The operator will ask: Do you want Police, Fire or Ambulance? What is your exact address or location? Try to provide the street number, street name, nearest cross street and the area.
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.
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Deaf people can text emergency services, but only if our phones are registered for the service in advance. Don't wait until you need to call, it will be too late. Do it now.
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.
How to call 999. You can call an ambulance by using 999 or 112. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired you can contact us by texting from your mobile. This facility is available in any type of emergency and is for people who can't use the standard 999 voice or the RNID's text relay services.
Although it's common knowledge that all emergency 999 calls are recorded, you may not know that almost every telephone call made to, or from, a police station is recorded.
You should only call the 999 emergency number if: There's a medical emergency – someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. There's a fire. A crime is taking place, for example an assault or burglary.
However, if you are concerned about the person's wellbeing, you should always call 999 for an ambulance to attend. An overdose is always a medical emergency.
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) is Australia's main emergency service number. You should call 000 if you need urgent help from police, fire or ambulance services.
Silent 999 calls
If you're in danger but you can't talk on the phone, you should still call 999, then follow these instructions. Call 101 for non-emergency enquiries. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service on 18001 101.
Today's data shows 71% of these are answered within the target of under 10 seconds, with an overall average of 16.1 seconds' answer time.
Emergencies. People who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment can call emergency services through the National Relay Service: TTY users dial 106 (This is a dedicated text-based emergency phone relay service for TTY users with direct access to the police, ambulance and fire brigade emergency lines.)
If someone is unconscious and not breathing
If someone is not breathing normally, call 999 and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) straight away.
111 is a free number to call when you have an urgent healthcare need that isn't a life-threatening situation. Following a short assessment NHS 111 will direct you to the right service, at the right time and as close to your home as possible.
Contact the police by calling 999 to report emergencies or by calling 101 for non-emergencies.