Greece operates a unified emergency number system across all regions including mainland territories and inhabited islands. The pan-European emergency number 112 connects callers to a central dispatch center that routes calls to police, fire, or medical services based on the nature of the emergency. This number functions in Greek and English at minimum, with many operators handling additional European languages depending on seasonal tourist volumes. The service is free from all phones including mobiles without SIM cards. Greece also maintains legacy three-digit emergency numbers that remain operational: 100 for police, 199 for fire services, and 166 for ambulance and medical emergencies. All these numbers connect to the same integrated dispatch network established during preparations for the 2004 Athens Olympics, though response protocols differ by service type.
The Hellenic Police handle criminal matters, traffic incidents, and general public safety issues. The 100 number connects to regional police headquarters that coordinate patrol units, with average urban response times in Athens and Thessaloniki ranging from eight to fifteen minutes for priority calls, extending to thirty minutes or longer in rural mountain areas of the Pindus range or on smaller inhabited islands. Tourist police units operate in major cities and tourist destinations including Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes, Corfu, Santorini, and Mykonos. These units maintain English-speaking officers and occupy offices near central tourism zones, archaeological sites, and port areas. The Athens tourist police headquarters operates at Veikou 43-45 in the Koukaki district, reachable at +30 210 920 0724 during standard business hours. Tourist police handle lost passports, theft reports, disputes with accommodations or tour operators, and provide referrals to embassies. Officers wear the standard Hellenic Police uniform with additional identification badges in English.
The Hellenic Fire Service manages both fire response and certain rescue operations including building collapses, vehicle extrications, and some wilderness search operations. The 199 number routes to fire stations based on caller location. Athens maintains fire stations in each major district with the central command facility in Psychiko coordinating deployments across the Attica Peninsula. Thessaloniki operates six primary stations covering the metropolitan area and surrounding towns. Fire stations in island capitals typically house both fire suppression equipment and rescue boats for maritime incidents within territorial waters. During summer months from June through September, additional seasonal stations activate in forested areas and near archaeological sites with high wildfire risk, particularly in the Peloponnese Peninsula, Crete, and Rhodes. Wildfire danger ratings broadcast daily through public media and appear on signs at national park entrances and along major rural highways.
Medical emergencies route through the National Center for Emergency Care abbreviated EKAB in Greek. The 166 number connects to regional dispatch centers that coordinate ambulance units, though in practice many callers use 112 which transfers medical calls to the same system. EKAB operates ambulances staffed with emergency medical technicians and paramedics, with physician-staffed mobile intensive care units deployed for cardiac events, severe trauma, and pediatric emergencies in urban centers. Response times average twelve to twenty minutes in Athens and Thessaloniki, twenty to forty minutes in regional capitals like Patras, Heraklion, and Ioannina, and can exceed one hour in mountainous areas or on islands without dedicated ambulance stations. Islands with populations under five thousand often rely on multi-purpose emergency vehicles housed at health centers rather than dedicated ambulance facilities. Helicopters from the Hellenic Air Force provide medical evacuations from remote areas and islands without adequate hospital facilities, dispatched through EKAB coordination with flight times averaging thirty to ninety minutes depending on distance from bases in Athens, Thessaloniki, or Crete.
The Hellenic Coast Guard manages all maritime emergencies within Greek territorial waters and search-and-rescue zones in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The emergency number 108 connects to coast guard operations centers in Piraeus for the Aegean Sea and Patras for the Ionian Sea. These centers coordinate patrol boats, rescue helicopters, and commercial vessels responding under international maritime law. The coast guard maintains permanent stations on forty-three inhabited islands including all islands with regular ferry service or populations exceeding one thousand. Response times for vessels in distress average fifteen to forty-five minutes in heavily trafficked routes between major islands, extending to two hours or more in open-water areas distant from patrol routes. The coast guard also handles beach emergencies, diving accidents, and pollution incidents. During summer months, lifeguard services operate on designated beaches in tourist areas, marked by red and yellow flags, but these services are locally administered rather than nationally standardized, with some beaches employing professional lifeguards and others relying on volunteer systems.
Foreign embassies maintain consular emergency lines for citizens experiencing arrest, hospitalization, death of family members, or natural disasters. The United States Embassy in Athens operates a 24-hour emergency line at +30 210 721 2951 for American citizens. The British Embassy maintains an emergency number at +30 210 727 2600. The Canadian Embassy provides emergency consular assistance at +30 210 727 3400. The Australian Embassy operates an emergency line at +30 210 870 4000. These numbers connect to duty officers who coordinate with local authorities, arrange legal representation, facilitate communication with family members, and issue emergency travel documents when passports are lost or stolen. Embassies do not provide medical treatment, financial assistance for medical bills, or intervention in standard legal processes, but maintain referral lists of English-speaking physicians, attorneys, and translators.
