“The 999 line should be used when there is a crime in progress or a threat to life. In those situations, seconds could mean the difference between officers catching a suspect at the scene or them getting away and ultimately life or death."
You should always call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk. Examples of medical emergencies include (but are not limited to): Cardiac arrest/ collapse/ unconsciousness. Chest pain / heart attack.
You should call 999 in a life-threatening emergency only.
When a person calls 000 or 112, they speak to a Telstra Triple Zero Emergency Call Service Operator first. As directed by the caller, Telstra transfers the call to the required Emergency Service Organisation (ESO) – Police, Fire or Ambulance services. The emergency response is provided by the requested ESO.
If making a sound would put you or someone else in danger and the BT operator cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, your call will be transferred to the Silent Solution system. The Silent Solution is a police system used to filter out large numbers of accidental or hoax 999 calls.
If you're deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment you can contact emergency services via text (SMS). If you find yourself in a situation where it is not safe to speak, you can also text 999.
Call 999 from a mobile
If you don't speak or answer questions, press 55 when prompted and your call will be transferred to the police. Pressing 55 only works on mobiles and doesn't allow the police to track your location. If you don't press 55 your call will be ended.
911. You cannot call 911. This number is used by emergency services in the United States and can't be used to call emergency services in Australia.
Triple Zero (000) is Australia's main emergency service number. You should call 000 if you need urgent help from police, fire or ambulance services.
9-1-1. 911 is the emergency telephone number used in other countries such as the United States and Canada. This number should not be used in an emergency in Australia. If dialled within Australia, this number will not re-route emergency calls to Triple Zero (000).
Triple Zero (000)
You probably don't need ambulance transport, but you should take someone straight to A&E if they have: A fever and are floppy and lethargic – but conscious. Abdominal pain. A bleeding wound that will probably need stitches or gluing, if they have amputated a finger or if have something embedded in the wound..
Calls to 911, North America's emergency number, may be transferred to the 999 call system if the call is made within the United Kingdom from a mobile phone. An emergency can be: A person in need of immediate medical assistance. Suspicion that a crime is in progress, or that an offender is in the area.
Simply by sending an SMS message to 999 you can call for help and the emergency services will be able to reply to you. You will need to register your mobile phone before using the emergencySMS service, click on the Registering your phone link above for more information. Click here to download the emergencySMS leaflet.
112: This operates exactly the same as 999 and directs you to exactly the same emergency call centre. The difference is that 112 works from any mobile phone from ANYWHERE in the world.
Immediate action required: Phone 999 immediately if:
central chest pain or discomfort in the chest that doesn't go away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing. pain that radiates down the left arm, or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach. unconsciousness.
This number connects you to Police, Fire or Ambulance services. Call to this service are free and can be made from any fixed or mobile phone. You should call this number if: someone seriously injured or in need of urgent medical help.
If you have a life-threatening condition, like chest pain or chest tightness, breathing difficulties, sudden numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, the nearest ambulance will be sent straight away under lights and sirens.
At present, the only way to contact Triple Zero is by voice calling – you cannot send a text or SMS to Triple Zero. 106 is a text-based emergency number for people who are deaf, or who have a hearing or speech impairment.
In circumstances where a person calls “000” with the intention of inducing a false belief that an emergency exists – also referred to as a 'hoax call' – the person may be charged with a criminal offence.
Within Australia, 000 is a free call from most telephones.
If you have dialled 999 by mistake or if a child has been playing with the phone and has dialled 999 by mistake please stay on the line and speak to the operator, you can then tell them it was a mistake.
After the call ends, your iPhone will ping the emergency service with your current location, unless you choose to cancel. If Location Services is off, it will temporarily turn on. If your location changes, your contacts will get an update, and you'll get a notification about 10 minutes later.
Ambulance services are measured on the time it takes from receiving a 999 call to the vehicle arriving at the patient's location. It should take 8 minutes for the ambulance to arrive if the call is life threatening or an emergency. Ambulance services often send more than one vehicle to try to meet the 8 minute target.