Emergencies in Vancouver

Good to Know

• 911 works the same everywhere in Vancouver and across Canada for police, fire, or ambulance — the operator will route you to the right service, so you never need to remember separate numbers.
• Ambulance transport is billed separately from the 911 call itself; as a visitor you'd face the higher non-resident fee unless covered by travel insurance, so it's worth having health/travel coverage before you need it.
• Vancouver sits in an earthquake-prone region, so it's worth keeping a basic emergency kit and downloading the Alertable app for real-time hazard alerts.
• Interpreters are available on 911 calls for non-English speakers, and Text-with-911 is available if you register your phone in advance for accessibility needs.
• For any life-threatening emergency in Vancouver, call 911 — this connects to ambulance, fire, and police.
• Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) is the region's main adult trauma centre — go there (or have an ambulance take you there) for serious injuries in adults.
• Children 16 and under with an emergency should go to BC Children's Hospital's dedicated pediatric ED rather than an adult ER.
• Emergency care is provided regardless of ability to pay, but visitors/non-residents without provincial health coverage (MSP) or travel insurance will be billed directly for ER and hospital services — travel insurance is strongly recommended for nomads.
• For non-emergency medical questions or advice on whether you need an ER, call 811 (HealthLink BC) first — it's free and available anytime.
• St. Paul's Hospital's current Burrard Street location is expected to eventually be replaced by a new hospital campus at False Creek, so it's worth double-checking the address if visiting further in the future.