Numbers You Need For Emergencies in the UK, USA, Singapore and worldwide

 We need a call number for minor emergencies like that. Like what: I've missed my last bus home. Somewhere not yet reaching the call the police and the Samaritans. Or a redirection service. There's a medical helpline that puts you through to a nurse. I thougt it was 101 in the UK but it is simpler than that, like 999 it is the same number three time, just one, not once but three times.

London transport ought to have one for missed the last train, connecting you with all night buses, time and distance to where to catch an all night bus, nearly stations with later trains, first morning train and waiting room, nearby all night cafe or kiosk and 24 hour toilet, and taxi, grab or bicycle hire. Plus bigger signs telling you the time of the last train and second to last at every station. Also the vet and animal lovers local neighbourhood watch and help so that animal lovers can save spiders, toads etc.

What to do when arriving in another country or planning an outing or trip whether overseas or local.

LOCAL LIST

Call police

fire

ambulance

Nurse/medical

helpline

samaritans

speaking clock number and price - or how to book alarm in hotel or on mobile phone

Hospital

doctor

Dentis

Bus to home/hotel

Time of last bus

Time of last but one

bicycle racks yes/no where

map service

language translation online

(print it off common phrases)

phasebook to buy

grammar/sentence structure (eg tips page starting language in duloingo and Wikipedia, simple Wiki, and wikivoyage language pages

train

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS Print off and add

Water

Electricity

Gas

Landlord/building management of Home / office

Doctor

Dentist

Hospital

Pharmacy (opening hours)

Medicines in nearby supermarket

First aid kit location

Revival (usually in railway station near ticket office or in condo by swimming pool)

• 000 – emergency number in Australia
• 100 – emergency number in India, Greece and Israel
• 106 – emergency number in Australia for textphone/TTY
• 108 – emergency number in India (22 states)
• 110 – emergency number mainly in China, Japan, Taiwan
• 111 – emergency number in New Zealand
• 112 – emergency number across the European Union and on GSM mobile networks across the world
• 119 – emergency number in Jamaica and parts of Asia
• 122 – emergency number for specific services in several countries
• 911 – emergency number in North America and the Philippines
• 999 – emergency number in many countries

Singapore emergency police 999

Singapore emergency ambulance and fire 995

Singapore non emergency ambulance 1777 

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emergency_telephone_numbers

https://seniorcare.com.sg/singapore-emergency-phone-number-ambulance-police/

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is teacher of English. (Advanced English and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, an aspiring polyglot.)

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs, and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

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Americanisms - what is a conch? The story of people who won't leave Key West In Hurricane Irma. How Will They Sleep?

Problem
I just watched a news video from the USA about a woman leaving Florida, Sept 10 2017, on government advice before hurricane Irma, whilst her mother and aunt and other relatives stayed behind.

The people who choose to stay have been warned, don't bother ringing 911 because nobody will answer.  (In the UK you ring 999. For non emergency medical advice you can call the NHS direct advice line on 111.)

In the old days you used to be able to find the emergency number in the front of the printed phone directory. Now more and more companies are starting to say they won't be printing any more directories. Everything will be on line.

In the video, when asked why her mother would not leave, the young woman replied, "Because she's a conch".

I know that a conch is a shell. But she was using the word to describe people. I guessed it was a dismissive or slightly derogatory term.

I searched all over to find out what that meant. I thought it was a type of personality or attitude.

Answer
It turns out a Conch, spelled with a capital letter,  means somebody born in or living in the Florida Keys (or the Bahamas).

Story
I've been to Florida and down to the Keys. Not for long. Drove straight back.

I remember staying further up the coast at The Breakers and hearing the pounding of the Atlantic. I thought, I'll have trouble sleeping.

I'd wanted a sea view room but the sound of waves at night worried me. I was afraid I'd dream about tsunamis. I was listening all the time to hear if the waves were getting higher or closer. That was in clear weather.

I think it must be even harder to sleep when there's a gale. I'm sure you stay up the first night. Then the second night you are so tired you sleep through anything.

The news reports say that those staying include the people looking after Ernest Hemingway's House, because of more than 20 cats, kept because he had many cats. (Obviously not the same cats. They may have supposedly nine lives but they are not immortal.)

The latest advice is that it is too late to try to cross the roads to the mainland because the sea is rising either side and is about to flood the road. You just look at the pictures of the low road and the sea either side. It's horrific.

One just hopes that the storm passes out at sea, and quickly, and the people who stay have found the safest possible place.

If you are a tourist it would be a good idea to write the emergency numbers up by the phone. At some point, we hope, the emergency service people will be coming back and will be answering.

More Information
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/conch
Article headed Staying Behind On Florida Islands Is Almost Like Suicide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41211955

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
I have several posts on Americanisms and Britishisms and learning and understanding other languages. See next post on Key West. Please share your favourite posts.