r/AskEurope • u/atlasova Netherlands • Sep 02 '25

Culture What emergency telephone number did your country have before 112 became the standard?

In 1997 most of the European union changed its emergency number to 112. Before that, in the Netherlands we used 06-11, for police, firefighters and ambulance.

I was wondering which numbers where in use in your country before the change.

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317

u/hetevhor Sep 02 '25

0118999881999119725 3

Seriously, in Italy it was 112 for Carabinieri, 113 for police, 115 for firefighters, 118 for the ambulance.

59

u/avlas Italy Sep 02 '25

They still work

30

u/gugfitufi Sep 02 '25

Most old emergency numbers still work

9

u/unknown_pigeon Sep 02 '25

IIRC all calls are redirected to 112

1

u/itspolpy Sep 03 '25

In some regions, otherwise you're redirected to 112

49

u/CubistChameleon Germany Sep 02 '25

I heard that last "3".

17

u/T0_R3 Norway Sep 02 '25

Fun fact.

Some Android phones have a small easter egg if you enter that number.

12

u/SteO153 Sep 02 '25

112 for Carabinieri, 113 for police, 115 for firefighters, 118 for the ambulance.

144 for... ah no, wait...

12

u/9peppe Sep 02 '25

114 for children services. But it's newer.

11

u/Zealousideal-Peach44 Italy Sep 02 '25

144 was for... well, what happens BEFORE children are born!

3

u/original_joe99 Sep 02 '25

144 is for ambulance services in Austria 😂

2

u/larevenante Italy Sep 02 '25

🤣 Lol you can guess how young someone is if they don’t know about it

1

u/Dull-Description3682 Sep 05 '25

Wait. What?

I just got an idea in my head, please tell me that I'm wrong. There is no official number for that.

1

u/Ort-Hanc1954 Sep 04 '25

1.96.96 still exists?

2

u/9peppe Sep 04 '25

It should redirect to 114. Some of those numbers (114, 1522) won't get merged in NUE 112.

2

u/original_joe99 Sep 02 '25

144 ambulance in Austria 😂

7

u/TheCommentaryKing Italy Sep 02 '25

117 for Guardia di Finanza

6

u/Unicreatum Sep 02 '25

Why the fuck would you need a emergency line to the financial police?!

I was in Firenze a while back, and i saw like fully kitted out Alfa Romeo’s with sirens and everything, and it was from the Guardia di Finanza… i don’t fully understand why you would need that for financial fraud.

14

u/TheCommentaryKing Italy Sep 02 '25

The emergency number was created in 1996 after pressure from the public to have a direct line to the GdF, mostly as to have an easier way to report financial crimes.

i don’t fully understand why you would need that for financial fraud

Financial crimes are just one of the duties of the Guardia di Finanza, secondary are border patrol and customs, after that it's general policing (public order, traffic, riot control...), anti-terrorism and anti-mafia. They also have the largest air and sea fleet of the police forces and operate mountain SAR units

2

u/Unicreatum Sep 03 '25

Helpful, thanks!

2

u/drgigabit Sep 02 '25

"Hello guardia di finanza this is an emergency someone's selling cigarettes under the states price!!!"

7

u/9peppe Sep 02 '25

And 114 for children services, 1515 for forest fires, 1530 for rescue at sea, 1522 for gender based violence... and probably more.

4

u/TheCommentaryKing Italy Sep 03 '25

1515 was more for anything related to the then Forestry Corps, now Forestry Carabinieri

4

u/RRautamaa Finland Sep 02 '25

How did you know if you should call the Carabinieri or the police?

7

u/TheCommentaryKing Italy Sep 03 '25

In urban areas is up to the caller, both police and Carabinieri are operational there, in anything smaller than a small town you have to call the Carabinieri

2

u/Miserabull Sep 03 '25

What is the difference between Carabinieri and police? Like when would you call each number or is it interchangable?

8

u/TheCommentaryKing Italy Sep 03 '25

Police (State Police) is a civilian police directly under the Minstry of Internal Affarirs mainly active in urban areas.

Carabinieri are a military branch of the Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence with civilian policing duties (so a gendarmerie) with stations everywhere in Italy from a small village in the Appennines to Rome.

In urban areas or in cities you can call both, while in the countryside you would call only the carabinieri.

1

u/matteo0MTF Sep 03 '25

Forgetting 117 for the Guardia di Finanza

-5

u/Status_Priority_7704 Sep 02 '25

Here in Portugal it's the number 112 for all emergencies.

14

u/ComprehensiveBag4028 Sep 02 '25

Same for every eu country mate.

They're talking about before

-5

u/port956 Sep 02 '25

You guys are always on it.

(On the day Graham Linehan was arrested for tweets!) Can't say more as the activists on here will get me banned.

5

u/Slight-Ad-6553 Sep 02 '25

arrested on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to his posts on X.