Fire Brigade – 18

Generally, the fire brigade is the first service to respond first to road injuries and domestic accidents. In rural areas, it is generally the fastest to the scene for all emergencies.

The fire service coordinates with other emergency services where necessary. It works closely with the medical service and employs professional, health, medical, as well as volunteer brigades.

Police – 17

You can contact the police in an emergency by calling 17 from any phone.

Upon calling, you’ll be connected to the appropriate emergency police service nearest to your location – be that the Police Nationale, which is responsible for urban areas, or the Gendarmerie Nationale, which covers rural regions.

The Police Nationale conducts criminal enquiries and performs security operations such as traffic control. The Gendarmerie Nationale is operated by the armed forces. It carries out criminal investigations and security activities – for example at airports and military locations.

Accidents and Health Care – 15

In a medical or health-related emergency in France, call 15 from any phone.

The SAMU (Services d’Aide Medicale Urgente) is the national emergency service in France. It deals with serious emergencies, providing ambulances as well as specialist medical teams.

The SAMU boasts around 100 call centers, with each run by a local hospital. Centers are manned by French doctors and trained medical staff. The SAMU also operates hundreds of emergency response teams (SMUR – Service Mobile d’Urgence et Reanimation).

When you call, the SAMU will determine the best response for your situation, be that sending an ambulance, sending an on-duty doctor or recommending you visit your own doctor. You can contact an out-of-hours doctor yourself on 116 117.

Road and Traffic Accidents

If you’re involved in a collision, contact the police as soon as possible. If the accident results in any kind of injury (regardless of whether it’s your fault), you’ll need to remain at the scene until the police arrive. After a collision, you should move to a safe place and also put your warning triangle 30 meters behind the car to alert other drivers.

For minor collisions, you should take the name, address and insurance details of the other party, as well as their vehicle registration number. Details of any witnesses may also prove useful in an insurance dispute.

You may be asked to fill out an amiable declaration (constat amiable) if a French car is involved in the accident. This involves a written as well as a graphic description of the accident, which can be used as evidence. If you don’t understand French or disagree with the declaration, do not sign the form.