Emergency number 112: of vital importance
Every emergency is different. Various emergency services are available in the event of a fire, traffic accident, or medical problem. They each have their own emergency centres: you can reach the fire brigade or an ambulance via 112, or the police via 101. If someone chooses the wrong number, valuable – sometimes vital – time is wasted in forwarding the call to the right emergency centre. Thankfully, thanks to the dial-up menu at 112, this is no longer an issue.
Just one number to remember
As from February, you only need to remember one number: 112. That, incidentally, is also the European emergency number. So wherever you are in Europe, 112 will always help you. If you call the number, you will be presented with the following choices:
- for ambulance or fire brigade: press 1
- for police: press 2
The menu offers two major advantages: callers reach the right service faster. Plus, more lines remain free because operators spend less time on manual call-forwarding.
Everyone receives help
Don’t worry: even if you don’t make a choice, you can still speak to an operator. And if you choose the wrong option, you will still be put through to the right service manually. In any case, anyone calling the emergency number 112 will be helped as soon as possible.
The police station – at number 101 – gets the same phone menu. You will always be helped when calling this number too.
Deaf or hard of hearing?
Those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impediment can also contact the emergency services. This is done via the mobile application's chat function or via SMS.
- Chat via the app 112BE
When registering in the app, tick ‘I am deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment.’ This automatically activates the chat function.
- Emergency services via SMS
You request two specific numbers via SMS or e-mail. You must have a Belgian SIM card to use the SMS service.
Read all the information including instruction videos with sign language here
Mobile application
The mobile application is available to everyone, the chat function is reserved only for the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.
Attention: for emergencies only
The emergency numbers 112 and 101 are specifically intended for urgent situations. If you have a less urgent problem, contact your local fire brigade, a doctor, or the local police. Or call a specific emergency service, such as the Poison Control Centre (070 245 245) or the Suicide Hotline (1813).
Organising First Aid in your organization
- Hang this poster somewhere in the workplace with high visibility, so that employees can quickly find the right number to call in case of an emergency.
- Mensura customers can personalise the ‘Guidelines in case of fire’ document via the standard documents on MyMensura. Hang this out in a visible place.
- Read our blog to discover other things you can do as an employer to organise 'First Aid' in your company.