15 Emergency Numbers You Need
Today, it’s all about 15 emergency numbers you need. Do you have a list of important emergency numbers that could come in handy in an emergency? If not, it’s time to grab the notepad and pen, jot these numbers down, and then keep the paper somewhere you won’t lose it. For example, you can put the paper on the fridge with a magnet to have easy access to it when you need it. Because you don’t know when an emergency will happen, it’s ideal to have these numbers ready for when you need them most.
You are going to want these two books in your hands, the ebooks are great but a hardcover book is better.
“Prepare Your Family For Survival” by Linda Loosli
“Bugging In” by Raymond Dean White (this is our Ray!)
15 Emergency Numbers You Need
This is not an exhaustive list of emergency numbers that you need because everyone has different circumstances. However, these are 15 emergency numbers that everyone should have, just in case.
1. Local Hospital
You might need the number to the local hospital if you’re having an issue but don’t necessarily need an ambulance. You can talk to someone about the medical problem you’re having and see if you can head over to get an evaluation. Someone from the hospital may encourage you to come straight to the emergency room, depending on the types of symptoms you’re experiencing. If you have a walk-in clinic close by, you might want to check with them first. If so, put that number on your list too.
2. Primary Physician
Always have your primary physician’s number available. This medical professional knows the most about you because they see you for your regular checkups and have most of your medical records very close at hand. If you have medical concerns or questions that you’d like to ask, this is the number to have for those times.
3. Poison Control Center
Having the number to the poison control center is a must. If you or someone in your household accidentally ingests a toxic component, it’s vital to know what to do to protect yourself. You can let someone from the poison control center know what was accidentally ingested, along with how much of it, so that they can provide you with the proper steps to take. The number for the poison control center is 800-222-1222.
4. Local Police and Fire Department
When you have a non-emergency situation that involves the police, you can call your local police department. For example, you may have a question about filing a restraining order, or you might want to report something you’ve witnessed that concerns you and that may need immediate attention from local authorities. Even if it’s not something that requires you to call 911, this is still a critical emergency number to have.
It’s a great idea to have your local Fire Department number as well. Of course, 911 would get them your house as well. Time is critical when you smell smoke or see flames.
Please sign up for Reverse 911 in your area. You must register your cell phone with your local Reverse 911 Notification System if you want to be notified of possible dangers in your location. You can “Google” Reverse 911 Emergency Notification in your city or county and you should be able to find it. Please do it today!
5. Animal Poison Control Center
Like the poison control center, you’ll want to contact the animal poison control center if one of your pets consumes something they’re not supposed to eat. The number to reach a representative is 888-426-4435. The representative will provide you with specific instructions on how to help your pet, whether you’ll need to give it hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, or the need to rush over to the veterinarian’s office.
6. Suicide Hotline
If you’re struggling and having a mental health crisis or someone else in the household is having this problem, it’s good to know about the suicide hotline. The number to call is 800-273-8255. You can talk anonymously with caring and considerate mental health professionals who want to lend an ear when you need it the most.
7. Gas and Electric Company
If you smell gas in or around your home, there could potentially be a gas leak. Play it safe by having your local gas company’s emergency line included in your list of emergency numbers. Then, you can make the call to have someone sent out to the property immediately.
Before you turn off the gas to your home, consider this, turning it back on again is a different thing. It is best to have an official technician from the gas company turn it back on.
If the power is out for an extended period of time, keep your Electric Power Company number handy so you can report the outage and also get updates on the progress to get things up and running again.
8. Water Company
When there is a problem with the water, it’s important to call your water company’s emergency line. Whether no water is coming out or coming out dirty and with a foul odor, the company needs to know of the situation so they can take steps to rectify the problem.
9. Non-Emergency Ambulance
While you might not need flashing lights and sirens, you could still need the number of an ambulance service. If you’re dealing with a medical issue and need to get to the hospital but don’t have a way to get there, having this number is a must. The ambulance will arrive at your front door, help you get into the vehicle, and then safely get you to the hospital.
10. Bank Fraud Department
It may seem strange to have the bank fraud department written as one of your emergency numbers, but it’s good to have. If you notice any unusual charges made to your bank card or checking account, you can call the number right away, have them freeze your accounts, and get a new debit card sent out. The number for this department varies from one bank to the next. The number is typically on the back of your debit or credit card. Please make a note of it before you need it.
11. Children’s School
Always have the number for your children’s school listed on your emergency numbers list. This is because you might need to contact the school for something important involving one of the kids. You can also use this number to make sure your children are in school.
12. Home Insurance Company
Write the number to your home insurance company down on paper because you might need to get in touch with them. If any damage occurs to your property, it’s essential to immediately reach out to the home insurance company.
13. Auto Insurance Company
If you get into an accident or if someone breaks into your vehicle, you’ll need to have the number of your auto insurance company. Jot it down just in case you need to call them quickly to let them know of something unfortunate that happened to your car. It gets the ball rolling a lot faster.
14. Emergency Dentist
When dealing with a dental emergency, it helps to have the number of an emergency dentist who can treat your dental problems without making you wait. Find a local emergency dentist in your area and write their number on the list. Make sure you’re choosing one with good reviews.
