Fire brigade: 18
The French fire brigade, called les sapeurs pompiers, can also be called in cases of medical emergencies, such as traffic and domestic accidents.

Police: 17
This number puts you in contact with the appropriate emergency police services nearest you, whether that be the police nationale or the gendarmerie. For non-urgent situations, make a note of the direct phone number for your nearest police station (commissariat de police or gendarmerie).

All emergencies from a mobile phone: 112
This is the pan-European emergency number which can be called in any emergency from your mobile phone. As it's a Europe-wide number, you can also ask to be connected to an English-speaking operator.

Common medical emergency vocabulary

It's an emergency - C'est un cas d'urgence.
My name is - Je m'apelle:
My telephone number is - Mon numéro de téléphone est:
I live at - J'habite à

To call for help under any circumstances is: Au secours!

Ambulance: une ambulance/ J'ai besoin d'une ambulance.

Heart attack: une crise cardiaque: Mon mari fait une crise cardiaque.

Stroke: une attaque cérébrale; Je pense que ma femme a souffert une attaque cérébrale.

Choke (as in something stuck): s'étouffer; Mon bébé s'étouffe.

Difficulty breathing/gasping: haleter; J'halète.

To bleed: saigner; Je saigne beaucoup.

A hemorrhage: une hémorragie; Mon mari fait une hémorragie.

Concussion: une commotion cérébrale; Mon enfant est tombé. A-t-il une commotion cérébrale?

Diabetic: diabétique; Je suis diabétique. J'ai besoin d'insuline.

Labor: accouchement/accoucher; Ma femme accouche; la poche des eaux a percé. (Her water has broken.) Le bébé arrive.

To be poisoned: s'empoisonner; Mon enfant s'est empoisonné.

Utility Service Urgencies

There is no national number for any of the utility services, which have urgency hotlines according to the region where you live. Make a careful note of the number given to you for your area; you can find it marked on every gas/elecricity/water services payment receipt.

Paris emergency numbers
• Emergency doctors (SOS Médicins): 01 43 37 77 77
• Dental emergencies: 01 43 37 51 00  
• Out-of-hours chemists: 01 48 74 65 18 / 01 45 62 02 41
• Anti-poison centre: 01 40 05 48 48  
• Spousal abuse hotline: 01 40 33 80 60
• Gas Leaks: 01 43 35 40 87
• Electricity: 01 43 35 40 86
• Taxi Bleus: 01 49 36 10 10

Anti-poison centres
• Angers: 02 41 48 21 21
• Bordeaux: 05 56 96 40 80
• Grenoble: 04 76 76 56 46
• Lille: 08 25 81 28 22
• Lyon: 04 72 11 69 11
• Marseille: 04 91 75 25 25
• Nancy: 03 83 32 36 36
• Reims: 03 26 06 07 08
• Rennes: 02 99 59 22 22
• Rouen: 02 35 88 44 00
• Strasbourg: 03 88 37 37 37
• Toulouse: 05 61 77 74 47

Helplines  (All 08 numbers are toll-free)
• SOS Help, an English-language helpline in Paris: 01 46 21 46 46
Available from 3 to 11pm daily all year long. This is not an 24/7 emergency services number.
• SOS child abuse: 119 
• SOS emergency housing for the homeless: 115
• SOS Drug/Alcohol Addiction: 113
• Public services hotline (toll number): 39 39
• Emergency medical treatment (SOS Médecins): 08 20 33 24 24
• Rape hotline: 08 00 05 95 95
• Victims of violent crime hotline: 08 10 09 86 09
• AIDS helpline: 08 00 84 08 00
• Drug addiction helpline: 08 00 23 13 13
• Hepatitis information helpline: 08 00 84 08 00
• Red Cross: 08 00 85 88 58
• Lost / stolen credit cards: 08 92 70 57 05
• Lost / stolen cheaque books: 08 92 68 32 80