Lazio adopts 112 as single emergency number, replacing 118

The Lazio regional government will phase out the historic 118 emergency number and adopt the European 112 number for all types of emergencies. Calls made to 118 will be automatically redirected to the unified 112 response centre, which can dispatch medical, fire or police services as needed.

All 270 Ares ambulances and medical vehicles will be repainted with the 112 branding, and the region’s 260 local stations and three dedicated helicopters will operate under the single‑number system. President Francesco Rocca said the change aims to provide a memorable, child‑proof number and to coordinate multidisciplinary rescue efforts more efficiently. The Ares service handles roughly 600,000 rescue missions each year.