Emergency services: 999 or 112
Police non-emergency: 101
Urgent medical help when it is not a 999 emergency: 111
When to call the emergency services
It is important that you only call 999 or 112 when you need emergency help.
An emergency is something that needs an immediate response from the police, ambulance service, fire and rescue service, or HM Coastguard.
What is an emergency?
Call 999 or 112 if somebody's life is in danger, somebody is seriously ill or injured, there is an immediate threat of serious violence, a serious crime is happening, or there is another situation where emergency help is needed immediately.
Examples include:
- chest pain or signs of a heart attack
- severe difficulty breathing
- somebody who is unconscious or not breathing normally
- serious bleeding
- a serious road traffic collision
- a fire
- somebody being attacked, or an immediate threat of serious violence
- a burglary, robbery, or other serious crime that is happening now
- somebody in danger at sea or around the UK coast
You do not need to decide how serious an emergency is with perfect accuracy. If you genuinely believe that somebody is in immediate danger or needs urgent emergency help, call 999 or 112.
What isn't a 999 emergency?
If nobody is in immediate danger and you do not need an emergency response, do not call 999. Calling 999 for non-emergency reasons takes resources away from people who may genuinely need immediate help.
Unfortunately, people have called the emergency services for some very odd reasons over the years, some of the most notable being people who:
- couldn't find their TV remote
- wanted an ambulance to give them a lift
- wanted to know whether it was Monday
- had a splinter in their finger
- had toothache
- wanted help because there was a rat behind their wardrobe!
Use 101 for police non-emergencies, and 111 for urgent medical help when the situation is not a 999 emergency.
However, if you are genuinely unsure whether somebody is facing a medical emergency, don't let fear of "wasting their time" stop you calling for help. The emergency services would rather assess a genuine concern than have somebody delay calling when a person's life may be at risk.
What happens when you call 999?
All 999 and 112 calls initially go through to an emergency call handler who will ask which service you require.
They will normally say:
“Emergency, which service?”
The emergency services are:
- Police
- Ambulance
- Fire and Rescue
- HM Coastguard
You do not need to explain the whole emergency at this point. The operator's job is to connect you to the correct emergency service.
If you are not sure which service you need, explain briefly what has happened and the operator can help route your call appropriately.
Your approximate location will normally be available automatically to the emergency call system, which helps the operator connect you to the appropriate local emergency control room.
Once you are connected
The emergency service call handler will then ask you questions about what has happened.
Exactly what they ask will depend on the emergency, but they are likely to want to know:
- where the emergency is
- what has happened
- whether anybody is in immediate danger
- whether anybody is injured
- your telephone number, in case the call is disconnected
For a medical emergency, you may also be asked whether the person is conscious, whether they are breathing normally, and whether there is serious bleeding or chest pain.
Try to answer the questions as clearly as you can.
It may sometimes feel as though the call handler is asking a lot of questions when you want them to send help immediately. Answering the questions does not necessarily mean help is being delayed. Emergency services can often begin arranging a response while the call handler continues gathering information.
Stay on the line
Do not hang up unless the call handler tells you to.
They may:
- give you first aid or safety instructions
- tell you what to do while help is on the way
- ask you to move somewhere safer
- ask you to send somebody to meet the emergency services
- stay on the line with you until help arrives
If the call is accidentally disconnected, answer your phone if the emergency service calls you back.
Know where you are
One of the most useful things you can tell the emergency services is exactly where the emergency is happening.
If you are at home, work, or another building, give the full address and postcode if you know it.
If you are somewhere less obvious, such as on a road, footpath, beach, or in the countryside, give as much information as you can.
Useful details might include:
- the road name or number
- the nearest junction
- a nearby building, pub, shop, station, or other landmark
- the name of a beach, park, woodland, or other location
- a motorway junction number or marker post
- anything else that could help the emergency services find you
Your phone can normally provide the emergency services with information about your location automatically, but do not rely on this alone.
Be ready to tell the call handler where you are and confirm that the location they have is correct.
What is what3words?
what3words is a free app and website that can help you describe your exact location, even when there is no normal street address.
When you open the app, it uses your phone's location to show where you are on a map.
