It’s important to know where to call when you find yourself in any situation or emergency.
911
Call this number if you or someone around you is having a major emergency. There are three services connected to this number: fire, police and ambulance.
If someone or something is on fire and needs professional assistance, call 911 and ask for firefighters.
If there is a serious crime being committed, call 911 and ask for police officers.
If you or someone around you is having a major medical emergency like a heart attack, call 911 and ask for an ambulance.
You can ask to speak to someone who knows the language you speak. Remember to be calm and answer the 911 operator’s questions as best as you can. If you aren’t sure if the situation is serious or not, still call 911. The operator will know what to do.
For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, the Toronto website says, “For TTY access (Telephone Device for the Deaf), press the space bar announcer key repeatedly until a response is received.” You can also register with your cell phone service provider to get the feature to text 911. You can find more information on that here. You can also use this service for non-emergencies.
416-808-2222
This is the non-emergency line for the police. If you’d like to report a crime that already happened, this is the number to call. The Toronto Police Service’s website has a list of non-emergencies you can call them for.
1-866-797-0000 | TTY: 1-866-797-0007
This is the number for Telehealth Ontario. If you are not experiencing a medical emergency but you still need advice, call this line to speak with a registered nurse. They will help you figure out what to do in your situation. This is not a replacement for 911.
811 | TTY: 1-866-797-0007
This is another non-emergency medical line. The Toronto website says to call “for minor medical issues such as cough, cold and flu symptoms, or other non-urgent health care information, referrals or to get advice from a registered nurse.” You can also use the online chat at ontario.ca/health811. This is not a replacement for 911.
311 | TTY: 711
This line is for non-emergencies. Here are some events where you can call 311:
- If you’re having problems with your neighbours, like them being too loud
- If you see an animal that has been injured
- If you think there is a spill that is going into a catch basin (grate in the road where water runs down) or you think someone is dumping waste into one on purpose
- If you see an area that has a lot of litter
- If the crosswalk doesn’t give enough time to cross the street
These and many others are services that 311 deals with. You can contact a live 311 agent online. You can also call them at 416-392-2489 if you are outside of Toronto. You can browse the 311 website to see what specific services they provide. They also have the 311 Toronto mobile app and an email address that you can reach them by, 311@toronto.ca.
416-542-8000
This is the number for Toronto Hydro, Toronto’s electric company. If you have an emergency like an outage or see that a power line has fallen, call this number and press 1.
1-866-763-5427
If you smell something like rotten eggs, there’s a chance that you’re smelling natural gas. Toronto lists Enbridge as the company to call in this situation. If you think you smell gas, go to a safe distance and call the number. Check out Enbridge’s website for more important information.
211 | TTY: 1-888-340-1001
If you are 16 years and older and you need help mentally, call 211. This is a 24/7 line for the Toronto Community Crisis Service. It uses professionals in the community, not the police, to provide non-emergency help to those in need. You can visit their website if you need more information on other issues they help with. You can also use this site if you want to chat with someone Monday-Friday between 7am and 9pm. They also have an app. Remember that everyone deserves help. This is not a replacement for 911 if you are having an emergency.
988
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or ideations, call or text this number or visit the website. Both the number and site are available 24 hours a day, all year. Remember that everyone deserves help. This is not a replacement for 911 if you are having an emergency.
Hopefully this list gives you the information you need to reach out to the right service for help. Someone is always ready, willing and able to help you. Don’t wait, call as soon as you need a service.