Calling 911

The situation

You: You witness a car accident on rue Sainte-Catherine. Someone is hurt. You call 911.

Them: A 911 dispatcher.

Goal: Clearly: what happened, where it happened, who is hurt. Stay on the line.

The conversation (French & English)

Neuf-un-un, quel est votre urgence ?
Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?

Il y a eu un accident de voiture sur la rue Sainte-Catherine, au coin de la rue Bleury.
There's been a car accident on rue Sainte-Catherine, at the corner of rue Bleury.

D'accord. Y a-t-il des blessés ?
OK. Are there any injured people?

Oui, une personne est blessée. Elle saigne.
Yes, one person is injured. She is bleeding.

Restez en ligne. Une ambulance arrive. Quel est votre nom ?
Stay on the line. An ambulance is coming. What is your name?

Jean Dupont. Je suis sur place.
Jean Dupont. I'm on the scene.

Merci. Ne quittez pas, ils sont à trois minutes.
Thank you. Don't hang up, they're three minutes away.

Key vocabulary

une urgence	an emergency
un accident de voiture	a car accident
au coin de	at the corner of
un blessé / une blessée	an injured person (m/f)
saigner	to bleed
rester en ligne	stay on the line
une ambulance	an ambulance
sur place	on the scene
ne quittez pas	don't hang up

Grammar in this conversation — "il y a" — there is / there are

il y a is the universal "there is/are" — doesn't change for singular or plural. Past form: il y a eu (there was/were). It introduces facts about a scene neutrally — exactly what 911 dispatchers need.

• Il y a un accident.
• Il y a deux blessés.
• Il y a eu un accident il y a cinq minutes. (passé composé)

Phrases to practise aloud

Il y a eu un accident de voiture. — There's been a car accident.

Sur la rue Sainte-Catherine, au coin de Bleury. — On rue Sainte-Catherine, at the corner of Bleury.

Une personne est blessée. — One person is injured.

Elle saigne. — She is bleeding.

Je suis sur place. — I'm on the scene.

Check your understanding

1. What is the emergency?
Answer: Car accident

2. Is anyone hurt?
Answer: Yes, one person bleeding

3. Where is the accident?
Answer: Rue Sainte-Catherine + Bleury

4. What does the dispatcher ask the caller to do?
Answer: Stay on the line

Your speaking challenge

You witness an emergency. Call 911 and report: what happened, where, whether anyone is hurt. Stay calm.

Bonjour. Il y a eu un accident de voiture sur [street], au coin de [cross street]. Une personne est blessée. Je suis sur place. Mon nom est [name].
Hello. There's been a car accident on [street], at the corner of [cross street]. One person is injured. I'm on the scene. My name is [name].