The system divides the entire world into small squares measuring about 3 metres by 3 metres. Every square has its own unique combination of three words.
So, instead of saying:
“I'm on the A27”
you would be able to give the emergency services three words that identify the particular 3-metre square you are standing in.
This can be especially useful in remote places where there are no immediate identifying landmarks.
You can install the what3words app on your phone in advance, or use the what3words website.
You do not need what3words to call 999, and you should never delay making an emergency call while trying to install the app or work out your location.
Call 999 first. If the call handler asks whether you have a what3words location, give them the three words shown in the app if you can.
What if you can't speak? — Silent 999 calls
There may be situations where you need emergency help but it is not safe for you to speak.
For example, you may be hiding from somebody, being threatened, or afraid that speaking will put you in greater danger.
If you can speak, even very quietly, do so. The emergency operator may also ask you to cough, tap the phone, or press keys to show that you are listening.
Calling from a mobile phone
If you call 999 from a mobile and cannot speak, listen carefully to the operator. If you do not respond to their questions, you may be prompted to press 55.
Press 55 when prompted. This simply means pressing the 5 key twice on your phone's keypad. You do not need to hang up or make another call.
This tells the 999 system that your call is genuine, and transfers you to the police.
Simply remaining silent is not enough. If you do not respond or press 55 when prompted, the call may be ended.
Pressing 55 does not itself tell the police what the emergency is, so once you are connected, give them whatever information you safely can. If speaking is impossible, listen to the instructions from the call handler and respond in whatever way they ask you to.
Calling from a landline
Silent calls from landlines are handled differently.
If you call 999 from a landline and do not speak, but the operator can hear background noise, the call can be transferred to the police.
A landline 999 call also provides information about the address the telephone line is registered to, which can help the police establish where the call has come from.
Remember
55 is not a secret emergency number.
You must first call 999, and pressing 55 is used only when you cannot speak during a 999 call from a mobile phone.
And most importantly:
Do not assume that calling 999 and staying silent means the police will automatically know that you need help.
What to do while you wait for the emergency services
Once you have called 999, stay as calm as you can and follow any instructions given by the call handler.
What you should do next will depend on the emergency, but there are some useful general rules.
Keep yourself safe
Do not put yourself in unnecessary danger.
For example:
- do not enter a burning building
- do not approach someone who may be violent or carrying a weapon
- do not go into fast-moving water or the sea unless you are trained and equipped to do so
- do not stand in a dangerous position on a road
- do not touch exposed electrical cables
If the area is unsafe, move to a safer place if you can do so without putting yourself or somebody else at greater risk.
Follow the call handler's instructions
The emergency call handler may tell you what to do while help is on the way.
This could include:
- giving first aid
- performing CPR
- using a defibrillator
- moving away from danger
- staying where you are
- keeping somebody still
- unlocking a door or gate
- switching on outside lights
- sending somebody to meet the emergency services
Follow their instructions as closely as you can.
Make it easy for them to find you
If it is safe to do so:
- unlock doors or gates
- turn on outside lights at night
- move vehicles if they are blocking access
- send somebody outside to watch for the emergency services
- keep pets away from entrances and from emergency personnel
If you are somewhere difficult to find, keep your phone with you in case the emergency service calls back.
Keep the phone available
Try not to make other calls unless you need to.
The emergency services may call you back for more information, directions, or an update on the situation.
Keep your phone nearby, make sure the volume is turned up, and answer calls from numbers you do not recognise while you are waiting.
If the situation changes
If something important changes before help arrives, call 999 again.
For example, call back if:
- somebody's condition gets much worse
- somebody stops breathing
- a fire spreads
- a violent person returns
- the danger moves to a different location
- you have to leave the place where you originally called from
Tell the operator that you have already made a 999 call and explain what has changed.
In an emergency
If you remember nothing else:
- call 999 or 112
- ask for the service you need
- tell them where you are
- answer their questions as clearly as you can
- follow the call handler's instructions
- if you cannot speak on a mobile, press 5 twice when prompted
If it is not an emergency, use 101 for police non-emergencies or 111 for urgent medical help that does not require 999.