These days we may hardly use the phone for its original purpose, but there is still one instance when we will depend on it above all else; an emergency. But making a call to the emergency services is nerve wracking in itself. What about in a foreign country such as China?
Rest easy in Nanjing. The three principal emergency numbers, for police, fire and ambulance, all have English-speaking operators available 24 hours a day.
In the unlikely event that you need to make that call one day, just speaking some English to the operator shall be enough for them to transfer you to an English speaker.
Police: 110
Fire: 119
Ambulance: 120
Note that 110 for the police is also not only for emergencies; it’s a kind of general services number. Local people are known for using it all the time, sometimes when absolutely unnecessary, such as the time a lady used it to call police because her son was not doing his homework.
On the more serious side, 110 is used to find resolution in situations of minor conflict or day to day disturbances as to law and order. Most commonly, Nanjing Police receive hundreds, if not thousands, of calls each day from motorists unable to leave a parking spot on account of another vehicle blocking the way. Police are able to use the vehicle’s license number to track the owner, call them and ask for the vehicle to be removed.
On the other hand, the use of 119 for fire and 120 for ambulance is indeed reserved for emergencies only.
Other useful telephone numbers in China to bear in mind:
- Traffic Accidents: 122
- Coastguard: 12395
- Directory Inquiries: 114
With internet search now being what it is, the use of 114 to find a phone number for a business has declined, but it remains a useful tool to source other numbers, such as those listed above or for commonly-used services; travel, communications etc.
