CanDo StudioEmergency phone sheet
Numbers are grouped by type: danger to people, medical help, utilities (water, power and gas), on the water and in the wild, animals, and city services. You can print this sheet and keep it.
Emergency phone sheet
Immediate danger 911 — police, fire, ambulance
First check whether the place you are in is safe. Only move if you can get away safely. If there are power lines outside your car, do not rush to get out. Say your city, address and unit number first. Then say what is happening and give a number to call you back. To ask for a Mandarin interpreter, say: Mandarin interpreter, please.
Emergency line, 24 hours. It works in places with 911 service and phone coverage. You cannot report an emergency by regular text message. T9-1-1 is only for people who qualify and have registered in advance. Do not count on your location being found automatically if you stay silent.
If you dial 911 and hang up right away: in places where E-Comm answers 911 (including Greater Victoria), you will get a recorded call in English from a number starting with 604. Press 1 if you need help or do not understand, or 3 if it was a mistake; if you need help, do not wait for the callback: dial 911 again. See Guide No. 40.
→ No. 40 · B.C. 911 upgrade and 604 callbacks
BC Drug and Poison Information Centre 1-800-567-8911
Free within B.C. In Metro Vancouver, call 604-682-5050. Phone advice 24 hours a day. If the person is unconscious, having seizures, having trouble breathing or has chest pain, call 911 first. Do not make the person vomit.
Gas leak 1-800-663-9911
FortisBC gas emergency line, 24 hours. Get outside first, then call. Indoors, do not make phone calls and do not turn electrical switches on or off. If there is urgent danger, you can call 911.
Report a power outage 1-800-224-9376
For BC Hydro service areas. You can report an outage 24 hours a day. Stay at least 10 metres away from downed power lines and call 911. If a power line falls on your car, do not rush to get out. See the "Staying safe and getting help" guide for details.
FortisBC electricity 1-866-436-7847
Only for areas where FortisBC supplies electricity. Electrical emergency line, 24 hours. Your gas supplier and your electricity supplier may not be the same company. If there is immediate danger, call 911 first.
Victim support 1-800-563-0808
VictimLinkBC, for B.C. and Yukon. Call or text, 24 hours. Support and referrals for victims of crime and of family or sexual violence. If there is immediate danger, call 911 first.
Suicide crisis support 9-8-8
Across Canada. Call or text, 24 hours, in English and French. You can use it if you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone else. If a life is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
Non-emergency health advice 811
HealthLink BC: health service navigators and nurses, 24 hours. You can ask for an interpreter. TTY users can call 711 and ask to be connected to 811. It does not replace 911.
When you call 811, once you get through, first say "Mandarin, please." or "Cantonese, please." and wait for the interpreter to join before you explain. For how to prepare for a doctor's visit and how to ask for an interpreter when you book, see Guide No. 41.
→ No. 41 · Preparing for a doctor's visit
Help finding community services 211
B.C., by phone or text. Weekdays 9:00–21:00, closed on statutory holidays. Use it to find community support such as housing and food. It is not for reporting to police and does not send ambulances.
Help on the water, in the wilderness, with animals and with public facilities
Mainly for B.C. and Greater Victoria | If a person is in immediate danger, call 911 first
Clearly say the city, the road or body of water, your exact location, a call-back number and the danger in front of you. An animal-related number does not mean someone will come out at any hour. Do not walk into traffic, try to catch an adult deer, touch a dead animal or take risks going into the water.
Emergency on the water 1-800-567-5111
JRCC Victoria, for B.C. and Yukon, 24 hours. On marine VHF radio, use channel 16. You can also call 911 from a regular cell phone and say it is a marine rescue. From a satellite phone or from outside the area, use 250-413-8933.
Lost in the wilderness 911
Say that you need Search and Rescue, and give your route and location. The number BCSARA currently lists for cell phones, satellite phones and calls from outside B.C. is 250-374-5937. The organization's office line does not send rescuers.
Injured adult deer and dangerous wildlife 1-877-952-7277
COS/RAPP, 24 hours. Report it when an adult deer cannot stand up or has been hit by a vehicle, or when a wild animal puts people's safety at risk. Keep a safe distance. Do not catch or move the animal.
Small wild animals 1-855-622-7722
BC SPCA / Wild ARC. Phone lines are usually open daily 08:00–18:00. On statutory holidays, the South Vancouver Island wildlife line is open 08:00–16:30. For fawns and squirrels, call first so they can assess the situation. Do not feed the animal yourself or release it in a different area.
Bitten, or touched a bat 250-388-2225
Island Health's communicable disease team (Victoria). First wash with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, then see a doctor; if you are unsure, call 811. See Guide No. 42.
Dead wild birds 1-866-431-2473
B.C. wild bird mortality investigation line, 24 hours; do not pick the bird up with your hands.
→ No. 42 · Wildlife in your home and yard
Dead animals on the road: choose by location
Victoria 250-361-0400 (24 hours); Saanich 250-475-5599; Oak Bay 250-598-4501; Esquimalt 250-414-7108. Do not take the last three numbers as a promise that a truck will be sent 24 hours a day.
Provincial highway hazards 1-866-353-3136
Emcon, South Vancouver Island maintenance area. Report road hazards and dead animals 24 hours a day. It does not cover all municipal roads. On private property, the owner should ask how it will be handled. Do not drag the animal onto the road.
Pets and animal welfare
Victoria / Oak Bay / Esquimalt: VACS 250-414-0233. Animal cruelty or an animal in distress: BC SPCA 1-855-622-7722, daily 08:00–18:00, except statutory holidays. If a person is in immediate danger, call 911.
Victoria public works 250-361-0400
City Public Works, 24 hours: urgent city problems such as fallen trees and blocked drains. Only for the City of Victoria. For downed power lines, or if a person is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
CRD Juan de Fuca water outages 250-474-9600
View Royal, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Sooke and others. During business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), call the number above; after hours, on weekends and on statutory holidays, call 250-474-9630. For whether to contact your landlord, the property manager or a licensed tradesperson about leaks, outages or broken locks at home, see Guide No. 44.