If you replace the handset without speaking to the operator your call will be passed to the police as a 'silent call' and we will try to contact you back by telephone or if there is no reply by telephone an officer will be sent to your address to check everything is OK.
The health service's own handbook sets out that 999 crews should take no longer than 7 minutes, on average, to respond to these calls.
When you dial 999, the first person you speak to is the Operator who will ask you which service you need. If you ask for an ambulance, you will be put through to your local ambulance service. An emergency call handler will then take the call and will ask you questions so that help can be arranged.
When you ring 999 your call goes through to one of our Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs). Our trained emergency call takers receive nearly 862,000 calls every year.
Call 999 from a landline
If you don't speak or answer questions and the operator can only hear background noise, they'll transfer your call to the police. If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick it up again.
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. This process can take longer than calling them directly.
999 is the official emergency number for the United Kingdom, but calls are also accepted on the European Union emergency number, 112. All calls are answered by 999 operators, and are always free.
Why do the dispatchers ask so many questions when I call 911? Emergency dispatchers need to get accurate information to allow officers to make the best decision on how to approach the situation.
About London Ambulance Service
London Ambulance Service answers more 999 and 111 calls than any other ambulance service in the UK. Crews go to more than 3000 emergencies a day and handle over two million 999 calls a year.
Due to special configuration in their firmware, some 3G or GSM mobile phones sold in Australia will redirect other emergency telephone numbers, such as 911 and 999, to 000. These calls are sent out by the handset as an emergency flag to the network, and as such, are treated in the same way as a call to 000.
We will send the documentary records we hold in hard copy by recorded delivery or secure email. We cannot usually provide transcripts of 999 call recordings.
Category one is for calls about people with life-threatening injuries and illnesses. We aim to respond to these in an average time of 7 minutes and at least 9 out of 10 times within 15 minutes. Category two is for emergency calls.
If you press 55, they will be notified and transfer the call to the police. If you don't press 55, the call will be terminated. Pressing 55 does not allow police to track your location.
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.
When You Book An Ambulance With Us, you avail several perks for yourself: AmbiPalm offers the facility to track the live status of your ambulance. Thus, you know the exact location of the ambulance in times of emergency and it also shows if there is traffic in the way. We deliver the best services in the fastest time.
Currently, in England and Wales, 17% of patients are not conveyed to hospital after an emergency ambulance has attended a 999 call.
In many cases, treatment need not be immediate. Some areas have non-emergent transport available if you call 911 and the problem is not life or limb threatening, such as minor injuries or illness, such as a sore throat. Minor injuries and illnesses generally don't need an ambulance, but there are always exceptions.
You can't easily block calls to emergency services. You could get a phone like below and cover/disabled the numeric pad.
Some of the most ridiculous 999 calls made to the emergency services have been revealed. Among them was someone who had eaten a mouldy tomato and another who had got their plaster cast wet. One person with an earring lodged inside their ear asked for a lift' to hospital while another dialled 999 for a paper cut.
Someone who had eaten a mouldy tomato and a person with a paper cut are among the most ridiculous 999 calls made to the emergency services last year. Another caller phoned 999 because they got their plaster cast wet, while one person phoned emergency services because their mum had diarrhoea.
When asked how it happened, Rainbow says it involved a demon call from the phone number 999-9999. If one calls it after midnight and says a wish, the wish shall be granted later, but as a consequence, death will come to the caller.
If you need to call the emergency services (999) from an Android device, Google automatically provides your GPS location.
When you call 999, an operator will ask you which emergency service you require. In a medical emergency, ask for the ambulance service and you will be put through to one of our call-takers.
Text 999
When you have no signal, not even a 999/112 call will work, but a text might. Sending a text requires much less signal strength and the phone will keep tying to send the text for a short period meaning there is greater chance of the message getting through if you are moving or in an area of variable reception.