Hurry, it is urgent!
FA-te PRES-to — stress on first syllable of each word. Short, punchy command. 'Urgente' — ur-JEN-te.
Add this to any emergency call to emphasise urgency. Effective when you feel the dispatcher is not understanding the severity.
'Fate presto' = hurry up (plural imperative) — you are speaking to the dispatch team. 'È urgente' = it is urgent. This phrasing is effective and understood. However, dispatchers are trained to work efficiently regardless — use calm, clear information rather than panic, as this helps them respond faster.
Si sbrighino per favore!
Please hurry!
Formal imperative 'sbrighino' — polite but urgent. More formal than 'fate presto'
Ogni minuto conta!
Every minute counts!
Emotive — used when situation is rapidly deteriorating
È una questione di vita o di morte.
It is a matter of life or death.
Ultimate urgency signal — use only for genuine life-threatening emergencies
Italian 118 dispatchers are trained to manage panicking callers — they use a calm, controlled voice and direct questions to gather information while simultaneously dispatching. Studies show that caller panic slows information gathering. Italian 118 dispatch centres use 'MPDS' (Medical Priority Dispatch System) — an international standardised protocol. The average Italian urban ambulance response time is 8-10 minutes for priority calls.