Kiddipedia
Between work, school runs and the everyday demands of family life, emergency preparedness can easily slip down the priority list. But if a child suddenly becomes unwell, someone is injured, a storm damages your home or a babysitter needs to reach you urgently, knowing who to call can make a stressful situation easier to navigate.
The reality is that emergencies rarely happen at a convenient time. You might be out, your phone battery might be flat, or the person caring for your children might not know which family member to contact first.
The good news? Preparing doesn’t have to be complicated.
Having a basic first aid kit, keeping important telephone numbers accessible and talking with your children about what to do in an emergency are practical steps any family can take. A contact list on the fridge, for example, can help parents, older children, grandparents and babysitters find essential details without having to search through a phone.
It’s also worth remembering that not every emergency requires the same response. A life-threatening medical emergency calls for Triple Zero (000), while a non-urgent health concern may be better directed to a health advice service. Knowing the difference is an important part of being prepared.
Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about emergency numbers until we actually need one. And when you’re worried about your child, trying to remember a phone number or work out who to call is the last thing you want to be doing. Having a few important details written down can take one small job off your shoulders when everything else feels overwhelming.
Why Every Family Needs an Emergency Contact Plan
Think about the people who regularly look after your children. Would a babysitter know what to do if your child had a serious allergic reaction? Could a grandparent find your GP’s number quickly? Would your child know how to tell an emergency operator where they live?
These aren’t questions intended to frighten parents. They’re simply worth considering before you need the answers.
A family emergency contact plan brings together the people, services and essential information you may need in a hurry. It can also reduce confusion when more than one adult is trying to help.
Your plan doesn’t need to be elaborate. Start with the most important telephone numbers, make sure the people who care for your children know where to find them, and review the details whenever something changes.
You don’t need to turn your home into an emergency command centre. Start with the people and services your family is most likely to need, then build your list from there. If your children spend time with grandparents, a babysitter or another carer, make sure those adults know where to find it, too.
The aim isn’t to predict every possible emergency. It’s to make the next step clearer when something unexpected happens.
Important Australian Emergency Numbers at a Glance
Keep these essential numbers accessible alongside your family’s personal contacts.
000 — Triple Zero
For life-threatening or time-critical emergencies
Call Triple Zero for police, fire or ambulance assistance when a life is in danger or urgent emergency help is required. Tell the operator which service you need, explain where help is required, and stay on the line to answer questions.
Official resource: Triple Zero Australia
13 11 26 — Poisons Information Centre
For suspected poisoning
Call for advice about suspected poisoning, including accidental exposure to medicines or household chemicals. If the person is unconscious, having seizures or struggling to breathe, call 000 immediately.
Official resource: Healthdirect Australia — Swallowed substances
1800 022 222 — Healthdirect Australia
For non-emergency health advice
Healthdirect provides free, 24-hour telephone health advice. In Victoria, the service is known as NURSE-ON-CALL. Call 000 instead when urgent emergency assistance is required.
Official resource: Healthdirect Australia
131 444 — Victoria Police Assistance Line
For non-urgent police assistance in Victoria
Use this number for non-urgent police assistance. Call 000 if there is immediate danger or an urgent incident requiring police attendance. Other states and territories have their own arrangements.
Official resource: Victoria Police
132 500 — Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)
For eligible storm and flood assistance in Victoria
VICSES assists with eligible storm, flood and other incidents within its responsibilities. Call 000 if life is in danger. Families elsewhere in Australia should check their own state’s emergency service arrangements.
Official resource: Victoria State Emergency Service
These numbers are a starting point, not a substitute for a personalised family contact list. Save the official service websites as well, and check the details periodically.
The distinction between emergency and non-emergency services is particularly important for parents. Australian guidance recommends contacting the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for suspected poisoning, while someone who has collapsed, stopped breathing or is experiencing another life-threatening emergency needs Triple Zero (000). Knowing which service to contact can help you act without unnecessary delay.
