What to do and Who to call during an emergency in Romania

Emergency in Romania right now? Dial 112. This is the nationwide free emergency number for an urgent ambulance, SMURD emergency response, police, firefighters, gendarmerie or other relevant rescue service. Give the exact county, municipality or village, street, building and floor, and tell the operator what has happened. If anyone is unresponsive, seriously injured, trapped, attacked or in danger from fire or floodwater, make the call immediately.

This practical guide serves residents, international students and visitors to Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Iași, Constanța, Sibiu, the Carpathians and Romania’s rural communities. It delivers the emergency number and seven first-minute actions at the top. Detailed sections explain 112 dispatch, the accessible 113 SMS system, the Apel 112 app, Romania’s RO-ALERT warnings, mountain rescue, fires, floods, earthquakes and personal protection. Official services updated July 2026 were checked on 6 November 2026.

Quick answer: emergency contacts in Romania

112 — national emergency response: ambulance, SMURD, firefighters (pompieri), police (poliție), gendarmerie, relevant mountain rescue and other specialist responders. Free and operating continuously.
113 SMS — registered accessibility service: for people with hearing or speech impairments who have registered with Romania’s Special Telecommunications Service (STS) for emergency text. Do not assume an unregistered ordinary SMS to 113 will work.
0725 826 668 — Salvamont: national mountain rescue dispatch, also advertised as 0SALVAMONT. A mountain rescue can also be requested through 112.
119 — national child protection line: reports of child abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. In a current physical emergency call 112 first.
0800 500 333 — domestic violence, trafficking and discrimination support: free, 24-hour nationwide specialist help and referral; not a substitute for 112 during an attack.
Apel 112 app: an official STS app for placing a 112 emergency call and transferring device-generated location information; it is not a general alert app or a substitute for an actual emergency call.
RO-ALERT: public hazard notifications sent to mobile phones in affected areas. It warns people; it is not an ambulance-dispatch number.

The Government of Romania confirms the free 112 service and its coordination role at Official National 112 Service, updated July 2026. Specialist sources include Salvamont mountain rescue, Child Protection 119 and ANES 0800 500 333.

The first minute: seven actions you can take now

Move away from immediate danger when safe. Avoid flames, smoke, violent threats, traffic, live electrical equipment, unstable buildings, fast-flowing water or unstable mountain slopes. Do not become a second person needing rescue.
Call 112. Say that you need ambulance, fire, police or rescue assistance, or describe the situation if unsure. The operator can route the incident.
Give your precise location. Name the county (județ), municipality or commune, road, house number, building, staircase, floor, flat, nearby intersection or identifiable landmark.
Describe the emergency in one sentence. ‘One person has collapsed’, ‘there is smoke in an apartment block’, ‘a person is being assaulted’ or ‘two hikers are trapped’.
Identify people and threats. Give the number of people, whether anyone is unconscious, breathing abnormally, bleeding, trapped, missing or unable to evacuate.
Follow the operator’s instructions. Answer questions, remain reachable, follow first aid or safety guidance and clearly say if you do not know a fact.
Help crews reach the correct access point. If safe, arrange for someone to meet responders at the gate, entrance, road junction, station exit, trailhead or recognised landmark.

Example: ‘Ambulance, please. An adult is unconscious at [street, number], [city], County [name], Building B, third floor, apartment 24. Use staircase 2. My number is [phone].’ In Romanian, ‘Am nevoie de o ambulanță. O persoană este inconștientă. Adresa este…’ gives the essential opening. You do not need a diagnosis to request emergency help.

How 112 actually works in Romania

Romania’s Special Telecommunications Service (STS) administers the national 112 system. Emergency operators receive reports continuously and pass cases to the relevant specialised dispatchers, including ambulance, SMURD, police, firefighters, gendarmerie or mountain rescue. The appropriate agency asks incident-specific questions, allocates field crews and coordinates the response.

The government describes the service as free and nationwide, available through public telephone networks. The first operator and the specialised responder may both ask for the location, the condition of people involved and the nature of the emergency. Repeated questions can help prevent mistaken addresses or wrong resource assignments. Be patient but answer directly and clearly.

Official explanation: National 112 emergency service and its dispatch process. If the call disconnects, dial again, repeat your location and tell the operator that you were previously connected.

Ambulance and SMURD: life-threatening medical events

When someone collapses, cannot breathe or is critically injured

Call 112 for a person who is unconscious, not breathing normally, has severe chest pain, signs of stroke, major bleeding, significant trauma, a seizure or another immediately dangerous event. Describe observed symptoms rather than guessing the illness. The operator may ask about age, consciousness, breathing, the time symptoms began and any hazards around the person.

