One must call 112, only in case of serious emergencies or if someone’s life is at risk. Once you call 122, you will be answered by a control officer. Depending on the situation, you might be directed to the fire brigade or the medical service. The control officer might not speak English in many cases, so it is always advisable to let a German speaking person call them.

When you call 112, be ready to answer these standard questions clearly:

1. Who: Your Name (Name of the person calling)
2. Where: Location (where you are)
3. Phone number
4. What happened (explain the situation clearly)

In case you are calling for medical emergencies, please keep other relevant information of the patient handy.

1. Patients name
2. Sex (Geschlecht)
3. Age (Alter)
4. The exact problem
5. How it happened

They might send level 1 help or level 2 help. Level 1 help includes Emergency Ambulance (Rettungswagen) and Paramedic. Level 2 help includes Emergency Ambulance (Rettungswagen), Paramedic and Emergency Doctor (Notarzt)

Some of the important words you must know in such situations are

Medical history: Anamnese

Injury: Verletzung

Breathing difficulty: Atemnot

Bleeding: Blutung

Unconscious: Bewusstlos

Road accident: Verkehrsunfall

Chest Pain: Brustschmerz

Fitting: Krampfen

Drowning: Ertrinken

Pregnancy: Schwangerschaft

Burns: Verbrennung

In Labour: Wehen

Allergy: Allergie