Emergencies in Curaçao

Good to Know

• Save 911 (police/fire) and 912 (ambulance) in your phone before you need them — cell coverage and English-language call handling are generally fine, but response can be slower outside Willemstad's tourist zones.
• If an ambulance doesn't pick up on 912, call 911 and ask the police to relay — calling the hospital's main line directly won't get you an ambulance.
• The Politur tourist police unit exists specifically to help visitors with theft, scams, or beach incidents and is a good first call for non-life-threatening tourist issues.
• There's no single official government safety app to download; the CDEMA regional app is the closest thing for storm/weather alerts during hurricane season (June–November).
• For any real emergency, call the island-wide ambulance number 912 directly — do not call the hospital's own number (910), as CMC staff cannot dispatch an ambulance themselves.
• CMC's emergency entrance is on the north side of the building (Rodeweg/Hamelbergweg side, near the old Colon Shopping Center); GPS apps sometimes route you to the wrong side of the building, so allow extra time if self-driving to the ER.
• CMC has a hyperbaric/decompression chamber, which is reassuring given how much scuba diving happens around Curaçao's reefs.
• There is no official trauma-level (Level I/II/III) rating system in use on Curaçao — CMC is simply the island's one major public hospital with 24/7 emergency and trauma-capable staff and equipment.