Australian Emergency Numbers You Should Keep Next To Your Phone for Families

When you have children in the house you want to be prepared more than ever before for emergencies, especially medical emergencies that may happen with your child. Having emergency numbers to hand is also helpful for baby sitters, or when Granny and Grandpa come to look after your kids for the evening. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to ring the right number if something happens.

Where should I keep my Emergency Numbers List?

It is a great idea to have a list in a central location that is easy for strangers in your house to find, such as on your fridge, or on the wall next to your phone if you have a landline. 

It is also a great idea to program the numbers into your phone so you have them to hand if you are away from home and you need support. 

You will also want to include your own contact numbers and the home address on the Emergency Numbers List, so that if a babysitter is taking care of your kids for the night they can easily find your number and the location, even if their phone battery goes flat!

What are the Australian Emergency Numbers?

There are a number of Australia Wide Emergency Numbers that you should include on your list to start with, and then make sure you include emergency numbers for your family too. 

Here are the Australian Emergency Numbers to start with, but some are state based or area based services, so we recommend you look up the relevant number for your state or area to confirm that it is the right number for you:

Triple Zero - Police, Fire and Ambulance Emergency Number   000

• Is someone seriously injured or in need of urgent medical help?
• Have you just witnessed a serious accident or crime?
• Is your life or property being threatened?

If you answered YES call Triple Zero (000). Stay calm and state whether you need Police, Fire or Ambulance. You will need to know the location, ideally the street number, street name, nearest cross street and the area. This is also good information to have on your emergency call list, so if it is a visitor to your house calling, they can easily reference the address.

Find out more:  Tripe Zero Website

State Emergency Services 132 500

This 24 hour, 7 day a week helpline will connect you with volunteer emergency and rescue service. This is the number to call if you or your property are in danger during a flood or storm.

Find out more: There are different organisations and websites for every area in Australia. We recommend looking up your State Emergency Service and checking the phone number is correct.

Health Direct Hotline 1800 022 222

Do you have a health concern for yourself or your child? You can call the Health Direct Hotline 24/7 and speak with a registered nurse. They will ask you questions and provide immediate health recommendations over the phone. This is an invaluable service for parents when you aren't sure how serious your child's symptoms are or whether you need to see a GP or hospital.

Find out more:  HealthDirect Website

Poisons Info Line 13 11 26

If your child has gotten into something they shouldn't have, or you think someone has taken an overdose, made an error with medicine or been poisoned then this is the number to call to get more information.

Find out more:  Poisons Hotline

Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 686 268

Having a breastfeeding related problem or not sure about something to do with lactation and feeding your baby? This is a great number to call. It is staffed by volunteers 24/7 who are trained breastfeeding counsellors. They have personal experience breastfeeding and are a great source of information at any time of day.

Find out more:  Breastfeeding Helpline

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline 1800 882 436

Call this number to talk to a Maternity Child Health Nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for information and support through pregnancy, birth and your newborn baby up to 5 years of age.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby supports parents on the journey from pregnancy, to baby and pre-school. We offer guidance and reassurance about behavioural and development concerns such as tantrums, walking, talking or reading for children up to 5 years of age

Find out more:  Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline

PANDA Counselling Helpline 1300 726 306

Available Monday to Friday 9am to 7:30pm AEST/AEDT, PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) supports women, men and families affected by anxiety and depression during pregnancy and in the first year of parenthood. PANDA operates Australia’s only National Helpline for individuals and their families to recover from perinatal anxiety and depression, a serious illness that affects up to one in five expecting or new mums and one in ten expecting or new dads.

If you're feeling anxious or down, give them a call and have a chat to someone about it. It might make all the difference for you and your baby.

Find out more:  PANDA Helpline

Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000

This service is available if you have information about suspicious activity or unsolved crime. This includes suspected child abuse. You do not need to say who you are on this helpline.

Find out more:  CrimeStoppers Website

Police Assistance   131 444

This helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for non-urgent incidences, crimes or police enquiries.

Find out more: This is different for every state and territory. Please look up the relevant website for your location.

We recommend sitting down and brainstorming the emergency numbers your family need. You might like to include the phone number for your local doctors surgery, as well as your nearest hospital and police station. If anyone in the household has ongoing medical needs, then they might have a specialist number.

What other information should I include?

It is important to think of any information that strangers in your home might need in case of emergency, such as the location and your contact details. 

You might also like to include the local numbers for your doctors surgery, the nearest hospital and the nearest police station. If you have someone in the house with ongoing medical issues, you might like to include their specialist phone number for easy reference too.

Print your Emergency Numbers List for Easy Reference

Here is an A6 printable image you can download and print for your fridge to get you started! Includes the key contact numbers listed above and space for you to write your own details and local phone numbers down. Please make sure you double check the numbers on the list to ensure they are correct for your location!

You can also get our template and add your own details:  Get my template!

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About the Author

Corryn is a lover of coffee, hugs and sunshine. Mum of 3 and founder of Milk and Love, Corryn loves chatting to new mums and pregnant mums. She has extensive breastfeeding experience, and is an advocate for gentle parenting, cosleeping and looking after Mum's mental health...  read more about Corryn here