Council and democracy

Dialling 999

Thankfully the majority of people have probably never needed to dial 999. But do you know what would happen if you made an emergency call? Here we run through who takes the 999 call and what information you would be asked for.

When you dial 999 the first person you speak to is a telephone operator who will ask which emergency service you require

• You will then be connected to the fire and rescue service control room
• The fire service operator will ask for the address of the fire or incident

Follow these simple instructions to help the fire service help you

Tell the operator:

• The name and number of the house or building if it is relevant
• The road or street name
• The village or town
• Why you need the fire service

You may be asked for more information, such as "where is it near to?"

Listen to what you are being asked or told. This process will take just a few seconds and will enable the fire control operator to immediately alert the nearest firefighters.