourist police – 171; Emergency social aid – 197. |
||
 Hungary |
112 | Police – 107; Ambulance – 104; Fire – 105. | ||
 Iceland |
112 | Police in Reykjavík Capital Area Non-urgent – 4441000 | ||
 Republic of Ireland |
999 or 112 | The emergency telephone number to dial in Ireland for Fire, Gardaí (Irish Police), Ambulance, Irish Marine Emergency Service and The Mountain and Cave Rescue is 999 or 112. These numbers are to be used only in an emergency. | ||
 Italy |
112 | Ambulance – 118; Fire Vigili del Fuoco The Vigili del Fuoco, literally the Fire Watch, is Italy's institutional agency for fire and rescue service... – 115; (State Police Polizia di Stato The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police... ) – 113; (Carabinieri Carabinieri The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:... ) – 112; (Forest Service Corpo Forestale dello Stato The State Forestry Corps is a national police agency in Italy.It was established on 15 October 1822 by Charles Felix of Sardinia as "Amministrazione forestale per la custodia e la vigilanza dei boschi".An agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the CFS acts... ) – 1515; Guardia di Finanza Guardia di Finanza The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's... (Customs/Financial Police) – 117; Coast guard – 1530. Also 911 is redirected to 112. |
||
 Republic of Kosovo |
911 | Kosovo Police – 192/922 from cellphones, and 92 from fix lines. The previous number used to be 112 Emergency dispatch center where citizens can be connected with all first responders in emergency (Fire Fighters, Kosovo Police, and First Medical Aid). | ||
 Latvia |
112 | Police – 02; Ambulance – 03 0-3 0-3 is the landline emergency telephone number used in Russia, Kazakhstan for summoning emergency medical service... ; Fire – 01; Gas leaks – 04. |
||
 Lithuania |
112 | Police – 02 / 102 / 022; Ambulance – 03/ 103 / 033; Fire – 01 / 101 / 011. The non-112 numbers are for separate emergency services differ in distinct telecommunications networks, whereas 112 is available on all networks. | ||
 Luxembourg |
112 | Police – 113. | ||
 Republic of Macedonia |
112 | Police – 192; Ambulance – 194; Fire – 193. | ||
 Malta |
112 | Previously: Police 191; Ambulance 196; Fire 199. | ||
 Moldova |
902 | 903 | 901 | 112 is being implemented by 2010. |
 Monaco |
112 | Police – 17, Ambulance, severe – 15; Ambulance, less severe – 18, Fire – 18. 112 calls are answered by 15 or 18 dispatchers, depending on the caller's location. 115 for homeless. | ||
 Kingdom of Montenegro |
112 | Police – 122; Ambulance – 124; Fire – 123. | ||
 Netherlands |
112 | Police (non-urgent) – 0900-8844. Also 911 is being redirected to 112 on GSM mobile phones. | ||
 Norway |
112 | 113 | 110 | Police (non-urgent) – 02800. |
 Poland |
112 | Police – 997; Ambulance – 999; Fire – 998; Municipal wardens – 986; natural gas/LPG emergencies – 992. | ||
 Portugal |
112 | Forest fire 117 | ||
 Kingdom of Romania |
112 | Former short numbers: (Police Romanian Police The Romanian Police is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform.-Duties:The Romanian Police are responsible for:... ) – 955; Ambulance – 961; (Firefighters) – 981; (Gendarmerie Jandarmeria Româna Jandarmeria Română is the military branch of the two Romanian police forces .The gendarmerie is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform and does not have responsibility for policing the Romanian Armed Forces... ) – 956; Civil Protection – 982; Family Violence – 983 |
||
 Russia |
112 | Police – 02; Ambulance – 03; Fire, Search and rescue – 01; Gas leaks – 04. The new number 112 began operating in 2011 | ||
 San Marino |
113 | 118 | 115 | |
 Serbia |
112 | Police – 92; Ambulance – 94; Fire – 93 | ||
 Slovakia |
112 | Police – 158; Ambulance – 155; Fire – 150 | ||
 Slovenia |
112 | Police – 113 | ||
 Spain |
112 | National – 091; Local Police – 092; Ambulance – 061; Fire – 080,085; Civil Guard – 062; Mossos d'Esquadra Mossos d'Esquadra The Mossos d'Esquadra are the police force of Catalonia, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. It is the oldest civil police force in Europe, founded in the 18th century as the Esquadres de Catalunya to protect the people of Catalonia.... (Catalan police) 088 |
||
 Sweden |
112 (old number was 90000) | Non-urgent police – 11414; The old 90000 is still being redirected to 112 | ||
 Switzerland |
