What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in San Juan?
Emergency number
911
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: expatfinancial.com, sanjuanpuertorico.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- 911 works exactly like it does on the U.S. mainland in San Juan — same number for police, fire, and ambulance, and dispatchers can typically arrange English-language or translator support if needed.
- Save the non-emergency police number (787-343-2020) separately, since 911 dispatch is meant for genuinely urgent situations.
- During hurricane season (June–November) it's worth having the FEMA app and NWS San Juan bookmarked, since these are the main real-time channels for storm and flood alerts.
- If you're a U.S. citizen, enrolling in the State Department's STEP program is a free, simple way to get official alerts and be reachable in a larger island-wide emergency.
- If you're seriously injured or facing a life-threatening trauma, ambulances will generally route you to the Centro Médico / Puerto Rico Medical Center Trauma Hospital in Río Piedras — it's the only Level I trauma center on the island.
- For non-critical emergencies, private hospitals like Ashford Hospital (Condado) or Doctors' Center Hospital (San Juan) are often faster and more comfortable for tourists/expats, especially if you have private insurance.
- English is widely spoken in private hospital ERs in tourist-adjacent areas like Condado, but less so in public facilities like Centro Médico.
- Puerto Rico uses the US emergency number 911 — the same as the mainland US.
Fire Department
- Emergency
- 911
- Direct Line
- 787-343-2330
San Juan Specific Lines
- 787-722-1120
- 787-723-2904
Official Safety Apps And Services
FEMA App
- Purpose
- Real-time weather alerts, disaster safety tips, and emergency shelter locations; widely recommended for hurricane season in Puerto Rico.
National Weather Service - San Juan
- Purpose
- Live rip current statements and beach forecasts for Puerto Rico and USVI; useful given north/east coast rip current risks.
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
- Purpose
- Free U.S. State Department service letting travelers register their trip to receive safety alerts and be located in an emergency.
Puerto Rico Emergency Portal System (PREPS)
- Purpose
- Official Government of Puerto Rico portal activated during declared national emergencies (hurricanes, major storms) to share critical public information.
Hospitals
Puerto Rico Medical Center (Centro Médico) – Trauma Hospital / ASEM
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day
- Address
- Calle 62 Southeast, Centro Médico complex, Río Piedras, San Juan, PR 00935
- Trauma Level
- Level I Trauma Center
- Notes
- This is the only Level I Trauma Center on the island; all severe multi-trauma cases in Puerto Rico are referred here. It is a public, high-volume tertiary referral facility affiliated with the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus.
Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital (Ashford Hospital)
- Hours
- Emergency Room open 24 hours, every day
- Address
- 1451 Ave. Dr. Ashford, San Juan, PR 00907 (Condado)
- Trauma Level
- General acute-care hospital with 24/7 ER (no official trauma-center designation found); notable for having Puerto Rico's first 24/7 pediatric emergency room
- Notes
- Private hospital popular with tourists and expats staying in Condado/Miramar due to proximity and English-speaking staff.
Doctors' Center Hospital San Juan
- Hours
- Emergency Room open 24 hours, every day
- Address
- 1395 Calle San Rafael, San Juan, PR
- Trauma Level
- General acute-care hospital with 24/7 ER; specific trauma-level designation not confirmed
- Notes
- Private hospital with emergency services; commonly used by residents in the Santurce/Río Piedras area.
San Juan VA Medical Center
- Hours
- Emergency Room: 24 hours, every day; outpatient clinics Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Address
- 10 Casia St, San Juan, PR 00921 (Río Piedras)
- Trauma Level
- General hospital ER; serves enrolled veterans (not the public general-trauma referral point)
- Notes
- Only relevant for veterans enrolled in VA health care.
Healthcare
- Overview
- San Juan has quality private healthcare with experienced doctors and modern facilities. Most private hospitals employ US-trained health professionals with advanced equipment.
- Emergency Contact
- 911 (English-speaking operators available)
- Notes
- Appointments typically require phone booking. Most medicines available but carry prescriptions for safety. Private ambulances require upfront payment; verify insurance covers ambulance costs before purchasing policy. Prescription refills require hand-signed prescriptions.
Major Facilities
Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital
- Phone
- (787) 721-2160
- Type
- Private hospital
- Location
- San Juan (tourist area)
Doctors' Center Hospital San Juan
- Type
- Private hospital
- Location
- San Juan
Auxilio Mutuo Hospital
- Type
- Private hospital
- Location
- San Juan
Hospital Pavia Hato Rey
- Type
- Private hospital
- Location
- Hato Rey (metro area)
Police
- Emergency
- 911
- Non Emergency Puerto Rico Police Department
- 787-343-2020
- Note
- Use 911 for anything urgent; the direct number is for non-life-threatening matters like a fender-bender with no injuries.
Ambulance Medical
- Emergency
- 911
- Direct Line
- 787-343-2222
- Note
- Emergency medical responders in Puerto Rico are trained to U.S. standards (NREMT).
Other Useful Numbers
- Fbi San Juan Office
- 787-754-6000
- Civil Defense Disaster Response
- 787-724-0124
- Mental Health Crisis Line Assmca
- 1-800-981-0023
- US Coast Guard Maritime Emergencies
- 787-729-6770
- US Embassy Consular Services Puerto Rico
- 1-888-407-4747
Universal Emergency Number
- Number
- 911
- Description
- The single universal emergency number for police, fire, and ambulance across all of Puerto Rico, including San Juan. Dialing 911 connects you to the central 911 call center in San Juan, which dispatches the nearest police, fire, or ambulance unit.
Pharmacies
- Overview
- Readily available throughout San Juan and metro area; both local pharmacies and major US chains present.
- Prescription Requirements
- Hand-signed prescriptions required for refills
Chains Available
- Walgreens
- CVS
- Local pharmacies
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About San Juan
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.