Emergency Services in Germany: When to Call 112, 110, and 116117

In Germany, it’s important to distinguish between three main numbers: 112 for life-threatening emergencies, fires, and rescue services; 110 for the police and dangerous crimes; and 116 117 for urgent but non-life-threatening medical care when regular doctors’ offices are closed. If the situation seems dangerous and you’re unsure, it’s better to call emergency services rather than waste time.

Quick Reminder

Number	What it connects to	When to call
112	Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services	Life-threatening situations, severe injuries, fire, heavy bleeding, loss of consciousness, suspected heart attack or stroke, serious traffic accident
110	Police	Crime, assault, security threat, violence, theft, dangerous situation requiring police intervention
116 117	Medical On-Call Service	Urgent illness or pain that is not immediately life-threatening when your regular doctor’s office is closed: high fever, severe ear or throat pain, acute cystitis, back pain, unexplained symptoms

112 — Ambulance, Fire Department, and Rescue Services

112 is the single European emergency number. In Germany, you can use it to call the fire department, the Rettungsdienst, and technical rescue services. The call is free from both cell phones and landlines.

Call 112 if there is an immediate threat to life or health:

a person is unconscious or unresponsive;
severe shortness of breath, choking, severe chest pain;
Signs of a stroke: facial drooping, weakness in an arm, slurred speech;
severe bleeding, serious injury, fall from a height;
serious traffic accidents, fire, smoke, explosion, gas leak;
poisoning, drowning, electric shock;
A suicide attempt or an acute danger to a person.

The dispatcher will decide which service to send: an ambulance, the fire department, rescue services, or multiple services at once.

110 — Police

110 — the police number (Polizei). Use this number when the situation involves a crime, a threat to public safety, or when an immediate police response is needed.

Typical situations:

assault, fight, threat of violence;
theft, robbery, attempted break-in;
Stalking or dangerous behavior;
Suspicious behavior that directly threatens people or property;
A traffic accident involving danger, a dispute, a driver fleeing the scene, or requiring police intervention.

If a situation involves both injuries and a crime, you can call 112 or 110: the services will relay the information to each other. In the event of an immediate life-threatening situation requiring an ambulance, it’s usually faster to start by calling 112.

116 117 — on-call doctors, but not an emergency number

116 117 is Patientenservice/ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst, not an ambulance number. It’s for when you need urgent medical care, but the condition doesn’t seem life-threatening and your regular doctor’s office is closed.

You can call 116 117 for:

advise on what to do next;
Name the nearest on-call clinic;
Refer the patient to the on-call doctor;
If necessary, arrange for a doctor to make a house call;
Help with finding a medical or psychotherapeutic term.

The number works throughout Germany without an area code; the call is free, and the service is available 24 hours a day. However, in a life-threatening situation, you should call 112, not 116 117.

What to Tell the Dispatcher: The Five Ws Rule

German guidelines for making emergency calls often use the “five Ws” rule. Its purpose is to quickly provide the dispatcher with the information needed to ensure help arrives promptly.

Wo ist es passiert? Where did it happen? Provide the address, city, street, house number, floor, and building entrance. On a highway—the Autobahn/Bundesstraße number, direction, and the nearest kilometer marker or exit.
Was ist passiert? What happened? Describe it briefly: fire, accident, person unconscious, assault, severe chest pain.
Wie viele Verletzte oder Betroffene? How many people are injured or affected? List adults, children, and unconscious people separately, if possible.
Welche Verletzungen oder Beschwerden? What injuries or symptoms? For example: not breathing, heavy bleeding, burn, seizures, chest pain.
Wait for follow-up questions. Do not hang up first: the dispatcher may need to clarify the address, the person’s condition, or provide instructions before help arrives.

If you don’t speak German well

Say a simple phrase right at the beginning:

I don’t speak German. I need help.

You can add:

Do you speak English?

If there is someone nearby who speaks German or English, ask them to take over the call. If you can’t find the right words, use key terms: Unfall, Feuer, Blut, Kind, bewusstlos, atmet nicht, Polizei. The most important thing is to report the location and not hang up.