112 | Police – 117; Ambulance – 144; Fire – 118; 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 Rega (air rescue) The Rega is the air rescue service which provides emergency medical assistance in Switzerland, notably in mountains but also in cases of life-threatening emergencies elsewhere. They will also return a patron to Switzerland from a foreign country if they are in need of urgent medical care. Rega was... ) – 1414 or by radio on 161.300 MHz; Air rescue (Air Glaciers Air Glaciers Air Glaciers is an airline based in Sion, Switzerland. It operates air taxi, air ambulance, heli-skiing, crop treatment and some scheduled services.-History:The airline was started in 1965 as an air ambulance with just one helicopter... ) (in Valais Valais The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley... only) – 1415. |
||
| Turkey |
155 | 112 | 110 | Gendarmerie Gendarmerie A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as... – 156; Coast Guard – 158 |
 Ukraine |
112 | Police – 102; Ambulance – 103; Fire – 101; Gas leaks – 104. | ||
 United Kingdom |
999 or 112 | In 2006 101 was made available as a non-emergency number for police (and in some areas local authorities) in England and Wales. 111 was made available (in England and Wales) as a non-emergency number for health issues. 999 and 112 can be used from any phone. When dialing 999 or 112, the caller is connected with a telecoms operator such as BT, Cable & Wireless, Railnet, or Kingston Communications, and the operator will ask what service is required. Operators have access to interpretation services covering 170 languages. Deaf people can text 18000 for the emergency services (after registration). 999 was first introduced on the 30th June 1937 in London. | ||
 Vatican City |
113 | 118 | 115 | 112 is being redirected to 113 on GSM mobile phones |
Australia and Oceania
| Country | Police | Medical | Fire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
000 |
From a mobile phone – 112 or 000. No other emergency numbers, such as 999 or 911, are redirected. State Emergency Service State Emergency Service A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue... (ACT, VIC, NSW, QLD, SA) – 132 500; SES (WA) – 1300 130 039; From a Textphone/TTY call the National Relay Service on 106 106 emergency 106 is the Australian national textphone/TTY emergency number. It is operated by the Australian Communications Exchange, a non-profit organization that provides the relay services component for the National Relay Service... ; Non Emergency – Police Assistance Line – 131 444; (NSW, QLD, SA, WA, NT, TAS, ACT); Crime Stoppers – 1800 333 000; Threats to national security – 1800 123 400; |
||
 Fiji |
911 | 9170 | ||
 New Zealand |
111 | *555 traffic (from mobile phones only) 0800 161616 Deaf TTY Telecommunications device for the deaf A telecommunications device for the deaf is a teleprinter, an electronic device for text communication over a telephone line, that is designed for use by persons with hearing or speech difficulties... 0800 161610 deaf fax 111 deaf SMS (registered mobile phones only) |
||
 Solomon Islands |
999 | There are also local numbers for each service in each urban centre. These local numbers may be quicker than dialling 999. | ||
 Vanuatu |
112 | |||
North America
| Country | Police | Medical | Fire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canada |
911 | Non-emergency 311 3-1-1 The non-emergency telephone number 3-1-1 is a special N-1-1 telephone number in many communities in Canada and the United States that provides quick, easy-to-remember access to non-emergency municipal services or a Citizen Service Center... in certain areas. Some rural areas still lack 911 service. 112 is being redirected to 911 on GSM mobile phones. *677 connects to the Provincial Police within the province of Ontario and *4141 links to the Sûreté du Québec Sûreté du Québec Sûreté du Québec or SQ is the provincial police force for the Canadian province of Québec... in the province of Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... . |
||
 Greenland |
112 | 112 works from only mobile phones; fixed line phones must call the local police or hospital. | ||
 Mexico |
066 | 065 | 068 | "066" can be used as a general emergency number, In densely populated areas, 911 is redirected to the proper number. |
 Saint-Pierre and Miquelon |
17 | 15 | 18 | |
 United States |
