999
Government & Politics abbreviation · Emergency Services
| Stands for | Emergency telephone number (United Kingdom) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Government & Politics |
999 stands for Emergency telephone number (United Kingdom), an emergency services abbreviation.
Emergency number for police, fire, ambulance and coastguard in the United Kingdom, and also used in Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia and other countries. Introduced in London on June 30, 1937, it is the world's oldest emergency telephone number.
Example: Dial 999 and ask for the coastguard if you see someone in trouble in the sea.
Usage notes
The European number 112 also works in the UK. Non-emergency police calls in the UK go to 101 and non-emergency medical calls to 111. In the US, 999 has no emergency function.
Related abbreviations
More emergency services abbreviations
- 000 – Emergency telephone number (Australia)
- 112 – European emergency number
- 911 – Emergency telephone number (United States and Canada)
- AHJ – Authority having jurisdiction
- AMBER – America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response
- APCO – Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
- ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service
- AVL – Automatic vehicle location
- BC – Battalion chief
- BLEVE – Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion
- CAD – Computer-aided dispatch
- CBRN – Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear