Knowing how to call Triple Zero (000) for a fire emergency can be the difference between life and death, or a building or other property being saved or destroyed.

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The triple zero (000) service is the quickest way to get the right help from emergency services and should be used to contact Police, Fire or Ambulance services in life threatening or time critical situations.   

Calls to ‘000’ are free and can be made from mobile phones, home or work phones or payphones.    

The simple steps in making a Triple Zero (000) call to report a fire:  

  • Stay calm and call Triple Zero ‘000’ from a safe location  
  • Telstra operator will ask you if you need Police, Fire or Ambulance. Say ‘Fire’. If you are calling from a mobile or satellite phone the operator will ask you for other location information  
  • You will be connected to an Emergency Services Operator to provide more details  
  • Stay on the line, speak clearly and answer the Operator’s questions  
  • Give them details of where you are including:  
    • Street number  
    • Street name  
    • Nearest cross street  
    • Locality  
    • In rural areas it is important to give the full address and distances from landmarks and roads, not just the name of the property.  
    • If travelling on a Motorway or on a rural road, know the direction you are travelling and last exit or town you passed through to assist services to correctly locate the incident.
  • Do not hang up until the Operator has all the information they need  
  • If possible wait outside a pre-arranged meeting point or prominent location for Fire Services to arrive to assist them in locating the fire

Other things everyone should know in an emergency:

  • If a person is unable to speak English, if they call Triple Zero (000), say “fire” and leave the phone off the hook the call will be recorded and traced and a fire engine will be sent to that address.    
  • Record the Triple Zero (000) emergency number beside the telephone at home and work.    
  • Take time to teach children and overseas visitors how to make an emergency call. 
  • Callers with hearing or speech impairments can call the one zero six (106) text-based emergency call service using a textphone.  

In an emergency fire situation DO NOT call:

  • A NSW RFS District, Team or Zone Office
  • A Fire Control Centre
  • A Rural Fire Brigade
  • Any volunteer members

This action could lead to a delayed response or inappropriate resource being sent.

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