Emergency as SMSmessages to 112

The 112 emergency SMS is intended for people with impaired hearing or speech. Only contact the emergency number 112 in emergencies when you need to alert prehospital medical care, the police, rescue services or social and crisis services urgently. 

Emergency text messages are SMS messages. You cannot send images, videos or e.g. WhatsApp messages to the emergency number. You can't use emoji symbols in messages.

How to compose an emergency text message

Individuals who contact emergency services via text message are asked to provide the same basic information as callers in order to allow the ERC operator to carry out a statutory assessment of the urgency of the situation. To make it easier for the ERC operator to send help as soon as possible, always include as much information as you can in your initial message.

Please make sure that your text message includes

  1. The municipality and address
  2. What has happened
  3. Additional information about the situation
  4. Your name

The operator can then reply to your message and ask for any additional information that may be required. The ERC operator may ask you via text whether the person is able to speak or whether there is someone at the scene that is able to speak. This is done to remove people who could make an emergency call by phone from the SMS service. 

Always call if you can

If you do not have problems with your hearing or producing speech, always make an emergency call by telephone. This will ensure that persons with speech and hearing impairments have access to assistance in the event of an emergency. Sending emergency text messages between the operator and the person in need during an emergency is slower than talking on the phone.

Do not contact the emergency number in vain

Unnecessary contacts can cause delays in responding to real emergencies and have fatal consequences. Tips on incidents or individuals should not be sent to the emergency number. You must also not test the functionality of the text message service. The 112 emercengy SMS cannot be sent from a phone without a SIM card.

FAQ

You cannot send images or emojis to the emergency number. 

Sending the 112 emergency SMS to 112 is free of charge.

No, it cannot. 

Running out of balance on prepaid phones or reaching the maximum limit of the operator’s text message plan does not prevent sending the 112 emergency SMS.

The 112 emergency SMS cannot be sent from a phone without a SIM card.

Yes, the sender of the 112 emergency SMS can be located in the same way as an emergency caller.

The 112 emergency SMS cannot be prioritized in operators' communication networks in the same way as emergency calls. Therefore, delays may occur in the transmission of text messages, and their quick delivery to the emergency services cannot be guaranteed. Delays may occur, for example, during public holidays or at times when text message traffic is heavy.

No, you cannot. The message will not be directed to the emergency services in that country. 

No, it cannot. Only text messages sent from Finnish numbers are directed to Finland's emergency services.