[LIVING TIPS] How to Call the Ambulance

Hodogaya International Mothers Gathering "Piccolo" held a workshop to learn Child First Aid on June 12th, 2018.  They hold this every year around this time, inviting local fire bureau officers, to learn how to use the AED and how to do the CPR.

When your family member or someone in the street collapses, first thing you do is to see if the person is conscious or not. If not, then you check s/he is breathing or not. If not, you call for an ambulance and start the CPR, and use the AED if necessary.

However, if you don't speak much Japanese, you may not be able to understand what the person on the emergency phone is asking or to tell him/her the situation. 

For more information about the emergency call system etc., you can read the guide for ambulance services by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.  

English

Chinese

Korean

Japanese

So, here are some basic questions/answers in Japanese you may need to remember when you call an ambulance. 

The emergency number in Japan is 119. 

Then you will be asked if it's a fire or medical emergency.

Officer: 火事ですか、救急ですか？Kaji desuka? Kyukyu desuka?

You: 火事です。Kaji desu.（There is a fire.)  or  救急です。Kyukyu desu. (It's a medical emergency).

Remember your Jyusyo (address) in Japanese.

Officer: どこですか？Doko desuka? (Where is it?)  

住所を教えてください。Jyusyo wo oshiete kudasai. (Please give me your address.)

You: (when you are at home) 住所は横浜市XXXX区XXX123です。Jyusyo ha Yokohama shi, XXXX -ku, XXX 123 desu. (My address is ...). 

In case you are somewhere else and you don't know the exact address, you can give them some landmarks around you. 

XXの近くにいます。XX no chikaku ni imasu. (I am near XX.)

*ATTENTION: In Japanese, we start from the prefecture or the city and end with the street/land number etc. Prefecture=県Ken Ward= 区Ku, City=市Shi, Town=町Cho/Machi

Explain what has happened.

Officer: どうしましたか？Dou shimashita ka? (What has happened?)

You: 

(My husband is unconscious.)

私の夫の意識がありません。Watashi no otto no ishiki ga arimasen.

(My child is choked with something.)

私の子供が何かのどにつまらせました。Watashi no kodomo ga nanika nodo ni tsumarasemashita.

(XX is not breathing.)

XXは息をしていません。XX ha iki wo shite imasen.

(XX has gone into spasm.)

XXはけいれんしています。XX ha keiren shite imasu.

(XX is injured.)

XXはけがをしました。ZZ ha kega wo shimashita.

Give your name and number.

Officer: あなたの名前を教えてください。Anata no o namae wo oshiete kudasai. (Please give me your name.) 

You: 私の名前はXXXです。Watashi no namae ha XXX desu. (My name is XXX.)

Officer: 電話番号を教えてください。Den bangou wo oshiete kudasai. (Please give me your phone number.)