French emergency services, are one of the best in the world. Six years ago I was lucky enough to spend a week with a French ambulance crew (SMUR) who belong to the French ambulance services (SAMU) at a hospital in Garches (Paris suburbs) I was lucky enough to see the whole process, from when they receive the call until the ambulance arrives at the scene. I will explain how it happens, When you call an ambulance (find telephone number below) firstly, the call arrives at a switch board, here you will be asked the following important questions,

1) Where are you?  (Exact Address)

2) Your name?

3) What has happened? (this you must try and stay calm and give as much information as possible).

4) The victim’s name/age?

At the scene of an accident don’t be shy in asking people to help - ie, if you were at a car crash and the victim is lying in the middle of the road, ask someone to place a car in front or behind the accident (depending on which way the traffic is coming) and use the car as a protection for you and the victim asking the driver to put his four way flashers on, or getting someone else to find witnesses etc.

Now returning the call to the emergency services, Your call is being monitored has you speak by a Doctor who will be analysing the information that you have given and he will then decide what vehicle needs to be sent to the victim and  what hospital the emergency services should the injured to. Automatically the fire department (Sapeur Pompier) will also send a team as they are generally the first to arrive at the scene of the accident (between 6 – 12 minutes in Paris). they will arrive in a ambulance with a three/four man team. If the accident or injury is very serious the SAMU will arrive shortly after as they would have been called at the same time. Now an ambulance consists of one paramedic who is also the driver, a doctor and finally a nurse! – you could not ask for better. The ambulance is a small hospital, there is no rushing the victims like mad to the nearest hospital, they have everything they need in the ambulance, and only when they are sure that the transportation of the victim is safe will they head for the predetermined hospital.

Emergency telephone numbers when dialled from a french telephone are,

SAMU dial 15

Police dial  17

Sapeur Pompier dial  18

If you have a mobile telephone with you,  even if you don’t have a signal or even if your card does not work in France or you don’t have any credit less you can always dial the International Emergency Number which is 112

Please remember that the telephone numbers that are listed above are for emergencies only!

If you need doctor but it is not an emergency then you can call SOS Medecins who will send a doctor to you within normally 1 – 5 hours (In Paris).

For the SOS MEDECINS  dial 3624

If you need a chemist (Pharmacie in French) and you need it out of office hours,  please contact your hotel reception or tour guide or local police station (Please do not use the emergency telephone number).

An interesting observation

In Paris and the Sapeur Pompier are part of the French Army, and In Marseille the Sapeur Pompier are part of the Navy.

If you do not speak French or need any important advise, please look at my “Useful Links” page you will find a list of Consulates hopefully yours will be listed.