Emergency call numbers are critical for devices with or without a SIM card and have been since the era of landlines. There are several carriers as well as regulatory requirements worldwide that make it mandatory for every device to be capable of making calls to emergency numbers within a given country. It matters not whether the balance is available on a SIM card. Emergency calling numbers are those numbers connected to various pivotal societal services like E.R. (emergency room) and medical staff, as well as firefighters, police, and other governmental institutions.
In many countries, the telephone network only has a single phone number for all kinds of emergencies. Such a number is called a Universal Emergency Telephone Number. But in the case of, say, India, such an individual number for crises didn’t exist until recently. Recently, 112 was declared as all India emergency number in the country by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). It lets you reach the police, ambulance, fire brigade, and so on, without recalling multiple sets of digits in a stressful situation.
Emergency numbers in India and some other countries
Generally, there are numerous numbers for different kinds of emergencies. For example, for medical assistance, the emergency numbers are 108, 102, 112, 1298, and so forth. Calling 100 lets you get through to the police in India. To call the fire brigade, the emergency number is 101. These numbers are not used globally. Mostly 911 is the emergency number used in the USA and, in fact, the whole of North America. In all the EU nations, 112 is the number to dial. For Australia, it is 0000. Likewise, every country has its emergency numbers. These sets of digits are already tied to a local SIM card most of the time from the get-go. You can call the emergency numbers toll-free (free of charge) 24×7.
Can you call the emergency numbers without the SIM card?
Yes, you can make an emergency call even without a SIM card inside your phone. Emergency calls are made by your phone’s antenna and not the SIM. Even if it’s inside but shows no network bars, you may steal to reach the number. You might be wondering how you can dial the emergency number when there is no network.
Your SIM’s carrier may not have a network in that particular area, but other carriers might. So to make an emergency call, even if your carrier has no network coverage in that area, your phone will employ another available network. In case, where there is no network (of any carrier) available in an area at all, then unfortunately you won’t be able to make a call at all.
What emergency numbers are saved on your SIM card by default?
There are some common emergency numbers preloaded on your SIM cards like for police and medical assistance, firefighting department, and many others. Numbers often vary from country to country. Also, some carriers preload more emergency numbers on their SIM cards than others. That’s why there is no fixed global number for emergencies preloaded on every carrier’s SIM card. You don’t even need to scroll your contact list to make a call to an emergency number. On your lock screen, there is an option of “emergency call” below the keypad, which appears when you want to unlock the phone. Select it, and you’ll be directed to the emergency helpline number for your country.
The list of emergency numbers could be short or long—it depends on the country. Some countries have multiple numbers and some have just one or two. Since it would be tough to list them all and keep them updated, we suggest looking at Wikipedia’s list of emergency telephone numbers. Remember, you can dial these numbers even with no network bars or SIM inside. As mentioned, if no network is available, you’re out of luck. Thankfully, satellite phones and radios can still work. Sadly, for India and many countries, only military personnel and some professionals may use a satellite phone.