The distress number is a term that is not commonly used to refer to a specific emergency number. However, there are several emergency numbers that people can call in different countries to get assistance in various emergencies like police, ambulance, and fire. One of the most common emergency numbers is 112, which is an internationally recognized, easy-to-remember emergency number adopted by most European countries, commonwealth nations, and mapped to emergency numbers in the USA and Canada. In some countries, there are other emergency numbers like 911 in the USA, 999 in the UK, and 000 in Australia.

It is important to note that emergency numbers are only for emergency assistance, and calling them for another reason is considered abuse or misuse. Accidental calls to emergency centers from mobile phones, which can dial emergency numbers even with a locked keypad, are a particular problem with same-digit numbers). Therefore, it is essential to avoid calling emergency numbers by accident. People can commit the emergency number to memory, write it on a sticker and put it on their mobile, or use a mobile app that has the emergency number pre-programmed.

In addition to emergency numbers, there are also helplines that people can call to get immediate crisis counseling and support. For example, the Disaster Distress Helpline is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling in the USA.