000 (emergency telephone number)

000 Emergency,^[1] also known as Triple Zero^[1] or Triple 0,^[2] and sometimes stylised Triple Zero (000),^[1] is the primary national emergency telephone number in Australia^[1] and Australian External Territories. The Emergency Call Service is operated by Telstra, and overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA),^[3] and is intended only for use in life-threatening or time-critical emergencies.^[1]

Other emergency telephone numbers in Australia are 112 for GSM mobile and satellite phones, which is answered by a Triple Zero (000) operator, and 106 for telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) textphones.^[4] Calls to the emergency telephone number can be made even if a mobile phone is locked, no SIM card is required, and calls must be forwarded by network service providers even if the subscriber is barred from making calls due to billing issues.^[5]

Whilst dialling international emergency telephone number 112 from a mobile will connect to the Triple Zero operator, dialling 112 from a landline will not access the Triple Zero operator; 000 must be used from landlines. Furthermore, the 911 emergency telephone number as used in North America will also not gain access to the Triple Zero operator, either from mobile or landline telephone.^[4]

For calls to the State Emergency Service (SES) about non–life-threatening situations, the Australia-wide telephone number 132 500 can be used.^[1] For non-emergency calls to the police in Australia, 131 444 should be used.^[1]

000 was also the emergency telephone number in Denmark and Finland until the introduction of the 112 number in 1993, and in Norway until 1986, when the emergency telephone numbers diverted to 001 for fire brigade, 002 for police and 003 for ambulance. Those Norwegian emergency telephone numbers changed in 1994 to 110, 112 and 113 respectively.