What to do in an emergency
Be prepared in case you are ever faced with a fire or flooding emergency.
Calling 999
Dialling 999 is free. Your call will be answered by a BT Operator (who could be located anywhere in the UK) who will ask you the telephone number you are dialling from and which emergency service you need.
They will then put you through to the fire and rescue service Control Room, who will ask you for the following information:
- What the problem is
- The address of the incident
- Landmarks or nearby streets to help with directions
- The city/town/village or district
- What kind of incident it involves, such as is it a fire, a vehicle collision, flooding or a rescue
- If a fire is involved, more questions will be asked, such as 'is it a car fire, a building fire, is anyone still in the building'
Try not to panic, and speak clearly. The information you give may help to save lives and property.
If you are waiting to be put through to the fire and rescue service, and a fire appliance attends the incident, please stay on the line and tell our Control Room staff that an appliance has arrived.
Helping our crews responding to incidents
You can help our crews when they are responding to or attending incidents by reading the following information.
Road Users - Be Blue Light Aware
The crews of emergency service vehicles rely on the help of other road users when they are on a blue light journey.
The Blue Light Aware project has produced video guidance to help road users better understand the needs of emergency vehicles and tips on how to help emergency service vehicles in different scenarios.
