Calling an ambulance

Find out when you should call an ambulance and what happens when you call Triple Zero (000).

Call Triple Zero (000) if you or someone you're with has a serious injury or needs urgent medical help. If it's not an emergency, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

When it’s an emergency

Call an ambulance if someone has a medical problem, such as:

chest pain or chest tightness
a sudden weakness in the face, arm or leg, or trouble speaking — these could be signs of a stroke
breathing problems
a sudden collapse, or unexplained fall
a seizure
uncontrollable bleeding.

Call an ambulance if someone has been injured, including:

severe burns
fallen from a great height
been injured in a car accident
been physically assaulted, including stabbing or shooting.

If it's not an emergency, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day. You can also find out if you should see a doctor or care for yourself at home with the Symptom checker on the Healthdirect Australia website.

Show transcript

Hello!

This video will show you how to call the ambulance for an emergency.

Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance is you or someone is very sick or someone has been hurt in an accident.

You can ask for an interpreter for free.

If unsure, call an ambulance.

You should call an ambulance if you have:

Chest pain or tightness
Sudden weakness in the face, arm or leg, or trouble speaking
Bleeding that won't stop
Trouble breathing
A sudden collapse or fall
Seizure
Severe burns
Or if someone has been hurt in a car accident, or physically by someone else

You should call an ambulance if your child:

becomes unwell quickly
has trouble breathing
is pale or blue around the lips
is drowsy or not responding to your voice
has a seizure
has a serious accident or injury such as a broken bone or deep cut.

When you call triple zero (000), the operator will ask 'Police, Fire or Ambulance?' You need to say 'Ambulance'.

They will then ask 'Suburb and State?'

You say your suburb such as 'Townsville and Queensland'.

You can ask the operator for a free interpreter by saying, for example, 'I need interpreter in Sango or French'.

It may take time to get you an interpreter so try telling them your address in English if you can, and stay on the phone.

Sometimes they may send an ambulance immediately. You need to give this information when they ask:

Where you are
Your phone number and name
Explain the emergency
What happened?
How many people are hurt or sick?
Are you with the person?
How old is the patient?
Are they awake?
Are they breathing?

The interpreter will tell the operator your information and then send an ambulance if needed.

Ambulances are free in Queensland.

While you wait for the ambulance, you may need to stay on the phone until the ambulance arrives.

The interpreter may tell you ways to help the sick or injured person.

While you wait for the ambulance, stay with the sick or injured person.

If you can, find the patient's:

medicare card (if they have one)
health care card
private health insurance information
treatment medicines
and their GP's details.

If you are still on the phone, tell the interpreter that the ambulance has arrived.

The paramedics will take care of the patient.

The interpreter on the phone will tell you when to hang up the call.

You can ask the paramedics to go in the ambulance with the patient to the hospital.

You can also ask for an interpreter in the ambulance and in the hospital for free.

A few days or weeks later, remember to book a follow up appointment with your GP after the emergency.

If it isn't an emergency but you need health advice, call 13 HEALTH on 13 43 25 84 to speak to a nurse.

They can get an interpreter on the phone for free.

Help when someone has overdosed on drugs

If someone collapses or stops breathing from using drugs, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

We don't notify the police when we go to an emergency where illegal drugs are involved unless:

the paramedic or someone else’s physical safety is at risk
someone has died
someone has been violently injured, such as a stabbing or shooting.

What happens when you call Triple Zero (000)

When you call, tell the operator you want an ambulance. They'll transfer your call to one of our emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs). We'll ask you some questions to help us understand what your emergency is, and where to send our ambulance crew. Try to stay calm and speak clearly.

We'll ask you to tell us:

the exact location of the emergency
the phone number you're calling from
details about what happened
how many people are hurt or sick
if you’re with the person
how old the person is
if they're conscious (awake)
if they're breathing

Stay on the phone unless we tell you to hang up. We can send an ambulance while you're still talking to us. While you're waiting for the ambulance to arrive, we may:

give you instructions to help with first aid
ask more questions about the person's condition or injury
need more details to help us find you.

Some medical conditions don’t need to be treated by paramedics and need care from a different service instead. If that happens, we’ll tell you where to get help.

Using an interpreter

If you’d like to use a language other than English, you can use an interpreter. To ask for an interpreter say, 'I want a [say your language] interpreter'. This service is free.

Support for people with speech or hearing difficulties

If you’re deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, you can use the National Relay Service to call Triple Zero (000).

You can do this by phone (call 106) or using online chat, captions or SMS or voice relay.

Emergency+ app

Save the app that could save your life.

You can call Triple Zero (000) in the Emergency+ app on your smartphone. The app will display your location coordinates if you don't know exactly where you are.

The app also has what3words and drop a pin functions. These can help you explain where you are during an emergency. You can also watch CPR videos in the app.

Last updated: November 2024