phone ▁number ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 5 7 , ▁a ▁committee ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁to ▁inst itute ▁a ▁common ▁emer gency ▁number ▁across ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁consisting ▁of ▁the ▁Post ▁and ▁Te legraph ▁Department , ▁the ▁Police , ▁the ▁Health ▁Department , ▁and ▁the ▁Fire ▁Service . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁the ▁Post master ▁General ▁approved ▁the ▁provision ▁of ▁the ▁service ▁using ▁the ▁number ▁ 1 1 1 . ▁▁ 1 1 1 ▁was ▁specifically ▁chosen ▁to ▁be ▁similar ▁to ▁Britain ' s ▁ 9 9 9 ▁service . ▁With ▁pul se ▁di alling , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁tele ph ones ▁pul se ▁in ▁reverse ▁to ▁the ▁UK ▁- ▁di alling ▁ 0 ▁sent ▁ten ▁p uls es , ▁ 1 ▁sent ▁nine , ▁ 2 ▁sent ▁eight , ▁ 3 ▁sent ▁seven , ▁etc . ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁while ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁di alling ▁ 1 ▁sent ▁one ▁pul se , ▁ 2 ▁sent ▁two , ▁etc . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁ 1 1 1 , ▁the ▁tele phone ▁equipment ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁British ▁Post ▁Office ▁equipment , ▁except ▁for ▁this ▁unusual ▁orientation . ▁Therefore , ▁di alling ▁ 1 1 1 ▁on ▁a ▁New ▁Zealand ▁tele phone ▁sent ▁three ▁sets ▁of ▁nine ▁p uls es ▁to ▁the ▁exchange , ▁exactly ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁UK ' s ▁ 9 9 9 . ▁Number ▁" 9 " ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁( or ▁" 1 " ▁in ▁Britain ) ▁was ▁not