If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, follow emergency dispatch instructions for CPR and the use of an available automated external defibrillator (AED), consistent with relevant training. A safe bystander can find an AED or guide crews to the patient while another helper stays with them. Do not give food, drinks or tablets to someone unable to swallow.

For major injury after a road crash or fall, avoid unnecessary movement unless there is immediate danger from fire, vehicles, rising water or unstable debris. Do not wait to find a hospital, insurer or clinic while the person needs emergency response. Report the patient’s location and access rather than deciding the appropriate response vehicle yourself.

A health concern without immediate threat to life

Ordinary illness, stable symptoms or a routine medication question may be better addressed by a doctor, family medicine provider or an appropriate urgent clinical service. These are not the same as sending an ambulance to a dangerous scene. If the symptoms suddenly become severe, a person loses consciousness or has serious difficulty breathing, contact 112 instead of waiting for a clinic appointment.

Fires, smoke, gas leaks and dangerous industrial incidents

Call 112 when a residential building, workplace, warehouse, vehicle or industrial site is burning or smoke threatens people. Raise an alarm if appropriate, move away through a safe exit, avoid lifts during an active fire and close doors when safe. Do not return into smoke for documents, pets or other belongings when the route is dangerous.

If you cannot escape because the stairs or corridor are full of smoke, report the building, floor, apartment, staircase and nearest window or balcony to 112. Follow firefighters’ directions; the safest action can differ by building, fire location and smoke conditions. Do not simply push into a stairwell because it is marked as an exit.

For a possible gas leak or chemical vapour, avoid open flames, electrical switches and actions that could create sparks in the affected area. Move away from the hazard and report it from a safer location. During some chemical incidents officials may instruct people to shelter indoors, close windows and stop ventilation, while a fire may require evacuation. Follow the actual incident-specific instructions.

Police and gendarmerie: violence and urgent public safety

Call 112 when an assault is occurring, a person is threatened with a weapon, a serious crime is in progress or another immediate situation requires police intervention. Move to a safer place when possible and say exactly where it is happening. Provide descriptions of any weapons or injuries only if you actually know them. Do not confront or pursue a dangerous person to take photographs.

Police, gendarmerie and other agencies have different responsibilities, but an emergency caller need not know all those boundaries before seeking urgent help. Tell the 112 operator what is happening and where, and follow the response process. A theft discovered after the danger has ended may be reported through an official local police channel rather than emergency dispatch.

113 SMS: an accessibility route that requires registration

Romania operates 113 for SMS emergency communication by people with hearing or speech disabilities who have registered with STS. The July 2026 national service listing says it is free and available nationwide, 24 hours a day, via mobile networks to registered eligible users. It can route incidents to the same emergency-response agencies contacted through 112.

Do not present 113 as an unregistered universal SMS inbox. Registration and eligibility matter. The system was designed so a caller who cannot communicate by voice can exchange messages about the incident, address and condition of people involved. A useful first message includes ‘AMBULANCE’, ‘POLICE’ or ‘FIRE’, a complete address, symptoms or risk, and a callback number where needed.

Official government description and registration requirements: STS SMS 113 accessible emergency service, July 2026. If speaking is possible and a voice call works, 112 is the simplest immediate route.

Advanced Mobile Location and the Apel 112 app

Romania uses Advanced Mobile Location (AML) to help emergency operators locate a supported smartphone calling 112. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, AML can send phone-generated coordinates during the emergency call, without the need to install another app. It is not continuous tracking of the person’s everyday movements and it does not tell responders which floor or apartment they need.

STS separately offers Apel 112, a free Android/iOS application that can initiate an emergency call and transmit location information from the device. The government page was updated in July 2026. If you frequently travel in unfamiliar areas, learning this before an incident may be useful, but the app is not a substitute for actually placing the emergency call.

Official sources: Ministry of Internal Affairs — AML location during 112 calls and STS Apel112 app. If phone positioning appears inaccurate, explain your actual location and nearest verified landmark.

Salvamont: 0725 826 668 and mountain rescue

Romania’s mountain rescue organisation Salvamont advertises 0SALVAMONT — 0725 826 668 for its national rescue dispatch, in addition to the national emergency number 112. Call if a hiker is seriously injured, stranded, missing, trapped on steep terrain or facing a dangerous mountain emergency. Give the mountain group, route, shelter, last known position, number of people and safe access point.

Salvamont asks callers to report the nature and time of the incident, the injured person’s condition, number of people affected, weather and precise location. Remain available by telephone and conserve battery. If the person is sheltered and safe from immediate terrain danger, avoid moving unnecessarily simply to find a better photograph or view.