1. Local Domestic Services (Electrical, Plumbing, etc.)
Electrical faults, plumbing problems and accidental lockouts are among the household issues families may need help resolving unexpectedly. Keeping the numbers of trusted local tradespeople accessible can make it easier to arrange repairs without searching for a provider under pressure.
If you have a preferred local emergency electrician, for instance, make sure other adults who care for your children know where to find the number. The same applies to a plumber, locksmith or other essential service provider.
It’s important to distinguish a household maintenance problem from an immediate safety hazard. A leaking tap may be a routine plumbing job, whereas a burst pipe near electrical equipment may require urgent action to keep people safe.
For electrical faults, gas leaks or other potentially dangerous situations, prioritise getting everyone to safety and contacting the appropriate emergency service or utility provider. Do not ask children to investigate faults, touch damaged equipment or attempt repairs themselves.
Families may also find it helpful to record the relevant electricity distributor’s fault number and gas distributor’s emergency number. These can differ depending on where you live, so use your provider’s official website to confirm the correct details.
A simple precaution: Know where the main water shut-off valve and electrical switchboard are located, and make sure responsible adults understand how to access them safely.
A practical tip: If you want to talk with your children about household safety, you can also explore our blog on the top reasons for tradie callouts for households with young children.
2. Local Hospital
No parent wants to receive a call saying their child has been taken to hospital unexpectedly. However, having the relevant hospital contact details readily available can help when you need to confirm information, make an enquiry or understand the next steps in a child’s care.
Record the contact details for your nearest suitable hospital, including its general enquiries number and, where relevant, information about its emergency department.
It is worth understanding the difference between hospital reception and emergency medical assistance. Reception staff are not a replacement for an emergency response, and a hospital’s general number may not connect you directly with the emergency department. If someone is seriously injured or experiencing a life-threatening medical problem, call 000 rather than trying to contact hospital reception first.
Your local council, hospital or community health service may offer printed health information or contact resources, but availability varies. You can also keep the details in a household emergency folder.
For families with children who have ongoing medical needs, consider recording the child’s treating specialist, relevant allergies and current medications in a separate, securely stored medical information sheet. Share this information with regular carers when they need it.
You can use Healthdirect Australia’s health service finder to locate health services and check which facilities are appropriate for your family’s needs.
3. Triple Zero (000)
If there’s one number every Australian family should know, it’s Triple Zero (000).
Triple Zero connects callers with police, fire or ambulance services for life-threatening or time-critical emergencies. Official Australian guidance recommends using the service when someone is seriously injured, needs urgent medical help, faces an immediate threat or requires an urgent emergency response.
It’s a number worth teaching children, too.
Australian emergency education resources describe children as young as four helping to obtain emergency assistance by calling Triple Zero. That doesn’t mean every child of that age will be ready to manage an emergency call independently. Children’s understanding, communication skills and confidence develop at different rates. The important thing is to begin age-appropriate conversations and practise the basics as they grow.
How to teach children to call 000
1. Recognise when someone needs urgent help
Use simple examples, such as an adult who has collapsed and cannot be woken, a serious accident or a dangerous fire.
2. Know where they are
Practise saying their home address and identifying familiar landmarks. Explain that emergency operators need to know where help should go.
3. Explain what has happened
Children can practise saying who needs help and what they can see. They do not need to know every answer before making the call.
4. Stay on the line and listen
Teach children to answer the operator’s questions, follow instructions and avoid hanging up until told they can do so.
The Triple Zero Kids’ Challenge is an Australian educational resource that helps children learn about emergency situations through age-appropriate activities. Parents and educators can use it to reinforce the basics without frightening children.
A crucial reminder: Never use 000 to request an electrician, report a routine plumbing problem or ask for general medical advice. Equally, do not delay an emergency call while trying to contact a parent, GP or another family member.