Duty to Assist: What the Law Says

In Germany, a witness to an incident must not simply walk by. The German Civil Code (§ 323c StGB) imposes liability for failure to render assistance in the event of an accident, general danger, or distress, if assistance is necessary and can be provided without significant personal risk and without neglecting other important obligations. The penalty is a fine (Geldstrafe) or imprisonment (Freiheitsstrafe) for up to one year.

In practice, minimal assistance often means:

Ensure your own safety and secure the scene, if possible;
Call 112 or 110;
Provide accurate information to the dispatcher;
Provide basic first aid to the best of your ability;
Stay where you are until emergency services arrive, if it is safe to do so.

If you don’t know how to perform CPR, that’s no reason to do nothing. Calling emergency services and following the dispatcher’s instructions can already be a vital form of assistance.

Protecting the Person Who Is Helping

A bystander should not risk their own life. The law requires you to provide assistance to the best of your ability, not to act heroically. If the scene is dangerous due to fire, gas, traffic, or aggression, first move to a safe location and then call the emergency services.

First aid provided in good faith is generally not considered grounds for liability simply because the outcome was not ideal. If the person providing assistance is injured while helping, protection may be available through the accident insurance (Unfallversicherung) system. Issues regarding property damage and liability depend on the circumstances; sometimes, liability insurance () or personal liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) may be relevant, but it’s best to document disputed cases and consult your insurance provider or a lawyer for clarification.

What to Do at the Scene of an Incident

Assess the danger to yourself: cars, fire, electricity, gas, aggressive people.
Call 112 or 110.
State your location and briefly describe the situation.
Check to see if the injured person is conscious and breathing.
If there is heavy bleeding, try to stop it by applying pressure to the wound, if it is safe to do so.
If the person is not breathing normally, follow the dispatcher’s instructions for CPR.
Do not give food, drinks, or medication unless necessary and as directed by medical professionals.
Do not move the injured person unless absolutely necessary if you suspect a spinal injury or a serious traffic accident.
Wait for the emergency services to arrive and tell them what you saw and what you’ve already done.

Taking photos or videos of injured, helpless, or deceased people for the purpose of sharing them may violate the § 201a StGB. In an emergency, your phone is primarily for calling for help, not for taking photos or videos.

Where to Learn First Aid

The Erste-Hilfe-Kurs (first aid course) is useful for anyone who lives in Germany, drives a car, works with children, or simply wants to know what to do before the Rettungsdienst arrives. Courses are offered, for example, by:

German Red Cross;
Malteser Hilfsdienst;
Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe;
Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund and local training centers.

A basic course usually lasts one day. Prices and available languages vary by city and organizer, so it’s best to check these details before signing up.

Anyone can take a first aid course in Germany; such a course is usually required to obtain a driver’s license.

How to Prepare in Advance

Do a few simple things before you need them:

Save 112, 110, and 116 117 in your phone;
Add the address of the nearest Notaufnahme/Rettungsstelle;
Find the nearest on-call clinic at 116117.de;
Find out your regional Giftnotruf number, because poison control center numbers vary by state;
Check your home first-aid kit and your car’s first-aid kit;
Have your address ready in German, including the floor number and intercom code;
Install alert apps if they work for you.

Useful Apps and Services

NINA — the official alert app from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe).
KATWARN — a system for warning about emergencies and hazardous weather.
WarnWetter — weather warnings from the Deutscher Wetterdienst.
nora — an emergency call app that’s also useful for people with hearing or speech impairments; be sure to check its accessibility and terms of use before installing it.

E-Call in a Car

The eCall system automatically connects the vehicle to 112 in the event of a serious accident and transmits important data, including the location, to emergency responders. In the EU, this requirement applies to new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles approved on or after March 31, 2018; older registered vehicles are not required to be retrofitted with the standard system.

E-Call can be triggered automatically in the event of a serious traffic accident or manually via the SOS button, if your car has one. For older cars, third-party solutions are available, but their reliability, connection to 112, network support, and data protection depend on the device and the service provider.

The Golden Rule

If there is a life-threatening situation, a fire, a serious injury, or a dangerous situation—call 112. If you need the police due to a crime or a threat—call 110. If you need urgent medical care that is not life-threatening and your regular doctor is unavailable—call 116 117.