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Why do emergency services use dedicated numbers?

Short answer

Dedicated emergency numbers send information about threats to life or safety to a specialized intake point, which can connect it quickly to fire, medical, police, or other services. Separating urgent calls from ordinary inquiries helps the right service assess and respond to the situation.

Need help now?

  • Someone is in immediate danger: Call the emergency number for where you are. In Japan, call 119 for a fire or ambulance, 110 to report an urgent crime or accident to the police, and 118 for an incident or accident at sea.
  • You are unsure whether a sudden illness or injury needs an ambulance: In Japan, #7119 lets you ask a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional for advice in participating areas. It is not available everywhere. If someone is in immediate danger, call the local emergency number instead.
Guide to emergency and consultation contacts: call the local emergency number for immediate danger, use #7119 for ambulance advice in participating areas of Japan, and contact local police or Japan’s #9110 line for a non-urgent police matter.
Use this guide to tell emergency calls from consultation options.

How it works

Numbers, responsible agencies, and available contact methods differ by country and area. After a call comes in, an operator confirms the location and situation and passes the necessary information to the service that should respond. Check the official guidance for the country or area where you are, especially when traveling or moving.

For a non-urgent police matter

For a police-related concern that does not put life or safety at immediate risk, contact a local police station or use Japan’s police consultation line #9110. #9110 is not an emergency number.

What should you tell the operator?

  • The address, building name, intersection, or another landmark where help should go.
  • What happened, whether the danger is continuing, and whether anyone is injured.
  • Your name and a callback number, if requested.
  • The operator’s questions. You do not need to organize every detail first; calmly share what you know.

When a call is difficult or voice calls are not accessible

In Japan, if a mobile call to 119 is difficult to connect, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency advises using a public phone, asking nearby people or a shop to call, or seeking help directly at a fire station. Japan also has a 110 app system for people who have difficulty making a voice call to the police, but it requires advance registration and suitable communications access. The availability and conditions of alternatives vary by area.

Key point

Dedicated emergency numbers do more than make a number easy to remember. They concentrate urgent information at a specialized intake point so that the needed service can act. Knowing both the emergency number and the non-urgent consultation route for your current area can reduce hesitation when something happens.

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