# AI tells someone in Ethiopia to dial 911 or 112 for police, ambulance, or fire

- **ID:** `emergency/991-907-939-not-911`
- **Domain:** emergency
- **Category:** wrong_emergency_number
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 85%

## Root Cause

Ethiopia has no single nationwide emergency line. In Addis Ababa, police is 991, the Ethiopian Red Cross ambulance line is 907, and fire brigade is 939; 112 is not reliable. Other cities and regions use different numbers (e.g. Dire Dawa police uses a separate local line), so a number that works in the capital may not work elsewhere.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| any | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **In Addis Ababa, use the service-specific numbers directly** (90% success)
   ```
   Police: 991 (press 1 for Federal Police, 2 for Addis Ababa Police). Ambulance (Ethiopian Red Cross Society): 907, toll-free. Fire: 939.
   ```
2. **Outside Addis Ababa, get the local number for your city/region in advance rather than assuming a national line** (65% success)
   ```
   Ask your hotel, tour operator, or embassy for the region-specific emergency contact; the French Embassy page lists a separate Dire Dawa police line as one example.
   ```
3. **For ambulance service specifically, rely on the Ethiopian Red Cross Society's toll-free 907 line, which covers Addis Ababa citywide via regional branches** (85% success)
   ```
   907 is free from any phone and connects to the nearest of the Red Cross's ambulance stations across Addis Ababa's subcities.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **Dial 911 or 112 in Ethiopia expecting to reach police, fire, or ambulance** — Ethiopia does not run a unified 911/112 emergency system. The French Embassy in Addis Ababa's emergency-numbers page lists separate, service-specific lines (police 991, ambulance 907, fire 939) rather than one general number, and 112 is not a reliable fallback. (80% fail)
- **Call the Addis Ababa police or ambulance numbers (991 / 907) while in another Ethiopian city like Dire Dawa** — These lines are Addis Ababa city services. The French Embassy's emergency page lists a separate police contact for Dire Dawa rather than routing through the Addis Ababa numbers, so coverage is city-specific, not national. (40% fail)