Poison emergencies connect to the Poison Information Center at the Children's Hospital Agia Sofia in Athens through the number +30 210 779 3777. This service operates continuously with toxicologists providing guidance on ingestions, bites, stings, and chemical exposures. The center maintains databases on local plant toxicity, marine creature envenomations common in Greek waters, and pharmaceutical products available in Greek pharmacies. A second poison center operates at Hippokration General Hospital in Thessaloniki at +30 2310 999292 covering northern Greece. Both centers provide telephone consultation in Greek and English, though complex cases may require translator assistance for other languages.
Rape crisis support operates through the European hotline 15900, which connects to counseling services and can coordinate with police and medical facilities. This number functions across European Union countries with automatic routing to in-country resources. In Greece, the line connects to organizations including the Women's Counseling Center in Athens and regional women's support organizations that provide crisis counseling, medical referrals, and accompaniment to police reporting. Services operate in Greek with English translation available, though availability of other languages varies by facility and time of day.
Mental health crises and suicide prevention connect through the Klimaka Helpline at 1018, operating continuously with trained counselors. This service provides immediate telephone support in Greek, with some operators handling English during peak tourist months. The line does not dispatch emergency services directly but coordinates with EKAB for individuals in immediate danger. The Athens Psychiatric Hospital at +30 210 777 5555 maintains an emergency psychiatric unit accepting walk-in patients and ambulance transfers.
Credit card emergencies for lost or stolen cards require contacting card issuers directly, as Greece does not operate a centralized card cancellation system. Major international card networks maintain dedicated emergency numbers: Visa at +1 303 967 1096, Mastercard at +1 636 722 7111, and American Express at +30 210 326 5191 for cards issued through Greek banks or +1 715 343 7977 for internationally issued cards. These numbers operate continuously and process card cancellations and emergency replacement arrangements.
Road assistance for vehicle breakdowns connects through automobile clubs rather than emergency services. ELPA, the Automobile and Touring Club of Greece, operates a breakdown service at 10400 covering major highways and urban areas. This service requires membership or charges per-incident fees ranging from 70 to 150 euros depending on location and required assistance. International automobile club members with reciprocal agreements can access ELPA services by presenting membership cards. Rental car companies provide their own assistance numbers printed on rental agreements, with response times and coverage areas varying by company and contract terms.
Natural disaster warnings disseminate through the 112 emergency number system, which gained SMS alert capability in 2020. The Greek Civil Protection Authority sends location-based messages during wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and severe weather events, with messages transmitted in Greek and English to all mobile devices within affected areas. Earthquake information appears on the website of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens within minutes of significant seismic events, providing magnitude, epicenter location, and depth for events exceeding magnitude 3.5.
Pharmacies operate on rotating schedules with at least one pharmacy open in each municipality during nights and weekends. The on-duty pharmacy schedule appears on signs posted at all pharmacy locations and publishes in local newspapers and municipal websites. Athens maintains a pharmacy information line at 1434 providing addresses of currently open pharmacies by neighborhood. Pharmacists in Greece handle minor medical consultations, provide over-the-counter medications for common ailments, and direct patients to appropriate medical facilities for conditions requiring physician evaluation.
Dental emergencies in major cities connect through hospital emergency departments rather than specialized dental emergency services. The Dental School of the University of Athens at +30 210 746 1000 operates an emergency clinic accepting walk-in patients during weekday hours and provides referral information for after-hours emergencies. Private dental clinics maintain their own emergency contact numbers provided to registered patients, while tourists typically access emergency dental care through hospital emergency departments or hotel referrals to private practitioners willing to see urgent cases.
Veterinary emergencies for animals require contacting private veterinary clinics, as Greece does not maintain public veterinary emergency services. Athens and Thessaloniki have several 24-hour veterinary hospitals including the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Thessaly at +30 24210 93245. Smaller cities and islands typically have veterinary clinics operating during business hours only, with after-hours emergencies requiring travel to larger urban centers or waiting until regular operating hours resume.
Lost child situations should immediately involve police through 100 or 112. Large shopping centers, airports, and archaeological sites maintain security offices that coordinate with police and announce lost children through public address systems. The Smile of the Child organization operates a hotline at 1056 for missing children and child protection emergencies, coordinating with police and social services.
Sexual assault medical examinations occur at designated hospital emergency departments with trained forensic staff. In Athens, the KAT Hospital in Kifisia and the Alexandra Hospital in central Athens maintain facilities for forensic medical examinations preserving evidence for potential legal proceedings. Patients have the right to medical examination and treatment regardless of whether they choose to file police reports, though evidence preservation requires examination within seventy-two hours of an incident.