Emergency services in Nouvelle-Aquitaine operate under the standard French national system, with highly coordinated dispatch centers.
**Key Emergency Numbers:** * **112:** General European Emergency Number (recommended for non-French speakers). * **15 (SAMU):** Emergency Medical Services and ambulance. * **17 (Police Secours):** Police and Gendarmerie. * **18 (Sapeurs-Pompiers):** Fire brigade, which also handles the majority of medical rescue and traffic accident responses. * **114:** Emergency number via text message for the deaf and hard of hearing.
**Specialized Rescues:** * **Mountain Rescue:** In the Pyrenees, the PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne) handles mountain emergencies. * **Coastal Rescue:** The SNSM (Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer) oversees sea rescues along the Atlantic coast, supported by lifeguard stations at popular beaches during the summer.