111 emergency service
If you need help from the police, the fire service, or you need an ambulance dial 111 and the emergency operator will connect you to the right place.
When you’re in an emergency
Call 111 if you cannot decide whether your situation is an emergency. On the call, the operator will help you through the next steps.
Sometimes more than 1 service is needed in an emergency.
Examples of emergencies
Police examples of emergencies
Police emergencies — example situations for a 111 call
Ask for the police when:
people are injured or in danger
there is a serious, immediate or imminent risk to life or property
a crime is being or has just been committed, and the offenders are still at the scene or have just left.
Fire examples of emergencies
Fire emergencies — example situations for a 111 call
Ask for the fire service if you:
have a fire in your home — get out and stay out
see or smell a fire in your home or another building
witness a car crash, including car fires and when people are trapped
notice a gas leak from a broken pipe — move away from the leak to where there is no smell
or your property are in serious danger from storm damage.
Medical examples of emergencies
Medical emergencies needing an ambulance — example situations for a 111 call
Ask for an ambulance if someone has:
difficulty breathing
chest pain — this can feel like a weight or a squeezing feeling in your chest
fainted or gone unconscious
a life-threatening mental health situation
had a stroke — they may have suddenly gone weak, had their vision change, become dizzy or have trouble talking
severe pain anywhere
bleeding that will not stop.
Non-emergency contacts
If you’re not in an emergency, there are ways to contact each service for situations that are not urgent.
Police contacts for non-emergencies
To report non-emergency situations to the NZ Police, use either:
Fire contacts for non-emergencies
To report fire-related situations that do not need an immediate response, either:
Medical contacts for non-emergencies
For situations that are not urgent, call Healthline for advice. It’s free and its healthcare professionals can help you decide, for example, if you should see your regular doctor or go to a hospital.
Healthline — Te Whatu Ora — Health NZ
Mental health contacts
If you’re struggling with your mental health, contact for:
What happens when you call 111
If it’s safe to talk, tell the 111 operator your situation. They’ll send your call to the right main service: police, fire or ambulance. More than 1 might be sent, depending on your situation.
Not safe to talk? Stay on the line.
When you stay on the 111 call without talking, your call gets sent to a menu — press ‘55’ if you need emergency assistance, or any key if you’re on a landline. This sends your call to the police.
Give the exact address of the emergency
The more information you can give about the emergency’s location, the better. Whichever service you talk to, try to give the:
house number
street name
nearest intersection
suburb and city — or your Rural Address Property Identification (RAPID) number if you have one
if you’re on the move, give as many details as you can, such as street names, well-known buildings, bridges and geographical features.
During the call
Some questions might be repeated, so the call-taker can make sure they have the right information.
If it’s an emergency, responders will be on their way to help while the operator asks you more questions.
Police emergency call
Get to safety, if you can, before calling.
On the call, you’ll be asked:
the exact address of the emergency
how long ago the emergency happened
what’s happening now
your name and contact details
questions about the person causing concern.
Examples of questions about the person causing concern
Where are they now?
Do they have weapons?
If that person has left, which way did they go and how did they leave?
Who are they?
What do they look like and how are they dressed?
What’s the number plate and description of their vehicle?
What else is happening?
More information
111 Police emergency — NZ Police
Fire emergency call
Get to safety: when there’s a fire, get out and stay out.
On the call, you’ll be asked for the:
exact address of the emergency
answers to questions about the nature of the fire.
Examples of questions about the nature of the fire
Do you know how the fire started?
What materials caught fire?
Is anyone injured or trapped by the fire?
More information
What to do if you see a fire — Fire and Emergency NZ
Ambulance emergency call
Be safe: try to be clear of hazards before calling.
On the call, you’ll be asked for the:
exact address of the emergency
phone number you’re calling from — if you have an extension number, give that too
details of what happened
answers to questions about the person needing care.
Examples of questions about the person needing care
Are you with the patient?
How old is the patient?
Is the patient awake?
Is the patient breathing?
More information
Accessibility options for 111 emergencies
Use either teletypewriter (TTY ) or ‘111 TXT’. These services are for people who have hearing or speech difficulties.
TTY option
If you have a phone with TTY , call 0800 16 16 16 (Deaf emergency).
TTY users — NZ Police
111 TXT option
If you have difficulty hearing or talking on the phone, register to use the emergency texting service, called ‘111 TXT ’.
Register for 111 TXT
More information about 111 TXT
Check the NZ Police website for information about:
Teach children about calling 111
Download these fun activities which teach children when to make 111 emergency calls.
111 emergency resources for children — NZ Police
More information — emergency call services
Spark NZ operates the platform for answering initial 111 calls, before sending emergency calls to the right service. Visit the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE ) website for more information about emergency call services.
Emergency call services — MBIE
If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact the following agency.
Utility links and page information
Last updated 28 September 2020