Service
How to contact emergency services in Ireland
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
There are a few ways to contact emergency services in Ireland, whether you are on land or water.
Call 112 in a medical emergency when someone is:
Call 112 and ask for an ambulance if your child:
112 is free of charge to call.
Call the emergency services by dialling 112 from a mobile or fixed phone line.
112 also works in any EU country and from any phone, free of charge.
The Emergency SMS/Text Service can be used to contact the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) for help by sending an SMS/Text message to 112. It can be used by anyone who is not able to make a voice call due to a speech or hearing impairment or other situations where a voice call might not be possible.
Further information can be found here: Emergency Text Service - ECAS 112.IE
Once you're connected to an emergency service operator, they will direct the call to the appropriate emergency service.
This could be:
Once connected to the National Ambulance Service, you will need to know:
Once the ambulance service has your location, they will send an ambulance immediately. The emergency call taker will continue to ask you questions. This does not delay the ambulance getting to you.
The emergency call taker will ask you more questions about the patient and their condition. You need to stay on the phone so they can give you advice on what to do next while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
They may give you instructions over the phone to help the patient. Please listen carefully to their instructions.
Tell them if the patient's condition changes in any way. The emergency call taker will stay on the line as long as possible.
There are a few things you can do to help the ambulance service.
For example, stay calm and:
If it's not a life-threatening emergency and urgent medical attention isn't needed, consider other options before calling 112.
For example, consider:
Choosing the best service for your needs will ensure the ambulance service can respond to people who need help the most.
Numbers beginning with ‘116’ have been reserved in national numbering plans for “Harmonised Services of Social Value”. Such services are available in several EU countries.
In Ireland, four of the five 116 numbers are currently operational.
The Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) provides a 116000 missing children hotline.
The ISPCC also provides a 116111 children's helpline.
The Crime Victims Helpline operates a 116006 helpline for victims of crime. Ireland is one of only two EU countries with a helpline for victims of crime.
This helpline is operated by The Samaritans since March 2014.
Call 999 in a medical emergency when someone is:
Call 999 and ask for an ambulance if your child:
999 is free of charge to call.
Call the emergency services by dialling 999 from a mobile or fixed phone line.
999 also works in any EU country and from any phone, free of charge.
Once you're connected to an emergency service operator, they will direct the call to the appropriate emergency service.
This could be:
Once connected to the National Ambulance Service, you will need to know:
Once the ambulance service has your location, they will send an ambulance immediately. The emergency call taker will continue to ask you questions. This does not delay the ambulance getting to you.
The emergency call taker will ask you more questions about the patient and their condition. You need to stay on the phone so they can give you advice on what to do next while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
They may give you instructions over the phone to help the patient. Please listen carefully to their instructions.
Tell them if the patient's condition changes in any way. The emergency call taker will stay on the line as long as possible.
There are a few things you can do to help the ambulance service.
For example, stay calm and:
If it's not a life-threatening emergency and urgent medical attention isn't needed, consider other options before calling 999.
For example, consider:
Choosing the best service for your needs will ensure the ambulance service can respond to people who need help the most.
If your vessel is equipped with a radio - then use channel 16 and tell the operator your location. If you do not have a radio, use your phone to call 112 or 999 and ask for Coast Guard.