From traffic accidents to fires in buildings, through health emergencies or robberies and other crimes. There are many reasons why it is necessary to have one or more telephone numbers to go to for help. In this post we are going to compile which are the main emergency telephone numbers in Spain and when to turn to them.
More or less we all know that, when faced with any problem, we always have the option of calling 112 to request the dispatch of an ambulance, the help of the fire brigade or notify the police. However, there are many more numbers, especially indicated for more specific situations, which we will review below. Don't forget to add them to your agenda, since you never know when you will need them.
To help and be helped all it takes is a call
The situations in which it is necessary to dial one of these emergency numbers are as varied as they are numerous. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and we are continually surrounded by risks and threats. The positive part is that there are public assistance and emergency services, always alert 24 hours a day and every day of the year, that can provide us with their support when we need it most: to help us or so that other people receive help.
There are a series of particularities about these emergency numbers in Spain that are worth remembering:
- they are free. We can dial them even when we have no balance on our mobile or from a telephone booth (the few that remain) without having to insert any currency.
- They are always available. No matter what day or time we call, we will always find an answer on the other end of the line.
- They are anonymous. We can call for help or to report anything without having to provide our name or identification information.
- They leave no trace. The call to an emergency number will not appear in the call log of our phone or on the bill.
Emergency telephone numbers and what each one is for
Let's see below which are the main emergency telephone numbers in Spain and in what type of situations you should go to each of them:
016
016 is the number that must be dialed to receive help and assistance in cases of gender violence. We will be assisted by professionals trained and specialized in this matter. It is also possible to request help of this type by WhatsApp at the number 600 000 016.
112
If we only had to choose one number from this list, it would undoubtedly be 112. From this emergency phone Calls are referred to the corresponding service: police, ambulance, firefighters, Civil Protection, etc. 112 is the official emergency telephone number in the 27 member states of the European Union.
061
This is the phone number to call to receive health aids. In many autonomous communities, 061 has already been replaced or integrated into 112. However, it is still available.
092
092 is the phone number National Police Corps. You can turn to him for any type of emergency. It is available 24 hours a day throughout the national territory. It is also worth having written down the emergency numbers of the Civil Guard (062) and the Local Police (092).
1006
emergency service Civil Protection, the body responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens in disaster situations and similar situations.
060
This is a telephone service information from the General State Administration oriented above all to queries related to procedures with the administration and public organizations.
085
085 is the number of the Provincial Service of Firefighters.
024
Since 2001, 024 is the official number of the suicidal behavior care service.
When to use these phone numbers?
That these numbers only have 3 digits makes all the sense in the world: they are numbers that we call in cases of emergency, when there is no time to waste with long dialing. In all of them we will be assisted by a human operator, not a machine, who will provide us with the help we need in each case.
If we have doubts about which of them to select, as a general rule, The first reference number to call is always 112. The person who assists us there will listen to our problem and will know exactly which service to refer the emergency to.
Important: You should only call 112 or any other of the numbers on the previous list when there is actually a dangerous situation or an emergency that requires immediate attention. They are not telephones for making general inquiries. For that, there is already 012, which offers us general information about the state of traffic, the weather forecast, etc.
Finally, it should be noted that calling emergency numbers in Spain to make pranks or activate false alarms is conduct that is severely punished by law.