Emergencies

In a serious emergency you can call 112 and they will manage the situation in English.

112 and other numbers

The emergency numbers for the Fontainebleau Region are,

You need to:

• Say where assistance is needed
• Give your name and telephone number
• Say what has happened
• Say how many people need help
• Say if there are weapons involved

Also remember that there is a Hospital in Fontainebleau.

Fontainebleau Hospital

When arriving at Fontainebleau Hospital you will need to provide the relevant documents for your admission. In the event of an emergency this can be done before you leave.

• Photo ID.
• Carte Vitale or other valid insurance such as AME.
• Your valid supplementary mutual card, or your complementary health solidarity.
• Certificate indicating the name(s) of the holders of parental authority for minors or of the guardian or curator for protected adults.
• A recent proof of residence.
• The work injury or occupational disease sheet issued by your employer, if it is an industrial accident.
• Your European health card, if you are insured in a country of the European Union.
• In the absence of the necessary supporting documents for the preparation of your file, you may be charged for all or part of the costs.

In case of emergency hospitalization, your admission will have to be regularized as soon as you arrive, by you or one of your relatives. This must be done before leaving the hospital in order to avoid receiving an invoice for all the care.

Pharmacies/Chemist/Drug Store

There are many pharmacies in Fontainebleau and a lot will close between 12:00 and 14:00 for the French lunch break but I have always found the Pharmacie du marché in the main square to be open between these times.

Additionally, at least one local pharmacy will be open on Sundays. The schedule for which one it is can be found in every pharmacy window and is also posted on the Fontainebleau town halls Facebook page. For the after hours pharmacy you can contact the police station on 01 60 71 58 00.

Emergency siren

Nationwide, every first Wednesday of the month at noon (12:00), the emergency sirens which operate nationwide are tested. The sirens can be heard wailing as the are tested in three sequences of 1 minute 41 seconds each, separated by a silence of five seconds.

If the situation arises, information about what to do will be provided by the France Inter or France Info radio stations.

The French Police Services

There are three different police forces in France.

Gendarmerie Nationale

The first is the Gendarmerie Nationale and are a military force operating under the Ministry of Defense. They are responsible for policing the countryside, rivers and coastal areas, and any small towns which fall outside the jurisdiction of the National Police. They also carry out criminal investigations, crowd control and security activities in airports or military locations.

You will see large numbers of Police on motorcycles around Fontainebleau. This is because there is a school for the Gendarmerie Nationale on the Avon side of the Chateau. 

Police Nationale

The second is the Police Nationale and they are the civil law enforcement agency of France, with jurisdiction over cities and large towns. They are under the management of the Ministry of the Interior and are responsible for security operations (patrols, traffic control, identity checks) and conducting criminal inquiries.

There is a Police Nationale office on the main square in Fontainebleau.

Police Municipale

The Police Municipale are charged with local policing in towns and villages, law enforcement, lost property and handling minor traffic or domestic offenses.

There is an office of the Police Municipale behind the town hall.

Links

Public Service – What are the emergency numbers to call?

112 Emergency Europe