Emergency services in France and who to contact
Emergency numbers to keep in mind when visiting France.
In life, accidents happen, and it is important to us that you stay safe when visiting France. Problems are unpredictable and can arise unexpectedly. Have you been a witness or victim of an accident in France? In the following content, you will find the relevant contact information for emergency services in France. These are the seven main emergency numbers to keep in mind during your trip to France.
It is important to act quickly when accidents occur. Have you ever been traveling and not know who to call? Unfortunately this is an issue that is all too common but can easily be avoided! Here at Woonivers, we want your adventure in France to go as smoothly as possible. To keep you well prepared, here are the 7 most important numbers to keep in mind during your next visit (hoping that you never have to call them!) .
⚠️ Before anything else, when contacting emergency services, you should know what information to provide. First of all, introduce yourself and the situation: specify if you were a witness or victim of an accident. If requested, please provide your full name and phone number. Secondly, provide the address and/or location of where the incident occurred. Follow the advice that is provided and do not hesitate to ask questions. Remember, emergency services in France are dedicated to helping you! The more information you provide, the better they will be able to assist you.
112 – Emergency service telephone number of Europe 🇪🇺
This is the most important number when traveling in Europe. If you could only know one number, this is the one to remember. Any issue requiring the action of any emergency service in a country of the European Union can be notified by calling [112]. No matter what part of Europe you find yourself in, this number is available 24/7 and will put you in contact with local emergency services of your current location.
15 – SAMU, French ambulance service 🚑
The French number for the SAMU medical emergency service. This number should only be contacted when you or a person around you is in need of urgent and immediate medical treatment (ie cases of head trauma, hemorrhage, chest pain, difficulty breathing, burns, poisoning, etc.). [fifteen]
17 – Police and gendarmerie 🚓
If you are a victim or witness to a violent crime or dangerous situation such as assault, theft, or burglary, please contact this number [17]. This number will put you in contact with the police and/or gendarmerie (similar to SWAT in the USA).
18 – Fire Brigade 🚒
The French fire brigade number [18] corresponds to incidents of gas leaks, fire hazards, risks of collapse (of buildings), burns, electrocution, and traffic accidents. If you are uncertain of any situation, it is better to be safe than sorry. For any medical urgency, it is recommended to call the SAMU (15) instead of the fire brigade.
196 – Emergency service at sea call number 🛥️
This is the French number for sea rescue services. You must call only when you are a witness or victim of a distress and/or urgent emergency situation when at sea. [196]
191 – Aeronautical emergency call number 🛫
The French aeronautical emergency call number [191], is available for any user or witness of an emergency involving an aircraft. If you are worried about the disappearance of an aircraft, any situation of distress, or witness to a crash, please do not hesitate to contact this number.
114 – Emergency service number for individuals who are hard-of-hearing or deaf (via SMS)🔇
Any deaf or hearing-impaired victim or witness to an emergency situation, can write an SMS to emergency services via [114]. These messages will not go unnoticed and will be treated with the same level of care and attention as emergency calls.
If you have any intention of traveling to the land of love, wine, and cheese, we recommend that you take note of these numbers for emergency services in France. Here at Woonivers, we want to make your journey as smooth as possible. While we hope you never have to call emergency services, we want to be properly prepared in case something were to happen.