France

Sirens: France uses the SAIP national warning and information system with sirens. The real alert signal consists of three rising and falling sequences of 1 minute and 41 seconds each, separated by short pauses.

The all clear is announced by a continuous tone lasting 30 seconds. If sirens sound, seek shelter inside a building, follow radio or official information, close doors and windows and use the phone only in a real life threatening emergency.

Country: France

• Country code: FR
• Official language: French
• Currency: euro (EUR)
• Time zone: Central European Time, Central European Summer Time in summer
• Power supply: normally 230 V / 50 Hz, plug types C and E

France generally has very well developed infrastructure. During a prolonged power outage, communication, transportation, card payments, heating, cooling, elevators, gas stations, supermarkets and parts of the water supply may still be disrupted.

Additional risks may come from heat waves, wildfires, storms, flooding, snow, strikes, transportation disruption or industrial incidents.

The most important emergency numbers in France should be saved offline and also kept on paper.

• 112: European emergency number
• 15: SAMU, medical emergency service
• 17: police / gendarmerie
• 18: fire department
• 114: emergency contact by SMS, chat, video or fax for deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired people
• 196: sea rescue
• 116 117: out of hours medical service

Use emergency numbers only for real emergencies. During a large blackout, lines should not be blocked by general inquiries.

France uses several warning and information channels. These include FR-Alert on mobile phones, SAIP sirens, radio, television, weather warnings, prefectures and municipalities.

• FR-Alert: alerts sent directly to mobile phones in affected danger zones.
• SAIP / sirens: public warning signal for serious hazards.
• Radio France / France Bleu: important information source if power or internet fails.
• Prefecture / municipality: local instructions may differ depending on the event.

Mobile data and apps may fail during a blackout. Important information should therefore not be stored only digitally.

For France, private preparedness for several days up to about two weeks is sensible. Supplies should be usable without electricity.

• Plan drinking water and beverages for everyone in the household.
• Store long-life food that can be eaten cold or prepared easily.
• Keep medicines, first-aid supplies and personal long-term medication available.
• Prepare a battery or hand-crank radio, flashlights, spare batteries and power banks.
• Keep cash in small bills, as card payments and ATMs may fail.
• Keep important documents, phone numbers and addresses also on paper.
• With alternative cooking or heating, watch for fire and carbon monoxide risks.

In case of power outages, the first responsible contact is usually the local grid operator or energy supplier. Enedis serves many regions, while some municipalities have local distribution operators. National transmission grid matters involve RTE.

General hazard and crisis information in France is communicated through prefectures, municipalities, the Ministry of the Interior, civil protection and official alert channels.

For Dominican citizens in France, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic and the Consulate General in Paris are important official contact points.