What is 000?

Triple Zero (000) is Australia's main emergency telephone number, used to contact the police, fire brigade, or ambulance service. Calls to 000 are free from any telephone, including locked mobile phones, and are answered by Telstra operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Triple Zero has been the national emergency number since 1961.

When you call 000, the operator first asks which service you need: Police, Fire, or Ambulance. They then transfer the call to the relevant state-based emergency service operator, who takes the details of the emergency and dispatches help. The Triple Zero operator can also connect callers to the State Emergency Service (SES) for storm or flood help, or to the NRMA, RACV, or equivalent road service organisations through commercial arrangements.

Triple Zero should only be called for genuine emergencies where there is an immediate threat to life or property, a serious medical condition requiring urgent attention, or a crime in progress. For non-emergency police matters, the Police Assistance Line (131 444) is the appropriate number. For non-urgent health advice, Healthdirect (1800 022 222) offers free 24-hour nurse helpline support across Australia. Crimestoppers (1800 333 000) handles anonymous reports of crime.

Two complementary numbers are available for callers with hearing or speech difficulties. 106 is the national Text Emergency Relay Service for users of teletypewriters, available through Triple Zero operators. The National Relay Service can also be used to make 000 calls through Auslan video relay or text. Mobile phones can also reach 112, an international emergency number that connects to 000 in Australia and is helpful in remote areas where signal coverage from one specific carrier may be missing. New citizens should add 000 to their phone contacts and ensure their family and household members know to call it in an emergency.