Numbers you need to have in case of emergency

Emergency preparedness is critical, because when an emergency strikes, every moment counts and your time could be better spent than looking up important phone numbers. Having emergency numbers ready and handy for a potential emergency is a great way to avoid issues in the unfortunate situation that they ever need to be used.

Whether natural disaster or personal incident, these phone numbers can help you get in contact with the help you need in a matter of minutes for advice, instructions or aid dispatch. Here are a few of the numbers you’ll want to keep near the phone, in your contacts and in your memory.

911 
This may be the simplest number to remember, but it can also be the most important. Younger people may not realize what a blessing 911 is, but there wasn’t always a three-digit code that you could go to in case of emergency. Some countries still don’t have anything comparable to 911.

Poison Control – 1-800-222-1222
People traditionally think of the poison hotline for young children. Sometimes little kids eat, drink or lick things they shouldn’t. While 911 can alert medical teams to rush your child to the hospital, the hotline can help advise you on immediate steps to take or if it’s dangerous at all. It’s not just for children, either – adults can consume dangerous substances by accident or on purpose as well.

Federal Emergency Management Agency – 800-621-3362 
FEMA is an important phone number for Long Island, mainly because of hurricanes and flooding. Nobody wants to have to make the call to FEMA, but the federal organization can do good work getting families back into homes safely following a major national disaster.

NY State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services – 518-292-2200 
This 24-hour phone number can help residents in situations and emergencies related to nearly every event in the Empire State. Whether it’s a terrorism incident, a wild fire or any other threat, this phone number can offer assistance as well as take tips.

Important state phone numbers 
New York is a massive state. It has one of the largest populations in the U.S. and covers a substantial amount of land. There are a lot of phone numbers for state offices that can be useful in an emergency based on your lifestyle and home’s location. For most people, the New York State Department of Insurance (800-342-3736), New York Department of Transportation (631-904-3050) and the New York State Police (631-756-3300) are a few of the most important.

Important county numbers 
Long Island is split between Nassau and Suffolk counties. Each of these has important phone numbers for each specific service in a situation. Here are a few of Suffolk County’s emergency and helpful numbers as well as Nassau County’s. They both have some repetition, but also feature individual town phone numbers. It’s a good idea to have a non-emergency police phone number for less pressing concerns.

Doctor, dentist and specialist numbers 
While an acute injury may require 911, a subtler concern may warrant a doctor phone call. Most people have these numbers available with children, but it’s smart to carry this practice in houses with adults to avoid any potential dangers.