Emergency numbers and help in Jamaica

The numbers

• There is no single emergency number here. Police and medical are different numbers, and 911 does not work in Jamaica. Visitors from North America dial it by reflex and lose time.
• Save both to your phone now, and write them somewhere that does not need a battery.
• Response times vary a great deal between Kingston, the resort areas and rural parishes. In a resort, tell the front desk at the same time as calling; hotels often have faster private arrangements.

Practicalities

• Report any theft to the police and get the written report. No insurer pays a claim without one, and obtaining it later from abroad is effectively impossible.
• Photograph your passport and your C5 confirmation, and keep copies separate from the originals.
• If you lose your passport, report it to the police, then contact your embassy or high commission. Most are in Kingston, which is a long way from the north coast resorts.
• Know the name of the property and the parish you are staying in. Jamaica is organised by parish and a dispatcher will ask.

Hurricanes

• ODPEM is the national disaster agency and issues warnings, evacuation orders and shelter locations. Follow it rather than social media.
• Season runs June to November, peaking August to October, which is now.
• Hotels have hurricane procedures and will brief you. Follow them.
• If a storm is forecast, do not leave your flight to the last minute. Airports close and the final flights fill days ahead.
• Melissa in October 2025 was the most powerful storm ever to hit the island. The systems worked, the warnings were given, and the people who came to harm were largely those who stayed put in vulnerable places.

Before anything goes wrong

• Save your insurer's 24-hour line offline.
• Keep some cash accessible, because a card is useless in a power cut.
• Tell someone your itinerary if you are travelling independently outside the resort areas.