On dialling 999 or 112 an operator will answer and ask, "Emergency. Which service?" Previously operators asked "Which service do you require?" (approximately up to the mid-90s). The operator will then transfer the call to the appropriate service's own call-taker.
Life-threatening emergencies
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. These emergencies can include: loss of consciousness.
The first ever 999 call was made right here in London on 30 June 1937, and was the first of its kind in the world. It was introduced following a review of a fire on Wimpole Street in November 1935 which sadly killed 5 women.
999 and 112 is the national emergency response service in the UK. 112 is the pan-European equivalent to 999 and can be used in the UK.
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.
Unlike North America, where 911 is the number for all dire emergencies, in Japan, different telephone numbers are used for notifying Police (110) and Fire/Ambulance (119) during emergencies.
000 Emergency, also known as Triple Zero or Triple 0, and sometimes stylised Triple Zero (000), is the primary national emergency telephone number in Australia.
AT&T chose the number 9-1-1, which was simple, easy to remember, dialed easily (which, with the rotary dial phones in place at the time, 999 would not), and because of the middle 1, which indicated a special number (see also 4-1-1 and 6-1-1), worked well with the phone systems at the time.
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.
The Silent Solution is a police system used to filter out large numbers of accidental or hoax 999 calls. It also exists to help people who are unable to speak, but who genuinely need police assistance. You will hear an automated police message, which lasts for 20 seconds and begins with 'you are through to the police'.
Calling 999 is for emergencies only. NHS 111 is for people who need medical help and advice when not in a life-threatening situation. Highly trained advisors, who are supported by healthcare professionals, are available on NHS 111 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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.
In numerology, the number 9 represents the ending of a cycle. Seeing this repeating number is one of the most spiritual messages you can come across because 9 represents enlightenment, lessons of self, and wisdom. If you keep seeing 999, this is a time to be focused on yourself and your healing.
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.
The official answer is that it was because the digit "9" is the easiest to locate in the dark on a rotary-dial telephone, being next-but-one to the little metal finger-stop.
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.
97% of 999 calls are answered within five seconds. The number was chosen based on the 'button A' and 'button B' design of public payphones in widespread use at the time.
The 999 emergency phone number was first introduced in London on June 30 1937 after five women were killed in a house fire in 1935. A neighbour tried to phone the fire brigade at the time but was held in a queue by the phone exchange, which delayed the emergency response but prompted a government inquiry.
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.
The call is disconnected after three requests if it goes unanswered. If there are repeat calls, the operator will put those calls to police who will attempt to call you back or dispatch a unit to the billing address where your phone is registered.
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.
National guard - 193. Police - 999; Fire - 999. Police - 911; Ambulance - 992; Fire - 993; Mobile phones - 112.
The citizens can either dial 112 or press the power button three times on a smartphone to initiate 112 call, or long-press the key 5/9 on a feature for the same. Besides, the citizens can even download the 112 app to avail the emergency services.
108 is the toll free number for an initiative called emergency management and research institute. It was launched by Satyam Ramalingaraju and family in 2005 in Hyderabad. The existing independent emergency services (100 for police, 101 for fire and 102 for ambulance) worked erratically and independently of each other.