Dealing with the Police / Fire / Ambulance

A. Telephoning emergency services

 

• When you phone emergency, they ask:
• Where are you?
• Where is it?
• What’s happened?
• Can you give me an idea about the correct location?
• Your reply:
• Fire/Police/Ambulance.
• I’m at/It’s at (the corner of South Street)
• It’s on the main road.
• It’s about two kilometers north of Mg road.
• There’s an accident/a fire.
• There are (several) people injured.
• There’s a fire/an accident.
• There’s someone very ill/badly hurt.
• There are (two) people in the water.
• Someone’s been badly hurt / injured.

B. Stating the case

 

• I’d like to report (an accident/a robbery).
• I want to report (a crime/an attack).
• I’m reporting a (missing passport).
• I've lost (my bag).
• My (wife) has been robbed.
• My (car) has been stolen.
• There’s been (an accident).
• I've been (robbed).

C. Giving the circumstances

 

• We were walking along the street.
• We were asleep.
• I was working/having dinner.
• I was shopping / stepping into the bank.
• It was at about (ten o’clock).
• It was yesterday evening/last night.
• It was in the hotel/in the street.
• This was on the beach/in the car park
• Two men took away (my wife’s handbag).
• A man/A woman came up to me.
• Someone picked my pocket.
• They ran away / They drove off.
• I didn’t see anyone.
• I didn’t see / hear / notice anything.

D. Describing

 

• He/She was about (25).
• They were (quite young).
• They were (tall).
• She had a (light build).
• He/She had (short dark hair).
• They were driving a (cab).

E. Notifying a Loss

 

• I've lost my (passport).
• I can’t find my (Money)?
• I think I've lost my (driving license).
• I've lost a (new Canon camera).
• What have you lost?
• What was it like?
• What does it look like?
• Can you describe it?

F. Describing when & where

 

• I know I had it (this morning)
• I must have lost it (last night)
• I last saw it (yesterday morning)
• How long has it been lost?
• When did you last see it?
• I lost it (on the beach).
• I left it behind (on the train).
• It was (in my room).
• I may have left it (in the bank).
• I must have lost it (at the theatre).
• Where did you last see it?
• Where was it?

G. Leaving personal details

 

• My name is…
• My address is…
• Here is my card.
• Here is my name and address.
• Please ring me at (this number) if you find it.
• Please write to (this address)
• Can you return it to me at (this address)?
• What is your name and address?
• Could I have your name and address?

H. Stating urgency

 

• This is (very) urgent.
• It’s an emergency.
• There’s an emergency (here).
• It’s very serious.
• It looks very serious.
• We need help urgently.
• We need a police car/an ambulance,
• We need a police car/ an ambulance immediately
• Call the fire brigade/the hospital at once.
• Get a doctor/policeman straight away.
• We urgently need a rescue boat/an ambulance.