International · Emergency cards you can read in five seconds
What to do first
Short, checkable cards for the first minutes of an emergency. Pick the situation, read the top line, act. Works offline and in every language on this site.
Choose the situation
- Emergency numbersOne number for the whole EU, and what to say when they answer.
- CPR and resuscitationAn adult is not breathing normally. Push hard, push fast, do not stop.
- ChokingCannot speak, cough or breathe. Five back blows, five thrusts, repeat.
- Heart attackChest pain that will not go away. Sit down, call, do not drive.
- StrokeFace drooping, arm weak, speech strange. Note the time and call now.
- Severe bleedingBlood soaking through, spurting or pooling. Press and do not let go.
- UnconsciousnessNot responding but breathing. On their side, airway open, watch them.
- BurnsCool with running water for twenty minutes. Nothing else goes on it.
- FracturesDeformed, swollen, cannot bear weight. Support it, do not straighten it.
- HypothermiaShivering, slurred, sleepy. Dry, wrapped, warmed slowly from the middle.
- Heat exhaustion and heatstrokeHot day, weak and sick means cool and drink. Hot and confused means call now and cool hard.
- Bites and stingsClean, cool, watch the face and breathing. Snake means still, no cutting, no sucking.
- DrowningReach or throw, do not go. Out of the water, five breaths, then CPR.
- Electric shockCut the power before you touch anyone. Then check breathing.
- Fire safetyAlert, get out, close the door, call from outside.
- Fire extinguishersRight extinguisher, base of the flames, exit behind you.
- Gas leak and carbon monoxideSmell of gas: no switches, no flames, open up, get out. CO: no smell at all.
- Chemical exposureGet out of the cloud, wash it off, keep the label.
- Industrial accidentSirens or a plant alarm mean go inside, shut the air out, tune in.
- Road accidentWarn the traffic first, then the injured. Helmets stay on, casualties stay put.
- FloodsGo up, not out. Never drive or walk into moving water.
- Storm and high windInside before it hits, away from glass, out from under trees. Lightning: no field, no tree.
- EarthquakeDrop, cover, hold on. After: expect aftershocks, check gas, take the stairs.
- Natural disastersKnow the signal, have a room, have a bag, have a plan.
- Emergency kit72 hours on your own: water, food, light, power, papers, medicines, cash.
- EvacuationLeave by the marked route, help who needs help, count everyone at the point.
- Workplace safetyRisk assessment, trained first aiders, and the right to stop unsafe work.
- Armed conflictWarning means shelter below ground. Away from windows, two walls between you and outside.
- Civil unrestDistance is the whole strategy. Move sideways out of the crowd, stay on your feet.
Use at your own risk. Educational and research use only, not medical advice. Verify numbers and rules for the country you are in. They change. Before you rely on these cards in practice, review them with a medical professional or a fire safety specialist. Disclaimer
Emergency numbers
Free from any phone, on any network, even with no credit
- 112 Single emergency number, EU and 70+ countries
- 911 USA, Canada
- 999 United Kingdom, Ireland (112 also works)
- 000 Australia
- 116 000 Missing children hotline, EU
- 116 123 Emotional support helpline, EU
112 reaches police, fire and ambulance across the European Union, from a locked phone, with no credit, and over any available network rather than only your own operator. Calling without a SIM card is allowed in most member states but not all: Germany blocked it in 2009 and France in 2004. Outside the EU, check the local number before you travel.
Legal framework
Occupational safety and first aid duties are set by law. These are the frameworks most often referenced internationally.
- Council Directive 89/391/EECEU framework directive on safety and health at work. Employers must assess risks, provide first aid, firefighting and evacuation arrangements.
- ILO Convention C155International labour standard on occupational safety and health.
- ISO 7010Standard shapes and colours for safety signs, so a red circle means the same thing everywhere.
- ERC Guidelines 2021European Resuscitation Council guidance used by training providers across Europe.
- Duty to help: it depends on the countryMost continental European countries make failing to help a person in danger a criminal offence, provided you could help without endangering yourself; calling the emergency number normally discharges that duty. England, Wales and most of the United States have no such general duty, but once you start helping you are expected to act reasonably.