Hover a line for its translation; hover a word for its meaning. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
Generate a brand-new dialog on any topic, using this lesson's 0 vocab words — plus any words you add below.
Sign in to generate dialogues. It needs a pass — the first ten lessons of every course are free either way.
One number now, and the volunteers who show up
Italy used to have four emergency numbers and many Italians still recite them: 113 for the police, 112 for the carabinieri, 115 for the fire service, 118 for medical emergencies. All of them still work, but the number to learn is 112, the Numero Unico di Emergenza, the single European number that now routes every call through one dispatcher who triages and forwards it. It is free from any phone, works with no credit, and works from a locked handset. Operators in the major regions can find English, and the call center sees your location. The part that surprises visitors is what arrives. A large share of Italian ambulances are not run by the state at all but by volunteer associations — the Misericordie, whose Florentine confraternity dates to the thirteenth century, alongside the Croce Rossa and the network of Pubbliche Assistenze — working under contract to the regional health service. In a small town the crew that comes for you are neighbors who carry a pager, and the vehicle was probably paid for by local donations, which is why you see association names painted on the side rather than a single national livery. Two other things worth knowing. Out of hours, the guardia medica covers non-emergency medical problems at night and on weekends, and it is the right call for something that needs a doctor but not an ambulance. And every area keeps a rota of farmacie di turno, pharmacies open overnight, posted on the door of every closed pharmacy and online.