911 | Various services available through regional or national N11 code N11 code An N11 code or N11 number is a special abbreviated dialing telephone number within the North American Numbering Plan, which allows access to special services. Each of these eight numbers prevents 10,000 telephone numbers from being used... s (e.g.: 311 3-1-1 The non-emergency telephone number 3-1-1 is a special N-1-1 telephone number in many communities in Canada and the United States that provides quick, easy-to-remember access to non-emergency municipal services or a Citizen Service Center... non-emergency police) in certain areas. 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 exists only for private services like medical insurance. |
 El Salvador |
911 | |||
 Costa Rica |
911 or 112 | |||
 Panama |
911 | |||
 Barbados |
211 | 511 | 311 | References: Police, Ambulance, Fire |
 Cayman Islands |
911 | |||
 Dominican Republic |
911 or 112 | From a mobile phone – 112 or 911 Also 112 is being redirected to 911 on GSM mobile phones[12]. | ||
 Jamaica |
119 | 110 | ||
 Trinidad and Tobago |
999 | 990 | ||
 Nicaragua |
118 | |||
 Honduras |
199 | |||
South America
| Country | Police | Medical | Fire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
101 | 107 | 100 | Emergency dispatcher for Buenos Aires (city), Santa Fe (city), Rosario (city), Salta and Buenos Aires (provinces) 911. |
 Bolivia |
110 | 118 | 119 | |
 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 Yellow Pages Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, organized by category, rather than alphabetically by business name and in which advertising is sold. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings... for more information. |
||
| 156 | 132 | 119 | ||
 Ecuador |
911 (landlines and mobile phones) | All types of emergencies in Guayaquil (112 landlines, *112 mobile phones), traffic accidents in Guayaquil 103, red cross 131. | ||
| 101 | 911 | 102 | ||
| French Guyana | 17 | 15 | 18 | |
 Guyana |
911 | 913 | 912 | |
 Paraguay |
911 | |||
 Peru |
105 | 117 | 116 | Civil defense Civil defense Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery... (disasters) 115 – Domestic violence Domestic violence Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation... helpline 100 |
 Suriname |
115 | |||
 Uruguay |
911 | |||
 Venezuela |
171 | |||
E112
- eCall
- Emergency telephoneEmergency telephoneAn emergency telephone is a phone specifically provided for making calls to emergency services and is most often found in a place of special danger or where it is likely that there will only be a need to make emergency calls....
- Enhanced 911Enhanced 911Enhanced 911, E-911 or E911 in North America is one example of the modern evolution of telecommunications based system meant as an easy way to link people experiencing an emergency with the public resources that can help. The dial-three-digits concept first originated in the United Kingdom in 1937....
- In case of emergencyIn case of emergencyIn case of emergency is a programme that enables first responders, such as paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and Hospital personnel, to contact the phone owner's next of kin to obtain important medical/support information...
(ICE) entry in the mobile phone book. - National Emergency Number AssociationNational Emergency Number AssociationThe National Emergency Number Association is an organization whose mission it is to foster the technological advancement, availability, and implementation of a universal emergency telephone number system in the United States. In carrying out its mission, NENA promotes research, planning, training...
(NENA)
See also
- Aeronautical Emergency Communications System PlanAeronautical Emergency Communications System PlanIn telecommunication, the Aeronautical Emergency Communications System Plan provides for the operation of aeronautical communications stations, on a voluntary, organized basis, to provide the President and the Federal Government, as well as heads of state and local governments, or their designated...
- Amateur radio emergency communicationsAmateur radio emergency communicationsIn times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when wireline, cell phones and other conventional means of communications fail....
- Emergency communications networkEmergency communications networkAn emergency communications network is designed to provide reliable communications during an emergency.The term may refer to a military network, such as:* Ground Wave Emergency Network* Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network...