Did you know NZ has a 'Silent Solution' for 111 calls that could save your life?

Ever wondered what to do if you're in an emergency, but can't speak to an operator?

A Reddit NZ post this week has people only just realising that there’s a potentially life-saving feature when calling emergency services - and it doesn't necessarily require a word.

“I just wanted to make everyone aware (if you didn’t already know) that we have an emergency Silent Solution,” they wrote.

According to the information shared via the University of Waikato student services, the process works slightly differently depending on whether you're calling from a cellphone or landline.

When calling from a mobile phone, “if you do not speak, your call is directed to a recorded message. You will be asked to press 55 if you require emergency assistance. If you press 55 your call will go through to Police. The recorded message is repeated twice and if 55 is not pushed the call is ended.”

From a landline, callers who don’t speak will be prompted to press any key to be connected through to Police - and the same process goes.

Once connected, "the Police call taker will attempt to communicate with you by asking simple yes or no questions and you will be asked to push any keys on your phone in response to these questions. If you are not able to speak, listen carefully to the questions and instructions from the call taker so they can assess your call and arrange assistance for you."

While there are instances that may require absolutely no verbal communication, the resource advises that if you can, it is always best to speak to the call taker - even by whispering.

NZ Police have also previously shared this feature back in 2021, during the COVID-19 nationwide lockdowns.

The Reddit post quickly gained traction, with commenters sharing how useful the information is.

One person said they wished they had known about it sooner after waking up to an intruder in their home.

“I tried to call 111 but couldn’t speak as he was walking back into my room. So had to hang up,” they wrote. “If I had been able to do this, I would have got police there sooner and possibly have caught him.”

Other commenters pointed out the feature could also help people in medical emergencies where speaking isn’t possible.

“Not necessarily for an intruder situation. People with breathing difficulties are sometimes unable to talk,” one person wrote, adding to “spread the word.”

Others were simply grateful for the heads-up.

“Thanks for sharing, I had no idea about this. A very important option in many scenarios - could save a life, maybe already has,” someone said.

Another added: “Definitely a good post and worthy of people knowing about it for sure.”

Now you know this handy info, it’s important to remember that calling 111 is strictly for emergencies.

NZ Police describe an emergency as a situation where "people are injured or in danger, there is a serious, immediate, or imminent risk to life or property, or when a crime is being or has just been committed and the offenders are still at the scene or have just left."