If a mobile phone cannot connect to any available mobile network, the emergency call may not go through. Families who live or travel in areas with limited coverage should consider this limitation when making their broader emergency plan.
4. Family GP
Your family GP is an important contact to keep close at hand, not only for routine appointments but also when you need advice about an unexpected health concern.
Keep your clinic’s main telephone number on the list, along with its opening hours and any after-hours arrangements. Some practices direct patients to an alternative service outside business hours, so it’s worth checking what your clinic recommends.
Make sure grandparents, babysitters and other regular carers know where to find this information. If your child has a medical condition, significant allergy or medication requirement, explain what the carer needs to know and where to find the relevant instructions.
When should you call your GP, Healthdirect or 000?
Knowing which service to contact can be just as important as having the number available.
- Your GP: For routine appointments, ongoing health concerns and appropriate medical follow-up.
- Healthdirect: For health advice when you’re unsure what to do and the situation is not a life-threatening emergency.
- Triple Zero (000): For life-threatening or time-critical medical emergencies.
Healthdirect provides free telephone health advice 24 hours a day on 1800 022 222. In Victoria, this service is known as NURSE-ON-CALL.
If your child appears seriously unwell, do not wait for a GP appointment or telephone advice before seeking emergency assistance.
5. Work Emergency Contacts (for All Parents and Guardians)
For families juggling work, school and childcare, knowing how to reach a parent or guardian during an unexpected situation can be reassuring.
If you regularly work away from home, travel for business or have periods when you cannot answer your mobile, consider recording your workplace’s main contact number and the details of an appropriate colleague who can help pass on an urgent message.
This information may be useful for older children, babysitters and other adults who care for your children. However, children should not be expected to manage an adult’s work arrangements or resolve an emergency on their own.
Instead, agree on a straightforward plan for situations in which a parent cannot be reached.
For example, who should the carer contact next? Is there another authorised adult who can collect the children? Where can the carer find the information needed to contact that person?
These arrangements are particularly helpful for shift workers, parents who travel frequently and families whose usual routines change from week to week.
Privacy matters, too. You generally only need to include the workplace details necessary to reach the relevant person. Avoid putting private mobile numbers or unnecessary personal information somewhere visitors or members of the public can see them.
6. School Emergency Contacts
When your children are at school, childcare or an after-school activity, you naturally want to know how to reach the people responsible for their care.
Keep the school’s main telephone number handy, along with the relevant contact details for childcare, outside-school-hours care, vacation care and other regular activities.
Where appropriate, record the school’s official communication channels and the arrangements it uses to notify parents about unexpected incidents, closures or changes to collection procedures.
Make sure your family knows the collection arrangements
It is worth confirming:
- Who is authorised to collect your child.
- What identification or authorisation the school requires.
- Which adult should be contacted if you cannot be reached.
- How the school communicates during an excursion or other off-site activity.
- What parents should do if an emergency affects school collection arrangements.
Keep the details recorded with the school up to date, particularly when phone numbers, custody arrangements or authorised collection contacts change.
If an incident occurs on school grounds, follow the school’s instructions and official emergency advice. During an evacuation, lockdown or other serious incident, avoid travelling into a potentially dangerous area or collecting your child in a way that could interfere with emergency responders.
A little preparation now can help everyone understand their role if plans change unexpectedly.
7. Animal Control Services
Even in a familiar neighbourhood, you may encounter an injured cat, an unrestrained dog or another animal that appears distressed or poses a risk.
In these situations, it is important to know who can help. Your local council may manage animal complaints, wandering animals and pound services, while a veterinarian is generally the appropriate contact for an animal requiring medical attention.
If you encounter an unfamiliar, aggressive or injured animal, keep children at a safe distance. Do not attempt to approach, corner or handle an animal that may bite or behave unpredictably.
If an animal presents an immediate threat to human safety, contact emergency services as appropriate rather than trying to manage t
