Emergency numbers in Austria and Germany – and how to make an emergency call
In an emergency every minute counts. It helps to know the numbers in advance – ideally on paper too, in case your battery is flat.
Everywhere in Europe: 112
The European emergency number 112 works in all EU countries, is free and, according to oesterreich.gv.at, also works on locked phones without a PIN.
Austria
- 144 ambulance
- 122 fire brigade
- 133 police
- 140 mountain rescue
- 141 doctor on call
- 128 gas emergencies
- 1450 health advice (not for emergencies)
- 142 telephone counselling (Telefonseelsorge)
- 147 emergency line for children and young people
- 01 406 43 43 Poison Information Centre, 24 hours a day
Germany
- 112 ambulance and fire brigade
- 110 police
- 116 117 doctor on call (when it is not life-threatening)
Emergency calls without speaking
In Austria, deaf and hard-of-hearing people can make an emergency call by chat with the DEC112 app; their location is sent along. DEC112 also allows a silent emergency call to the police, for example in cases of domestic violence. In Germany the official emergency app of the federal states, nora, serves the same purpose.
How to make the call
You do not have to learn anything by heart – the control centre will guide you. Typical questions are:
- Where is the emergency? Town, street, house number, floor, access.
- What happened?
- How many people are affected?
- What injuries or symptoms are there? Is the person awake, are they breathing?
If you are not sure whether it is an emergency: call anyway. The German Red Cross advises calling early if you cannot judge a situation or if life may be in danger.