15. Local Children’s Crisis Center
If something serious happens to one of your children, calling the local childrens’ crisis center can help. You’ll need to do a quick Google search to find the number for the childrens’ crisis center in your area. If there’s more than one, you can write them all down to have a few options, if you need them.
In case you need a Contact Form, there is one in here: Binder Content Forms
printable-binder-4016. Veterinarian
We all have a veterinarian so a few readers suggested we add this number, awesome!!
17. Veterinarian Hospital
Sometimes we may need to go to veterinarian hospital that s for after hours and is not our regular veterinarian location.
18. Elderly Care Home
We all have relatives in elderly care centers, so when a reader mentioned to add it, I jumped on it. Great idea!
19. Family Member Names & Phone Numbers
I know we all have the these names and numbers in our cell phones but we need a hard copy in case our cell phones are not working. These would be great for neighbors (you trust) to contact those family member in case of an emergency.
20. Credit Reporting Bureau
1. Equifax Customer service: 1-(888) 548-7878 2. TransUnion Customer service: 1-(855) 681-3196 3. Experian Customer service: 1-(888) 397-3742.
21. Social Security Customer Service
If you have questions or needs, that’s the number that you need to call concerning your Social Security issues. 1-(800) 772-1213.
Final Word
These are the essential emergency numbers you need to have. You can’t predict what will happen in life, whether you end up dealing with a dental emergency, medical issue, or even a mental health crisis. However, you can make sure you’re fully prepared by having a list of these important 15 emergency numbers available and in a spot that you won’t forget. May God Bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: Old and New Phones Deposit photos_140182754_s-2019
Great idea to have them as a list on the fridge. I just have those numbers in my cellphone right now, so I’ll have to print them out in case cell service goes out.
And speaking of cellphones, I put the direct dial numbers for all the local police departments in the towns I frequent into my cellphone, and the regional state police dispatch number as well. That way if the cellular 911 service goes offline I can still reach out for help to the local emergency responders. Not a bad idea for those of us with smartphones to look up those numbers now and save them just in case.
Hi DMWalsh, I agree, I have them on my cell phone as well. I like the idea of the different city’s emergency numbers. Great tip, Linda
Linda, thank you for this important list of numbers. I agree with DMWalsh in having the list printed out and easily available to call in an emergency. I have my Emergency Contact list posted on the refrigerator and this could go right next to it and also in the binder. About 4 months ago a close neighbor/friend gave me keys to her house. Little did either of us know how important that would become. After several people including myself left messages for her after a surgery and she didn’t answer, her pastor called and said he would meet me at her house. I found her on the floor in the kitchen; she had had a major brain bleed/stroke. There was no way that she could have called for help with a wall phone and no cell phone down low enough to reach. Now I have a low step stool beside my bed with cell phone there at night and my purse with all the important cards if I need to provide info to paramedics. Several of her friends, neighbors, and family learned from her unfortunate event. Good news is that she is recovering but it will be a while before she can live in her home without assistance.
Hi Carol, oh what a blessing that you had a key to her house. This is critical to have keys to our elderly neighbor’s homes. I have had relatives call me to go check on their parents, thankfully only a few times has it been an emergency. BUT, we are prepared to check on them when the need is there. We always call them ourselves and knock on the door, and ring the doorbell. We would never go in without asking the owners or relatives. But, we had a neighbor call us who had fallen, two different people that needed help to get up. Thankfully we had a key to get in and help them. I’m glad you were able to get your neighbor some help and she is recovering. Wow, great tip! Linda
I would add your veterinarian to that list. Our pets are family and mean the world to us. Having just had our 10 1/2yr old golden retriever tear her ACL and need $4,000 worth of surgery, I know that number by heart! However, as time goes by and I call them less and less, I’m sure I’ll forget it. Sage is doing spectacular since her surgery, too!
Hi Robbie, Oh yeah, good one! I think I’m going to have a printable made. I will add this to the list! Good one! I’m glad you golden retriever is okay!! Linda
Hi Linda
Another few numbers that might be handy: your veterinarian emergency number, your clergy, and for me the number for our local elderly care center because my mother just moved into one.
Hi Tom, thank you for these suggestions. I will add them to my list. I will see how many we can add on to it and I will ask the girl that makes my printables to make us one. Then we can print it out on cardstock! Linda
How about your husbands work number? In an emergency, we don’t always think straight. Maybe your adult children’s cell phones as well.
Hi Deborah, great idea, I will add those. Our address at the top would be great as well! I remember someone saying they went blank when they called for an ambulance. Linda
I would also add the numbers for the 3 credit reporting agencies: Equifax Customer service: 1 (888) 548-7878; TransUnion Customer service: 1 (855) 681-3196; and Experian Customer service: 1 (888) 397-3742.
**If you have fraudulent charges on a credit card you can generally put a fraud alert or freeze on your accounts. I have had my identity stolen before and now carry “insurance” through one of the agencies to notify me if there are unusual or questionable charges, inquiries or applications.
Another good one to have on hand is: Social Security Customer service: 1 (800) 772-1213.
It would also be a good idea to print out a sheet of all of your cell phone contacts just in the event that your cell phone dies.
Hi Leanne, great comment!! I just added these to the post. It’s critical we have the numbers we may need close by!! I LOVE LOVE these! Thank you so much, Linda