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Emergency telephone number

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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.

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 shop someone to the police for possession of drugs.

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 an another emergency center that's not overloaded, thus avoiding queuing of emergency calls.

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. However, some GSM networks (e.g. in Belgium, Spain, UK, Liechtenstein, Austria) are reported to connect emergency calls only from phones with a valid account on their network, e.g. customers and roamers only.[citation needed] Some GSM networks will not accept emergency calls from phones without a SIM card, or even require a SIM card that has credit. Latin American GSM networks typically do not allow 112 calls without a SIM.

Not all countries treat wireless emergency calls in the same way. In general, a country's emergency numbers will all route to 112 as a single point of contact for mobile-originated emergency calls. By contrast, Singapore treats 995 calls for Fire or Ambulance as an emergency call but these calls are not routed to 112. So the phone will dial this number using emergency rules but the call routes to 995 not 112. In Singapore, 112 is only for the Police.

In the United States, the FCC requires networks to route every mobile-phone 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.[citation needed]

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

Worldwide 767

Subscribers of Iridium Satellite phone and SOS International can dial 767 (SOS) to get help or medical evacuation to the nearest SOS International medical centre.

This number has not been yet installed in fixed telephony.

Africa

Country Police Medical Fire Notes
 Chad 17 18
 Djibouti 17 18
 Egypt 122 123 180 Other Numbers: Tourist Police 126 and Traffic Police 128. Electricity Emergency 121, and Natural Gas Supply Emergency 129.
 Ghana 191 or 999 193 or 999 192 or 999
 Mali 17 15 18
 Morocco City 19
Country 177 		15
 South Africa 10111 10177 10111 From mobile phones 112 (soon also from fixed line phones)
 Tunisia 197 190 198 National guard 193
 Rwanda 112
 Uganda 999
 Zimbabwe 995 or 999 994 or 999 993 or 999

Asia

Country Police Medical Fire Notes
 China 110 120 119 traffic accident 122
 Hong Kong 999 992 (fax on fixed line; SMS on mobile phones - latter being only available to subscribers with disabilities); 112 can be dialed from mobile phones
 India 100 102 101 traffic police 103. 112 calls dialed from any GSM handsets are redirected to the local emergency number.
 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
 Japan 110 119 emergency at sea 118
 Kuwait 777
 Lebanon 112 140 175
 Macau 999
 Malaysia 999 civil defense 991 and fire 994 in parallel with 999; 112 can be dialed from mobile phones
 Mongolia 101 102 100
 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 999 995 112 and 911 can be dialed from mobile phones. 112 and 999 route only to the Police. 995 numbers do not dial the Police but go only to Fire and Ambulance.
 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
 Sri Lanka 119 accident service 11-2691111
 Taiwan 110 119
 Thailand 191 1669 199 Bangkok EMS Command Center 1646 (Bangkok only)
 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
 Belarus 102 103 101 gas leaks 104
 Belgium 101 or 112 100 or 112 Missing children 110; mental problems/suicide 106
 Bulgaria 166 or 112 150 or 112 160 or 112 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 police
 Estonia 112 Alternative numbers: 110 for police
 Finland 112 Alternative numbers: 10022 for police
 France 17 or 112 More severe 15 or 112
Less severe 18 or 112 		18 or 112 112 calls are answered by 15 or 18 dispatchers, depending on the caller's location.
 Germany 110 or 112 112
 Greece 100 or 112 166 or 112 199 or 112 forest fire 191; coast guard emergency intervention 108; counter-narcotics immediate intervention 109
 Hungary 107 or 112 104 or 112 105 or 112
 Iceland 112 Alternative numbers: Police in Reykjavík Capital Area Non-urgent 4441000
 Republic of Ireland 999 or 112 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 112 or 113 112 or 118 112 or 115 or 1515 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 pervious number use to be 112 like all ex-Yugoslav states, as of 2008 the number was changed to 911 for all emergency services.
 Latvia 02 or 112 03 or 112 01 or 112 gas leaks 04
 Lithuania 02, 102, 022, or 112 03, 103, 033, or 112 01, 101, 011, or 112 The non-112 numbers are for separate emergency services differ in distinct telecommunications networks, whereas 112 available on all networks.
 Luxembourg 112 or 113 112
 Republic of Macedonia 192 or 112 194 or 112 193 or 112
 Malta 112
 Moldova 902 903 901 is being implemented 112 (finished by 2010)
 Netherlands 112 Formerly 06-11. Police (non-urgent) 0900-8844
 Norway 112 113 110 Police (non-urgent) 02800
 Poland 997 or 112 999 or 112 998 or 112 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) gas leaks 04; emergency (starting 2008-2009) 112
 Serbia 92 or 112 94 or 112 93 or 112
 Slovakia 158 or 112 155 or 112 150 or 112
 Slovenia 113 112
 Spain National 091 or 112
Local 092 or 112 		061 or 112 080,085, or 112 Civil Guard 062; Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) 088. 112 connects with all the Spanish emergency numbers.
 Sweden 112 Non-urgent police 11414
  Switzerland 117 or 112 144 or 112 118 or 112 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[4]
 Turkey 155 112 110 Gendarmerie: 156; Coast Guard 158
 Ukraine 02 or 102 or 112 03 or 103 or 112 01 or 101 or 112 112 is being implemented. Gas leaks 04 or 104 or 112
 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[5][6][7]. 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 Medical Fire Notes
 Australia 000 On a mobile phone, dial 112 or 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. 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.
 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
 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
 Barbados 211 511 311 References: Police, Ambulance, Fire
 Costa Rica 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. 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.
156 132 119
 Guyana 911 913 912
 Paraguay 911
 Peru 105 116
 Suriname 115
 Uruguay 911
 Venezuela 171

See also

  • 000 Emergency phone number in Australia.
  • 111 Emergency phone number in New Zealand.
  • 112 Emergency phone number across the European Union and on GSM mobile networks across the world.
  • 119 Emergency phone number in parts of East Asia.
  • 911 Emergency phone number in US, Canada and other countries.
  • 999 Old emergency phone number in Ireland, Poland and United Kingdom (where it works parallel to 112). Also an emergency number in several non-EU countries.



Notes

  1. ^ Council Decision 91/396/EEC of 29 July 1991 on the introduction of a single European emergency call number, OJ L217, 6.8.91, p.31.
  2. ^ BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Technology tackles bogus 999 calls
  3. ^ "RFCs prepare for Internet emergency calls". blog.anta.net. 2008-01-08. ISSN 1797-1993. Retrieved 2008-01-08. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Template:Fr icon [[Swisscom. [Emergency numbers]
  5. ^ "Crime line to take its last call". 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  6. ^ BBC News Online (2007-11-19). "Bid begins to save 101 crime line". Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  7. ^ BBC News Online (2007-11-15). "Crime hotline loses funding". Retrieved 2008-01-12.
112
112 Canary Islands, Spain.
911
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