Do not venture onto unstable avalanche slopes, cliffs or falling-rock zones in an untrained rescue attempt. A second casualty makes the situation harder. Be cautious about whether a helicopter can operate in dangerous weather or whether trails are closed. The rescue service determines deployment based on risk and available resources. Source: Salvamont Romania — emergency reporting checklist.

Earthquakes: Vrancea, Bucharest and building safety

Romania has significant earthquake hazard, especially linked with the Vrancea seismic zone and the vulnerability of some buildings. During strong shaking, protect your head and neck, move away from falling objects if safe and take suitable cover. Do not rush onto stairs or use lifts while the building shakes. Windows, facade elements, shelving and masonry can fall.

After shaking stops, check for injuries, unstable walls, broken glass, gas odour and damaged electricity before moving. If the building is visibly unsafe or authorities instruct evacuation, take the safe available route and keep away from damaged structures. Expect aftershocks. A person trapped or critically injured should be reported to 112 with their last known position.

The government runs the Fiipregatit.ro preparedness platform through the Department for Emergency Situations, with hazard-specific information for earthquakes, floods, fires and other events. A building’s actual seismic vulnerability and emergency plan should be assessed before a disaster, not guessed from a general article.

RO-ALERT: warning messages, not a number for rescue

RO-ALERT is Romania’s official public-warning system, in operation since 2018. Authorities can send location-targeted messages to compatible mobile phones when a dangerous situation threatens a particular area. Messages may concern severe storms, floods, wildfires or other significant risks. The system uses mobile warning technology rather than asking every resident to download an alerting app.

Read the location, hazard and action requested. A severe flood warning may require leaving low ground; a toxic smoke message may advise sheltering indoors and closing windows. These are different actions. A public-warning message does not automatically call an ambulance for you. Use 112 when someone needs emergency responders.

The National Authority for Communications says RO-ALERT became operational on 4 May 2018 and explains its geographic warning role. Read ANCOM — emergency communication and RO-ALERT. Avoid sharing obsolete screenshots as though they apply to the current hour or locality.

Heavy rain, flash floods and the Danube

Flooding can affect low roads, riverside towns, Danube settlements, mountain valleys and urban underpasses. Never drive or walk across fast-flowing or unknown floodwater. It can conceal washed-out surfaces, open drains, debris and live electrical hazards. Follow municipal and county-level evacuation orders before routes become impassable.

If a building is flooding, avoid entering a basement to retrieve a vehicle or touching an electrical panel while standing in water. Move to a safer position and take medication, documents and communications if time allows. If people are trapped, call 112 and describe the exact road, building, floor, number of people and the safest remaining access.

A flood-warning map cannot decide whether your particular bridge is safe. Observe road closures and take local emergency authorities’ instructions seriously. The Romanian Department for Emergency Situations and Fiipregatit publish preventive action information that can help households plan before the river rises.

Storms, snow, road closures and forest incidents

Strong winds, lightning, heavy snow and freezing rain can damage infrastructure and expose travellers to hazardous conditions. Stay away from fallen power cables, loose signs, trees and unstable roofs. In thunderstorms, seek suitable shelter and avoid open water or isolated trees. Do not attempt to drive around a road closure simply because a navigation service suggests a shortcut.

In mountain areas, severe snow or wind can make rescue access difficult. Know the route and weather before hiking, and leave a trip plan with someone you trust. A routine power outage belongs with the electricity provider; a person with urgent injury or life-sustaining equipment failure may need 112.

Never use a fuel generator or charcoal grill indoors or in an attached garage. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause serious injury and is not reliably detected by smell. For suspected exposure with severe symptoms, move to safer air when possible and request urgent medical help.

Road crashes: motorway and rural road details

For a collision involving major injuries, trapped occupants, fire or immediate roadway danger, call 112. Report the motorway or national road number, travel direction, nearest exit, kilometre marker, village or junction. If there are multiple vehicles, describe how many are involved and whether fuel, smoke or cargo presents extra risk.

Stay away from moving traffic and leaking fuel. Do not walk across active lanes to obtain photographs or read a truck’s hazard placard. If someone has a serious injury, avoid unnecessary movement unless their location is immediately dangerous. Follow medical responders’ advice on first aid and the safest access point.

Domestic violence: 0800 500 333 versus immediate police help

Romania’s National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men (ANES) offers 0800 500 333, a free 24-hour, seven-day helpline for domestic violence, sexual or sex-based discrimination and human trafficking-related concerns. Survivors, relatives, neighbours and witnesses may contact the service for advice, legal and psychosocial guidance and referral to protection resources.

