Emergency Numbers

[Tia]

Do they have an emergency number as we do should anything happen whereby an ambulance is needed.

[Cat]

In theory, it's 15 for an ambulance, 17 for the police, and 18 for the fire brigade.

In practice, unless you live in a town or city large enough to have an ambulance service, calling the fire service on 18 is best as they tend to be stationed nearby and have medical training and equipment to deal with emergencies.  They will call in the ambulance service if they think that they are needed.

I seem to remember that there is a new European number for emergency services, but can't for the life of me remember it.

EDIT, just checked the telephone directory, the Appel d'urgence Européen is 112 (equivalent of 999).

 

[Clair]

[quote user="Cat"]I seem to remember that there is a new European number for emergency services, but can't for the life of me remember it. [/quote]

112

[Sunday Driver]

You should always ring SAMU on 15. 

They have doctors available who will take your call and assess the urgency of your situation.  They will then determine the best course of action suited to you, which could be simply offering basic medical advice, or arranging for a doctor to make a home visit, or sending a pompier paramedic team or even calling out the Air Ambulance.....

 

 

[Teamedup]

With due respect if you live out in the sticks don't, I WOULD NOT ring the SAMU if I had anything seriously wrong. I recommend that you get those pompiers there immediately and let them get you off to hospital. They are used to it and very very good. IF you needed an air ambulance they are sensible enough to organise one.

There is no way I would do other than I suggest. If we lived in a large town or city then 'maybe' that would be different but not necessarily. AND  how many people on here live in such places anyway.

[Miki]

[quote user="Teamedup"]

With due respect if you live out in the sticks don't, I WOULD NOT ring the SAMU if I had anything seriously wrong. I recommend that you get those pompiers there immediately and let them get you off to hospital. They are used to it and very very good. IF you needed an air ambulance they are sensible enough to organise one.

There is no way I would do other than I suggest. If we lived in a large town or city then 'maybe' that would be different but not necessarily. AND  how many people on here live in such places anyway.

[/quote]

Hi TU

Nice to see you back, thought it would take a post like this to do it. Too often, ringing 15 and Samu can send one around in circles ! As TU says, anything worrying, ring the Pompiers immediately on 18.

Around here and my guess is all over France, many are highly trained in medical emergencies and if need be, will stabilise a person before taking them to the hospital most appropriate.

[Deimos]

There was a really bad accident just outside my house last week. Driver forgot to turn for a gentle bend, went into ditch and straight into tree, probably at 90 km.p.h. I heard it, had a look and called the pompiers (18). Mentioned that it was pretty serious and suggested an ambulance as well. Pompiers arrived in a few minutes, immediately rushed to the accident, got the guy out, got all their medical equipment out and were trying to resuscitate him. They kept going until the doctor arrived to declare the worst.

I checked with the gendarmes much later if I did the correct thing and they said yes. Their comment was that calling an ambulance is a waste of time as it has to come from Le Mans (over half an hour away). Calling the gendarmes (themselves) is also a waste of time as they do little except to fill in reports (they don't even control the traffic - pompiers have all the road signs, etc.). They said pompiers are invariably local and arrive quickly, have all the training to actually do things and are the best ones to call.

I would thus go along with what others here have said - same as I was told by the gendarmes.

However, it must depend on the nature and urgency of what has happened. My recent experience was urgent and very serious. Had I fallen and broken a leg then maybe something else would be appropriate.

Ian

[KathyC]

I think that's all reasonably clear about the distinction between phoning for an ambulance as opposed to phoning the pompiers. However, I'm still a bit confused about the role of dialling 112. Some things you read give the impression that it's a multi lingual service that will put you on to the most appropriate people for your situation. For those of us whose language skills may fail us under stress, is 112 the best option?

[Dick Smith]

Hi, TU, nice to see you back.

In my one experience of calling the Gendarmes they were less use than a chocolate fireguard. I'd go for the pompiers every time, apart from anything else they are local (5km) instead of distant SAMU (25km).

[Miki]

112......... Kathy was set out as an emergency Europe number and hopefully a British speaker will be online to forward you on to the service they believe you require but any resident should act as a few of us have posted.

Not sure if this will help but it is a fairly comprehensive list: You might note that SAMU mentions about being called in the larger urbanisations

http://www.lesannuaires.com/numero-urgence-renseignements.html

[David]

I also would respectfully disagree with SD, and would endorse the other postings.  In my experience, even for a broken leg, always call the pompiers.

Unfortunately I have had to call the emergency services twice, both of which I would have called an ambulance for in the UK.

The first one was a sort of broken leg (actually a broken tendon, far worse than a broken bone) while stranded in a field.  The pompiers arrived quickly, with the proper medical help, and the patient was taken to hospital quickly and efficiently.

The second one was a head injury.  The pompiers arrived quickly, stabilised the patient, then called SAMU.  SAMU took ages to arrive, and consisted of two doctors out of the local hospital casualty department with an ambulance.  Later I spoke to one of the doctors who had good English.  She explained that they had to hand over their patients in casualty, change clothes, collect bags, wait for an ambulance, and then got lost trying to find the house.

In any emergency accident situation please call the pompiers first.

David