National Relay Service

Six ways to contact emergency services.

If you find yourself in an emergency which is either life threatening or where time is critical, you can contact fire services, police or ambulance:

• by TTY - dial 106
• by internet relay and ask for Triple Zero (000)
• by captioned relay – and ask for Triple Zero (000)
• by SMS Relay – text 0423 677 767
• by Video Relay – login to Skype and contact one of the NRS contact names, or
• by ordinary phone - dial 1800 555 727 and ask for Triple Zero (000).

106 TTY emergency service

The 106 service is the world's first national text-based emergency service. It provides access for TTY users to fire, police and ambulance services and is available 24 hours a day, every day. If you rely on a TTY to make calls, you can dial 106 in an emergency. 106 calls have priority over other TTY calls.

• Simply dial 106. This is a free number which connects you to the relay officer.
• You will be asked if you want police (type PPP), fire (type FFF) or ambulance (type AAA). Note: Speak & Read users just need to say "police", "fire" or "ambulance" to the relay officer.
• The relay officer will dial the correct service and stay on line to relay your conversation with the emergency service.
• Because a TTY is connected to a fixed line, the emergency service can locate where you care calling from - you will be asked to confirm your address.
• The 106 service can only be dialled from a TTY. It cannot be reached by:
  • an ordinary phone
  • text message (SMS) on a mobile phone, or
  • Internet Relay (see below).

See our videos on how to make an emergency call using 106:

Tips for emergency calls

• Always ask for the service you need - police, fire or ambulance.
• Don't hang up. Wait for a reply from the emergency service.
• Be ready to explain the emergency.
• You will need to state or confirm your location. This will help route the call to the closest emergency services operator as quickly as possible.
• The relay officer will stay on the line to relay your conversation. The emergency service will ask you questions and decide on the best way to help you.

For further information, visit the - National Relay Service Website.