It is a specialist support service. If an assault is occurring, someone is threatened with serious harm or emergency medical care is necessary, call 112 first. A person may require both urgent protection and longer-term counselling or shelter. Do not force someone to disclose their plans in front of a potential aggressor. Official current source: ANES domestic violence helpline.

Child protection: what does 119 do?

119 is Romania’s free national child protection number for reports of abuse, neglect, exploitation or violence against children. The government lists the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption as the responsible authority, and cases can be passed to county-level child-protection professionals.

If a child is currently being attacked, is critically injured, in immediate danger from an offender or trapped in a disaster, contact the appropriate urgent service via 112 as well. Safeguarding after immediate safety may require a separate child-protection response. Source: Government child helpline listing, updated July 2026.

Useful Romanian words for emergency calls

‘Ajutor!’ — Help!
‘Am nevoie de o ambulanță.’ — I need an ambulance.
‘Este un incendiu.’ — There is a fire.
‘Chemați poliția.’ — Call the police.
‘O persoană este inconștientă.’ — Someone is unconscious.
‘Nu respiră normal.’ — The person is not breathing normally.
‘Adresa este…’ — The address is…
‘Vorbiți engleză?’ — Do you speak English?
‘Suntem lângă…’ — We are near…

Visitors should save an accommodation address written in Romanian, including the correct județ, street and apartment entrance. The accessible 113 SMS system has its own eligibility conditions; do not assume a visitor can use it without registration. Make the working emergency voice call and ask a safe person nearby to help pronounce the address if needed.

How to tell Romanian responders where you are

County and locality: județ, oraș, municipiu, comună or village, as applicable.
Street and number: strada or bulevardul and the exact building or house number.
Apartment access: block (bloc), staircase (scară), floor (etaj), apartment (apartament) and entrance gate.
Road collision: A- or DN-road, travel direction, interchange, junction or kilometre marker.
Mountain incident: mountain group, valley, trail colour, hut (cabană), cable-car station and verified coordinates.
Flood or river incident: river, nearest bridge, low road and floor where people are trapped.
Callback: current working number and communication or access problems.

A practical household and travel emergency checklist

Write 112 at the top of a household safety card and teach children when to use it.
Save 0725 826 668 Salvamont if travelling in mountains; know that 112 can also route rescue.
Keep 119 for child safeguarding and 0800 500 333 for domestic-violence support clearly labelled.
Write the full address and nearest usable gate, floor, stairwell or rural road.
Learn the building’s fire exits, an outside meeting point and the location of an available AED.
Review RO-ALERT on a supported phone and learn where local officials publish flood, storm and seismic guidance.
Keep water, medication, a torch, food, power bank and appropriate warm clothing available for outages or evacuation.
Agree how older adults, children, visitors or people requiring mobility or medical-device support will obtain help.

Common mistakes to avoid

Texting 113 without prior registration and assuming it functions as a general nationwide SMS alternative for everyone.
Using Apel112 as though an app alone dispatches an ambulance without an emergency request.
Assuming automatic mobile location identifies a building’s floor, apartment or correct access gate.
Calling a safeguarding support line instead of 112 for a child currently being attacked or in immediate danger.
Crossing flooded roads or entering water-filled basements to retrieve property.
Approaching an unstable mountainside or avalanche path to attempt rescue without training.
Treating a RO-ALERT public warning as an automatic summons of emergency workers.
Delaying a life-threatening medical call while arranging insurance or looking up hospital names.

Frequently asked questions

What is Romania’s main emergency number?

112 is Romania’s nationwide, free emergency line, covering ambulance, fire, police, gendarmerie, mountain rescue and other response agencies.

Can anyone text 113 during an emergency?

No. The official SMS 113 service is for registered people with eligible hearing or speech disabilities. Use a voice call to 112 when possible and suitable.

Does Romania have a special mountain rescue number?

Salvamont uses 0725 826 668, also referred to as 0SALVAMONT. People can also request mountain rescue via 112.

What does the Apel 112 app do?

It helps place an emergency call and transfer location data to Romania’s 112 system. Supported smartphone AML location may also work automatically on voice 112 calls without installing the app.

Will a RO-ALERT warning automatically send a rescue team?

No. RO-ALERT warns people located in an area affected by danger. Call 112 when someone needs on-scene emergency response.

What are Romania’s child-protection and domestic-violence support numbers?

119 is the national child-protection number; 0800 500 333 gives 24/7 domestic-violence, trafficking and related support. Immediate danger should be reported through 112.

Official Romanian sources and further emergency guides

Safety and accuracy note: This is public guidance, not emergency dispatch or a medical assessment. The particular incident, weather and authorities’ live instructions take priority. Government emergency services were checked 6 November 2026. If someone faces immediate danger in Romania, call 112 now.