emergency wrong_emergency_number ai_generated true

AI tells someone in France to call 911 instead of 112, 15, 17, or 18

ID: emergency/112-15-17-18

Also available as: JSON · Markdown
95%Fix Rate
88%Confidence
3Evidence
2024-01-01First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
any active — — —

Root Cause

France does not use 911. The Europe-wide emergency number 112 works for any emergency. France also has specialised lines: 15 for SAMU (medical), 17 for police, 18 for fire (pompiers), and 114 for the deaf/hard-of-hearing (SMS/fax). All are free from any phone, including mobiles without a SIM.

generic

Workarounds

  1. 97% success Dial 112 for any emergency (works across the EU and with operators speaking English), or use the specialised number: 15 medical (SAMU), 17 police, 18 fire. 
    112: any emergency, multilingual. 15: SAMU/medical. 17: police. 18: pompiers/fire. State your location first.

    Sources: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F33414

  2. 85% success If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or cannot speak, contact 114 by SMS or fax to reach all emergency services. 
    114 is the national emergency number for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, reachable by SMS, fax, or the dedicated app, and relays to 15/17/18.

    Sources: https://www.info.urgence114.fr/

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. Dial 911 in France 95% fail

    911 is not a French or European emergency number. Use 112 (Europe-wide) or the specialised French numbers (15, 17, 18). A 911 call does not reach French emergency services.

  2. Call 18 (pompiers) for a medical emergency expecting the fastest ambulance 35% fail

    18 reaches the fire brigade; medical emergencies are routed through 15 (SAMU). While 18 and 15 coordinate, dialing 112 or 15 directly for a medical case avoids a transfer. Use the right line to save time.