Calling an Ambulance
The Emergency number in Australia is 000.
- This is a free call from any phone, even a phone box or disconnected mobile phone.
- When dialling 000 an operator will ask which service you require – ambulance, police or fire.
- In the event of a medical emergency, ask for AMBULANCE.
- You will be connected to the ambulance operations centre and asked a standard set of questions by the operator. Answering these questions helps us get an ambulance to you as quickly as possible.
- It is important to stay calm and speak slowly.
Once you have answered these questions the first available ambulance will be sent. Additional questions will then be asked by the operator, who will also provide further assistance or instructions depending on the situation.
Remain calm and do not hang up until the operator has obtained the required information.
Ensuring Equity and Equality
To ensure that the Triple Zero (000) emergency network is accessible for all people, a number of strategies assist those with limited language skills and hearing or speech impairments.
Mobile phones
When possible, it’s recommended that you contact Ambulance by calling Triple Zero (000) from a fixed phone. At any one time, mobile network capacity, topography, climate and even the number of users in a particular location, can affect your ability to make a call in an emergency using a mobile phone. That’s why it’s best not to rely on your mobile as the only way to communicate.
If you have no alternative but to use a mobile phone to call for an ambulance, dial Triple Zero (000) or ‘112’. Contact can even be made if your mobile has been blocked or your security settings have been activated. You can still attempt a normal Triple Zero (000) emergency call but if you do not have reception with your own mobile phone carrier, you can dial ‘112’ and your call will be carried by any available GSM network if it is available.
It is always best to check with your mobile phone provider to see what number is best suited for your model of mobile phone. Sending an SMS text message in an emergency is not advised, as delivery cannot be guaranteed.
Interpreter services
All callers should dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency, regardless of their level of English.
If an operations centre officer experiences difficulty in understanding a caller they may access the interpreter service. The interpreter service will contact the emergency caller and establish a three-way conversation with the operations centre to facilitate communication.
Hearing or speech impairment
People with hearing or speech impairment may gain access to the ambulance emergency number by dialling 106 through a TTY or computer with modem.
The 106 number provides the same service as the Triple Zero (000) emergency service, but is only for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
106 is a toll-free number provided as part of the National Relay Service. This text based emergency service allows callers to pass on text information to a relay officer, who dials the correct emergency service and relays the conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hospital will I be taken to?
You will be taken to the nearest public or private hospital (whichever is relevant) that offers the most suitable and available medical options for your condition or treatment.
How can my family members find out which hospital I have been transported to?
Paramedics will inform you and your family members which hospital you will be taken to prior to departure. Privacy laws prohibit any information relating to your medical condition or personal details to be given to any person over the phone.
Will the ambulance have it's lights and sirens operating on the way to hospital?
Lights and sirens are only used during transport to hospital if the patient’s condition is deemed as life-threatening or rapidly deteriorating. If this is the case, the paramedics will pass urgent medical information to the hospital so the medical team is prepared for your arrival.
Can the ambulance take me back home?
In most circumstances transport cannot be provided by ambulance for your return journey home. You will be required to organise alternate transportation.
However, there is a patient transport service available for those people who are medically unfit to travel by public transport or other means. This service can only be booked by your medical practitioner or health specialist.
What to do in a medical emergency in a shopping centre?
Newcastle carpenter Darryl Clifford owes his life to his
workmates and the paramedics that attended him in March 2007
after he suffered a cardiac arrest at work.Fortunately his
workmates had attended a first
aid course just the week before and were able to perform
CPR until paramedics arrived. Paramedics Scott Brent
(pictured) and Darren Fletcher were
quickly on scene and Darryl was reverted back to a sinus
rhythm after receiving one shock from a Zoll defibrillator.
It was the efforts of his colleagues
and the 000 call to the Ambulance Service that saved Darryl’s
life.