Emergency Services
Police, fire, ambulance, roadside assistance, and crisis contacts.
AA Roadside Assistance – East London
Roadside assistance for Automobile Association members in and around East London: breakdown towing, battery tests and jump starts, flat tyre changes, vehicle locksmith, emergency fuel and on-the-spot repairs. The number of callouts a year and the tow distance covered depend on the membership tier, so check the plan before you need it rather than at the roadside.
Alderson Ambulance
Private ambulance service for emergency call-outs. The same 0860 line also connects to 24-hour accident, emergency and trauma numbers for Life Beacon Bay Hospital and Life St Dominic's Hospital.
Buffalo City Fire & Rescue
Buffalo City Metro fire and rescue, covering East London, Mdantsane and King William's Town. Responds to structural and veld fires, vehicle extrication, hazardous material spills and water rescue. The emergency line runs 24 hours on 043 705 9000, and the metro control room is reachable on 10177. Disaster management, which handles flooding and storm damage rather than fires, is a separate desk on 043 743 7118.
East London Central Police Station (SAPS)
South African Police Service station serving the East London central area. Report crimes, obtain affidavits, and access police clearance certificates.
Netcare 911 – East London
Private emergency medical service covering East London and the surrounding district. Road ambulances and rapid response vehicles on the ground, helicopter and fixed-wing air ambulance for evacuations to a higher level of care, and event medical cover for sport and conferences. Calls route through a national emergency operations centre staffed around the clock. Dial 082 911.