112 in the Canary Islands: What Language You Actually Get Help In

In 2025, CECOES 112 Canarias handled 19,968 calls in languages other than Spanish. Of those, 13,487 were in English — almost 68% of all foreign-language calls. German was 2,934, Italian 2,200, French 1,208. Over a hundred more calls in other languages.

That's an 8.56% increase over 2024. Why isn't a mystery. The islands receive millions of tourists a year and have a growing resident community from Germany, Britain, Italy, Scandinavia. When someone can only say "uno, dos, tres" in Spanish but is having a heart attack or reporting a traffic accident, seconds matter.

What happens when you call

In the two operational rooms of 112 — one on Gran Canaria, one on Tenerife — operators answer directly in five languages: Spanish, English, German, Italian and French. That's the difference compared to mainland Spain's 112: there you often have to wait for an interpreter.

If you call in one of the five main languages, the operator on duty takes over directly. For other languages — Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Russian, Arabic and about 45 more — the console activates a tele-interpretation platform. Three-way conversation between you, the 112 room, and an interpreter. Takes a few seconds longer, but works.

If you live here and speak English or German, say so right at the start. "English, please" or "Deutsch, bitte" is enough — the operators are used to it. Skip the attempt to push through with broken Spanish when you've got adrenaline in your system.

What you need to say

Whatever the language, the order is always the same:

Where you are. Address as exact as possible, or a landmark — "three hundred metres south of Plaza de Maspalomas" beats "in Maspalomas". If you're hiking and don't know the address: share your location through the app (more on that in a moment) or name the nearest recognisable point.

What's happened. Short and concrete. "Traffic accident, two cars, one person injured." Not the backstory, not "I was just doing…". Context comes later.

Who's affected. How many people, age if relevant, level of consciousness. "A man, around 60, breathing, conscious."

Who you are. Name and number. If the line drops, the operator calls back.

What most people don't know: don't hang up until the operator says so. Sometimes someone stays on the phone with you until help arrives — particularly during CPR or when you're alone with an injured person.

More than just the phone

112 Canarias has built up several additional channels in recent years that for certain situations beat the phone.

The 112Canarias app. Free, for Android and iOS. 10,600 registered users currently. You can send text, photo and video directly to the room. Useful if you can't hear well, if the connection is poor, or if a photo explains more than words ("here's the fire"). In 2025, 135 emergencies were handled through the app. My advice: install it the moment you set foot on the island. An emergency isn't the time to download.

eCall. If you drive a newer car (registered from April 2018, EU-mandated), it has eCall built in. In a crash with airbags deployed, the car automatically calls 112, transmits position and vehicle data. In 2025, 595 of these automatic calls came in — 56% more than the year before.

SOMU for the deaf. Sistema Online de Mensajería Urgente, a text-chat system specifically for deaf people. Currently 77 registered in the Canaries, 23 emergencies handled last year. Registration must happen in advance through the relevant associations.

SOS posts on the beach. Several beaches have fixed emergency posts, yellow and red, with a button. Connected directly to the room. Nine emergencies handled this way in 2025. If you swim without your phone: the posts aren't decoration.

When to call 112 — and when not

This is where I see people hesitate often. The rule of thumb is simple.

Call 112 for: medical emergencies, traffic accidents with injuries, fires, crimes in progress, missing persons, natural events with danger (storm surges, landslides), any suspicion of domestic violence or risk to a minor.

Don't call 112 for: minor property damage without injuries (Policía Local directly), noise complaints (Policía Local), power cuts (Endesa hotline), burst pipes (municipal services), non-acute illness (GP or Servicio Canario de Salud, 012).

When in doubt: call 112. The room redirects if needed. Of 19.3 million calls in the decade 2015 to 2025, only 59 documented complaints were filed. That's a ratio few public services in Spain achieve.

What you can do now

Three things, five minutes' work, that can make the difference in an emergency:

Install the app — 112Canarias in the App Store or Play Store. Register once, done.

Set up an emergency contact on your phone — most smartphones let you put an emergency contact visible even with the screen locked. On iPhone under "Medical ID". On Android it depends on the manufacturer, search "Emergency Information".

If you have relevant medical conditions (allergies, diabetes, blood thinners) — get them on file. If a paramedic has to act without your input, it helps.

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From the service series: Health insurance on Gran Canaria · Healthcare system SCS