When to Call 9-1-1

 

Calling 9-1-1 gives you direct access to emergency services in British Columbia, including ambulance, police and fire services.

You can call 9-1-1 from any telephone.

 

 

Call 9-1-1 when you need an immediate emergency response.

Examples of medical emergencies include:

  • Chest pain or tightness
  • Choking or difficulty breathing
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Signs of a stroke
  • Severe burns
  • Convulsions that will not stop
  • A drowning
  • A severe allergic reaction
  • A serious head injury
  • Major bleeding

If you are unsure whether you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

If your situation is not a medical emergency, call 8-1-1 for confidential health information and advice, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

 

For non-emergency health concerns, you can:

  • Call 8-1-1 to speak with a nurse or other health professional.
  • Visit HealthLinkBC.ca and use the Interactive Symptom Checker.
  • Visit an urgent care centre or clinic if you can do so safely.
  • Contact a pharmacist if you have a questions about a prescription.
  • Call the BC Poison Control Centre if you think someone has been poisoned by a medicine, chemical or other substance.
    • Lower Mainland: 604-682-5050
    • Toll-free: 1-800-567-8911


 

If someone is in immediate danger of hurting themselves, call 9-1-1.

For mental health support when there is no immediate risk to safety:

  • Call the Crisis Centre at 310-6789 (no area code required)
  • If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide but is not in immediate danger, call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or contact a local crisis centre​

 

When you contact 9-1-1, be prepared to answer questions, listen carefully, speak clearly, and stay as calm as possible.

BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) emergency medical call-takers are trained to gather important information and share it with responding paramedics.

The call-taker will ask for:

  • The location of the emergency
  • An apartment number and access code, if applicable
  • A phone number in case the call is disconnected
  • A description of what is happening

While the ambulance is on the way, the call-taker may ask you more questions about the patient's condition to help paramedics prepare for the situation.

Questions may include:

  • Is the patient conscious?
  • Is the patient breathing?
  • Does the patient have chest pain?
  • Is there severe bleeding?

Call-takers ask questions in a specific order so they can provide the fastest and most appropriate response.

Stay on the line and provide additional information if the call-taker asks for it​.

 

 

You can help paramedics by:

  • Clearing a path to the patient by moving furniture and unlocking doors
  • Having someone wait outside to meet the ambulance, if possible
  • Making sure your house number is clearly visible from the street
  • Tunring on outside lights at night if you live in a house
  • Meeting the ambulance in the lobby and having the elevator ready if you live in an apartment
  • Avoiding moving the patient, unless they are in immediate danger
  • Keeping pets, including dogs, in a separate room if possible
 

VoIP phones

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phones, also called internet or cable-based phones, look and work like traditional telephones but use an internet or cable connection to make and receive calls.

Unlike traditional landlines, VoIP phones are not always linked to a fixed physical address. This can make it harder for emergency responders to identify your location because some VoIP services do not automatically send address or phone number information to 9-1-1 call centres.

When you call 9-1-1 from a VoIP phone, the call is usually routed through a third-party provider before being transferred to the nearest 9-1-1 centre. In some cases, location information may not be included.

If you use a VoIP phone, contact your service provider to learn what emergency calling features are included with your service.​