Italy emergency numbers (i numeri di emergenza italiani, the specific Italian emergency telephone system whose 2017 reform consolidated the 4 separate Italian emergency services (the Carabinieri (112), the Polizia di Stato (113), the Vigili del Fuoco (115), and the SUEM/118 medical emergency) under the single European emergency number (112, the pan-EU standardised emergency number)) are the most specifically important single practical Italy travel information and the one whose specific knowledge is most often completely absent from the visitor's pre-departure preparation. The specific Italy emergency numbers guide provides the complete Italian emergency contact system with the specific use case for each number and the specific Italian phrases that produce the fastest single emergency response from each service.
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Italy Emergency Numbers: The Complete System
112. The Only Number You Need
The 112 (the European emergency number, the numero unico di emergenza europeo): the most important single Italian emergency contact and the one that replaces all other Italian emergency numbers in any emergency situation. The specific 112 system (the sistema 112 in Italia): the 112 call in Italy is received by the specific NUE 112 (the Numero Unico di Emergenza, the Central Emergency Operations Center (the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point), the specific first-level call-answering center that receives the 112 call, geolocates the caller's position (the geolocalizzazione automatica, the 112 Italy system automatically geolocates the specific caller's mobile phone position within 50-100m in urban areas and 200-500m in rural areas), and dispatches the appropriate service (the Carabinieri, the Polizia di Stato, the Vigili del Fuoco, or the 118 medical service) in the most specifically coordinated single Italian emergency response)). The specific 112 advantages for the non-Italian speaker: the 112 operators in the tourist-destination Italian cities (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples) speak English and typically Spanish and French. The 112 call is free from any phone (the fixed line, the mobile, and the public payphone). And the 112 call from a foreign SIM (the foreign SIM not registered on the Italian network) is still connected to the 112 emergency service (the international emergency roaming protocol ensures the 112 call is always connected regardless of the SIM registration status). The specific 112 phrase in Italian: "Ho bisogno di aiuto" (I need help) + the specific location description: "Mi trovo in [location]" (I am at [location]).
The Specific Emergency Numbers Still Active
The specific Italian emergency numbers still active alongside the 112 (the numeri di emergenza italiani ancora attivi accanto al 112): the 113 (Pronto Intervento Polizia, the Police emergency: the specific Polizia di Stato (the National Police) emergency line (the 113 call goes directly to the specific Questura (the Police Headquarters) of the relevant city, the most specifically direct single Italian police emergency contact for the visitor who needs the specific Polizia di Stato (rather than the Carabinieri who also respond to the 112 call)). The 115 (Vigili del Fuoco, the Fire Brigade emergency: the specific Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco line whose most practically relevant single use for the tourist is the specific building or vehicle fire, the specific road accident with injured (the incidente stradale con feriti), and the specific entrapment (the persona intrappolata)). The 118 (Servizio di Emergenza Sanitaria, the Medical Emergency: the specific ambulance service (the ambulanza) direct line (the 118 call connects directly to the specific SUEM (Servizio Urgenza Emergenza Medica) of the relevant region, the most specifically direct single Italian medical emergency contact)). And the 1515 (Corpo Forestale dello Stato / Emergenza Ambientale, the specific environmental emergency and the mountain rescue coordination center (the most practically relevant single non-standard Italian emergency number for the visitor engaged in the specific mountain activity (the hiking, the skiing, or the via ferrata)).
Tourist Police and Consulate Contacts
The specific Italian Tourist Police (la Polizia Turistica, the specific tourist-facing police unit in the major Italian tourist cities): the Rome Tourist Police (the Polizia Turistica di Roma. Via Genova 2, Rome (GPS: 41.8992°N, 12.4929°E, adjacent to the Palazzo del Quirinale): the English-speaking police unit (the polizia di lingua inglese) that the Rome municipality specifically designates for the tourist help (the lost documents, the pickpocket report, the scam report, and the specific tourist protection services): open 24 hours, 7 days a week. The specific Tourist Police contact: +39 06 4686 (the Rome Police main switchboard → ask for "Polizia Turistica")). The Florence Tourist Police (the Polizia Municipale. Piazzale di Porta al Prato 2, Florence (GPS: 43.7759°N, 11.2434°E)): the specific English-speaking tourist help police unit. The specific consulate emergency contacts (the contatti consolari di emergenza, the most specifically critical single emergency contact for the non-EU visitor who loses the passport or experiences the specific consular emergency (the arrest, the hospitalisation, or the death of a travel companion) in Italy): the US Embassy Rome emergency line (+39 06 46741, available 24h). The UK Embassy Rome emergency line (+39 06 4220 0001, available 24h). The Australian Embassy Rome emergency line (+39 06 852 721, available 24h). The Canadian Embassy Rome emergency line (+39 06 854441, available 24h).
Q&A: Italy Emergency Numbers
What do I say in Italian if I witness an accident and need to call 112?
The specific Italian 112 accident report phrases: "C'è stato un incidente" (there has been an accident) + "Ci sono feriti" (there are injured persons) + "Mi trovo in [location]" (I am at [location]) + "Ho bisogno dell'ambulanza" (I need an ambulance) + "Ho bisogno della polizia" (I need the police). If the 112 operator asks "Dove si trova?" (Where are you?): use the specific GPS coordinates from the phone map app (the specific Google Maps coordinates read aloud: "le coordinate GPS sono quarantuno virgola novanta, dodici virgola quattantanove", the Italian number pronunciation convention for the GPS decimal coordinates). If language is a barrier: say "Non parlo italiano" (I don't speak Italian), the 112 system has the immediate access to the English-language operator (the operatore di lingua inglese) for the tourist caller.