Emergencies in Florianópolis

Good to Know

• Brazil has no single 'call one number for everything' system — save 190 (police), 192 (ambulance/SAMU), and 193 (fire) separately in your phone on arrival.
• If you're used to dialing 911 or 112, those will still work in Brazil and are automatically redirected to the police line (190), so don't panic if that's what you remember.
• SAMU (192) ambulances take patients to public hospitals, which can be overcrowded; many expats and nomads also keep the direct number of a private hospital or their travel insurer's 24-hour line handy for non-life-threatening situations.
• Florianópolis has a tourist-focused police presence (Polícia Turística) in beach and downtown tourist areas, but the fastest way to reach them in an emergency is still to call 190.
• Because Florianópolis is prone to sudden heavy storms and coastal flooding, it's worth leaving emergency alert notifications enabled on your phone so you receive Santa Catarina's cell-broadcast Defesa Civil warnings automatically.
• Brazil does not use the US-style Trauma Level I–IV certification system — 'trauma capability' here is described qualitatively based on services and referral status rather than an official designation.
• All three hospitals listed are public SUS facilities — care is free at point of use but ERs can be very busy and use a risk-based triage system (Classificação de Risco), meaning wait times depend on severity, not arrival order.
• For serious emergencies, call SAMU at 192 (free ambulance/emergency medical service) or the fire department (Corpo de Bombeiros) at 193 rather than trying to self-transport to the ER.
• Digital nomads with private health insurance may prefer private hospital networks (e.g., Unimed's system) for shorter waits, though the major public trauma referral hospitals are generally the most equipped for severe injuries.