NL-Alert issued nationally: Only call 112 in case of life-threatening emergency

Emergency services offices in the Netherlands issued a nationwide NL-Alert warning that the 112 emergency phone line is "extremely busy." People were advised to only contact police and fire departments, or ask for medical assistance in case of a life-threatening emergency.

The alert was distributed less than 30 minutes after the countdown on Wednesday night brought an end to 2025 with New Year's Eve celebrations across the country. Those who need police in a non-emergency situation were advised to call 0900-8844, while fire departments were available at 0900-0904.

Emergency services offices were expecting about a thousand calls every 15 minutes during the peak hours of New Year's celebrations, ranging from 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday through 2 a.m. on Thursday. Dispatch centers were operating 250 phone lines for 112 calls.

This was predicted to be the last year where fireworks could be legally sold to consumers, and sales were through the roof, as expected. Fireworks retailers reported sales receipts totaling 129 million euros, a new record.