Global Emergency Numbers

Back in the days of manual telephone systems, the quickest way to get urgent help was to pick up the telephone and ask the operator. But with the introduction of direct dialing, callers needed a central place to call for help.

London had one of the first emergency call systems in the world. The number 999 was introduced in 1937 and quickly extended to the entire country. Calling 999 sounded a buzzer and a red light in the nearest telephone exchange, alerting an operator to answer.

A similar system was introduced in Los Angeles, in 1946, with 116 as the emergency contact. The familiar 911 system was introduced in Alabama in 1968 and had become the national standard by the 1980s. Forty years later, 911 is the standard emergency number across North America and some parts of South America. But what about the rest of the world?

There is no universal emergency call number. Many countries recognize 911 and automatically forward 911 calls to the local emergency number, but many do not. Information for meeting attendees should always include the local emergency telephone number—and an admonition that attendees add it to their phones if possible.

Here are the most common emergency numbers for some of the key international meeting and event destinations:

Americas