Emergency numbers around the world

>- Two numbers cover most of the world. 112 reaches emergency services across the European Union and on most mobile networks elsewhere; 911 is the number in the United States, Canada and much of the Caribbean. If you remember only one, save both.

>- Beyond those, the number is local. The UK and Ireland use 999 (112 also works). Australia uses 000. New Zealand uses 111. Japan splits police (110) from fire and ambulance (119). China uses 110 for police and 120 for an ambulance. India uses 112 as a single number, with 100 for police and 108 for an ambulance still in use.

>- Calls are free and do not need credit, a local SIM or an unlocked phone. On a mobile, a call to 112 or 911 will usually connect through any network that has signal, even one that is not your own carrier. That is why a dead local SIM is not a reason to be stuck. The catch is that this works on GSM and later standards (most of the world) but is not guaranteed on CDMA networks or with some carrier locks, so treat 112 as a strong first try, not a universal guarantee.

>- Anyone travelling outside their home country, and anyone travelling domestically who does not know the local number. It matters most for solo travellers, families with children, people with medical conditions, and anyone driving in an unfamiliar country where a crash is the likeliest emergency.

>- It also applies before you leave. Your embassy or consulate can help with a lost passport, a death, an arrest or a serious accident, but it will not pay your medical bills or fly you home. That is what travel insurance is for. Save both numbers: local emergency services for the immediate problem, your embassy for the paperwork afterwards.

>- If you are travelling with children, teach them the two global numbers and how to unlock your phone. A child who can dial 112 and say the hotel name is better prepared than one who only knows the number at home.

>- Step 1: get to safety first. Move off the road, out of the water or away from the fire before you dial. An operator cannot help you if the hazard is still moving.

>- Step 2: dial. Try the local number if you know it; otherwise 112 or 911. If the call fails, try the other one, then try again with the phone held still and high. Emergency calls can connect on a network your SIM does not use, so keep trying rather than assuming there is no signal.

>- Step 3: give location before anything else. Street address, hotel name, kilometre marker, nearest landmark, or a map pin sent to a friend who can relay it. In cities, the building number and street matter more than the neighbourhood. On a highway, the road number and direction of travel matter more than the town.

>- Step 4: say what service you need and what happened. "Ambulance. Man collapsed, not breathing." Short sentences. If the operator does not speak your language, ask for an interpreter or say the language you need slowly; many services have translation lines or will find someone.

>- Step 5: stay on the line. The operator may keep you talking while help is dispatched, and may give first-aid instructions. Do not hang up until they end the call. If someone else is with you, send them to the road or the entrance to wave in the responders.

>- Step 6: keep the phone on and reachable afterwards. Responders may call back for a better location. If you used a hotel phone, tell the front desk where you are going.

>- The call is free. Emergency numbers are not charged, do not need credit and generally work from a phone with no SIM. A payphone call to an emergency number is also free in most countries.

>- Response times vary enormously. A city ambulance may arrive in under ten minutes; a rural mountain rescue can take hours, and in some countries you are expected to arrange your own transport to hospital. Do not assume a fast response outside major cities. If you can get to a hospital faster by taxi and the patient is stable, that is often the practical choice.

>- The ambulance itself may not be free. In many countries the patient is billed for the ride and for treatment, sometimes at a high rate for visitors. Travel insurance with medical cover is what turns a four-figure bill into a claim. Check that your policy covers emergency transport and repatriation before you go.

>- No signal is the common failure. In a dead zone, move to higher ground, a road or a building. A text message may get through when a call will not. Emergency texting is not universal: it works in much of the United States and some other countries, but not in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, where you must call (check). Do not count on a text reaching anyone unless you have confirmed it for that country. Satellite messaging on newer phones can reach emergency services in some regions; check whether your model and your destination are covered before you rely on it.

>- Locked phones and foreign SIMs are usually fine for emergency calls, but not always. A phone with no SIM can still dial 112 or 911 on most networks. If one attempt fails, try the other number and try moving a few steps.

>- Language is the next hurdle. Tourist areas often have English-speaking operators; rural areas may not. Speak slowly, use place names and numbers, and ask for an interpreter. Hotel staff, taxi drivers and shopkeepers can also make the call for you and explain the location, which is often faster than struggling alone.

>- Some countries route different services to different numbers, so a single number may not cover a fire. Others have separate tourist police or highway patrol lines. In a few places, the ambulance service is private and the public number will send a private provider that bills you. Ask at your hotel what locals dial and what it costs.

>- Finally, an embassy is not an emergency service. It cannot send an ambulance, pay a hospital or get you out of jail. It can contact your family, replace a passport and point you to local help. Keep the two roles separate so you call the right one first.

>- The United States and Canada use one number, 911, for everything. The European Union uses one number, 112, for everything, and it works from any phone in any member state. The UK and Ireland keep 999 as the familiar number but route 112 to the same call centre. Australia uses 000 and New Zealand 111.

>- Asia is more mixed. Japan, China and South Korea split police from fire and ambulance. India has moved to a single 112 while keeping older numbers alive; in practice many callers and operators still use 100 for police and 108 for an ambulance, and rural coverage of the unified line is less certain. Southeast Asian countries mostly have a single number or a short pair, and English is common in tourist areas but not guaranteed elsewhere.

>- The practical rule is the same everywhere: save the two global numbers, add the local one, and know your location before you dial. The number matters less than being able to say where you are.