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What to say when calling 112 in Italy

Vital Emergency Phrases for Medical Situations in Italian: What to say when calling 112 in Italy
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What to say when calling 112 in Italy

When calling 112 in Italy, it is the universal emergency number to reach police, ambulance, or fire brigade services. The most useful thing to say first is simple and direct: “È un’emergenza” (“It’s an emergency”). After that, give your exact location, explain what happened, and follow the operator’s instructions.

112 is the main emergency number across Italy and works for most urgent situations, including medical crises, fires, road accidents, and crimes in progress. For a medical emergency, calling 112 will connect to ambulance services, or it is also possible to call 118 directly for urgent medical help. Remaining calm and providing accurate information about the situation and location is crucial for a swift response in Italy. 1, 3, 4, 5

The order to speak in

In an emergency call, operators usually need the same four facts first:

  1. What is happening
  2. Where it is happening
  3. Whether anyone is injured
  4. Whether the danger is still ongoing

A clear, short opening helps the operator triage the call quickly. Long explanations, background details, and apologizing for poor language ability are less useful than the location and the immediate problem.

A practical script in simple Italian looks like this:

  • È un’emergenza.
  • Sono a [address / street / city].
  • C’è un [incidente / incendio / furto / malore].
  • Una persona è ferita / non respira / è cosciente / sanguina.

If speaking Italian feels difficult, simple English is often enough in many cases, but short phrases and numbers are especially helpful. In an emergency, active speaking practice tends to help more than passive study because the caller has to produce information quickly under stress.

Useful phrases for 112 in Italy

Short, memorisable phrases are easier to say when adrenaline is high.

To report an emergency

  • È un’emergenza. — It’s an emergency.
  • Ho bisogno di aiuto. — I need help.
  • C’è un’emergenza medica. — There is a medical emergency.
  • C’è stato un incidente. — There has been an accident.
  • C’è un incendio. — There is a fire.
  • C’è una rapina / un furto. — There is a robbery / theft.

To give location

  • Sono in via [name]. — I’m on [street name].
  • Sono vicino a [landmark]. — I’m near [landmark].
  • Il numero civico è [number]. — The house number is [number].
  • Mi trovo a [city/town]. — I am in [city/town].

To describe a medical problem

  • Non respira. — They are not breathing.
  • È cosciente / incosciente. — They are conscious / unconscious.
  • Ha dolore al petto. — They have chest pain.
  • Sta sanguinando molto. — They are bleeding heavily.
  • Ha perso conoscenza. — They lost consciousness.
  • Si è sentito male. — They felt unwell.

To understand the operator

  • Non parlo bene italiano. — I don’t speak Italian well.
  • Può parlare lentamente? — Can you speak slowly?
  • Non capisco. — I don’t understand.
  • Sono qui con la persona ferita. — I am here with the injured person.

What information matters most

Emergency operators usually prioritize information that changes the response:

  • Exact location: street name, house number, floor, city, nearby landmark
  • Type of emergency: medical, fire, road accident, assault, gas leak, trapped person
  • Number of people involved: one person, several people, children, elderly people
  • Condition of the person: breathing, conscious, bleeding, severe pain, trapped, moving
  • Immediate dangers: fire spreading, traffic, electricity, violence, smoke, gas smell

A precise location is especially important because “near the station” or “at the park” may not be enough in a busy city. If the caller does not know the full address, a landmark, road sign, shop name, or intersection is better than nothing.

If the emergency is medical

For medical calls, the operator may ask about symptoms in a fixed order:

  • Is the person conscious?
  • Are they breathing?
  • Is there severe bleeding?
  • Is there chest pain, stroke-like symptoms, or a seizure?
  • How old is the person?
  • Did the problem start suddenly?

The best answers are short and factual. For example:

  • È un uomo di circa 60 anni.
  • Respira, ma è confuso.
  • Ha caduto e si è fatto male alla gamba.
  • Non riesco a fermare il sangue.

If the person is not breathing or is unconscious, say that immediately. That can change the dispatch priority. Do not hang up unless the operator says it is safe to do so.

Common mistakes to avoid

Several errors make emergency calls slower than they need to be:

  • Starting with a long story instead of the location
  • Giving vague directions like “somewhere near downtown”
  • Guessing information instead of saying “I don’t know”
  • Using slang or complicated grammar when short sentences would work better
  • Ending the call too early
  • Moving away from the scene before the operator has enough information

In an emergency, “I don’t know” is better than inventing details. Operators can work with uncertainty, but they cannot work with false information.

Pronunciation tips for key words

A few Italian words are worth recognising because they often appear in emergency situations:

  • emergenza — e-me-REN-tsa
  • ambulanza — am-bu-LAN-tsa
  • incendio — in-CHEN-dyo
  • polizia — po-li-TSI-a
  • strada — STRA-da
  • numero civico — NU-me-ro CHEE-vee-ko

Italian emergency communication is usually straightforward if the caller keeps sentences short and numbers clear. Saying street numbers, floor numbers, and apartment numbers slowly is more useful than perfect grammar.

A simple model call

A basic emergency call in Italian can sound like this:

È un’emergenza. Sono in via Garibaldi 18, a Milano. Una persona non respira. Ha bisogno di un’ambulanza.

That short format includes the key information in the right order: emergency, location, problem, and help needed.

If English is easier

Many operators and dispatch systems can manage simple English, but plain language works better than complex sentences. Useful English phrases are:

  • Emergency.
  • I need an ambulance.
  • I need police.
  • There is a fire.
  • The address is…
  • The person is unconscious.

Clear numbers, street names, and landmarks matter more than advanced vocabulary. For learners, rehearsing these phrases aloud is especially useful because emergency speech has to come out fast and under pressure.

Quick reference

  • 112 is the main emergency number in Italy for police, ambulance, and fire services.
  • 118 is also used directly for urgent medical help.
  • Start with “È un’emergenza.”
  • Give the exact location first if possible.
  • State the type of emergency and whether anyone is injured.
  • Speak slowly, clearly, and with short sentences.
  • Stay on the line and follow the operator’s instructions.

References