- Bayside and South East Melbourne
- Victoria Police Security Registration No. 72185491
- Mon to Fri 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sat 7:00 am to 1:00 pm
- 0421 767 767
November 5, 2026
The door clicks shut behind you; the keys are on the bench, and someone small is on the other side. A toddler, a baby in a cot, a dog that has never been left alone. Before you dial anyone, you make one decision that shapes everything that follows: is this a danger or a delay? A danger goes to 000 straight away. A delay goes to a locksmith.
Danger or Delay: The Decision on the Doorstep
The test is simple to state and hard to apply when your heart is pounding. Ask whether anyone or anything inside could come to harm in the time it takes a tradesperson to reach you and open the door. If the answer is yes, or even "I'm not sure", treat it as a danger and call 000 first. An emergency covers danger to life, health or property, and a trapped person counts as one.
A delay is the other branch. Everyone inside is safe, nothing is switched on, and the only problem is that you cannot get back in. That is a locksmith job, and it can be handled calmly.
The mistake to avoid is sitting between the two branches, phoning around for a spare key while a situation that needed emergency services gets worse. If you are weighing it up for more than a few seconds, make the 000 call.
Signs That Make It a 000 Call
Some signs settle the question on their own. Any one of these puts you on the danger branch:
- A child who cannot respond or follow instructions: A baby or toddler cannot come to the door, cannot tell you what is happening, and cannot get themselves out if something goes wrong.
- A hazard inside: A stovetop or oven left on, a heater running, a bath filling, or any smell of smoke or gas.
- Silence or distress: A child who has stopped answering, or a pet that sounds distressed through the door.
- Someone unwell inside: An older child or adult who is sick, injured or unable to reach the door.
When you call, the first question is which service you need: say police, fire or ambulance as best fits, then answer the two questions the call-taker asks, where the emergency is and what it is. Give the house number, street and suburb, and be ready for the call-taker to check the address against the nearest cross street or a landmark.
Do not climb to an upper window, force a sliding door off its track or break glass to reach a child. Stay on the ground, keep talking through the door, and leave forced entry to the police or fire crew who attend.
When the Locksmith Is the Right First Call
A pet asleep in the laundry, with water on and nothing switched on, is a delay. So is an older child who is calm, can talk to you through the door and is in no danger from anything in the house. In those cases the locksmith is the right first call, and the urgency is real without being an emergency.
That still changes how you make the call. Lead with the fact that a child or animal is inside, before the address and before anything about the lock. It tells the locksmith how to weigh your job against others in the day and what to bring.
If the situation shifts while you wait, change branches. A child who becomes upset and stops answering, or a smell of something burning, turns a delay into a danger, and the 000 call comes next, whoever else is on the way.
While you wait on the delay branch, try every other door, then ring anyone who holds a spare key. If you rent, ask the property manager whether they keep a set for the property. A spare that turns up first ends the wait.
How the Lock on the Door Shapes the Plan
The hardware on the door decides whether anyone inside could let you in, and whether you should even try.
Plenty of front doors are fitted with a deadlatch, which locks itself as the door closes. That self-locking action is behind lockouts like this one. From the inside, the handle or knob on some deadlatches will still open the door without a key, so an older child who can reach it and understands what you are asking may be able to open it for you.
Some deadlatches have a setting where the inside handle is locked as well, and a key is needed to open the door from either side. A child inside cannot open it, however well they follow instructions.
A standard deadlock has a keyhole on both sides. If it was turned when you left, the door needs a key from the inside too, and no amount of coaching will get it open.
If you know the door is deadlocked, or that the latch is on its secure setting, do not spend time talking a child towards the handle. Go straight to the call that matches your branch. And never ask a child to climb, stand on furniture, or open a window to reach you.
What to Tell the Locksmith When You Call
A short, ordered call gets the right person and the right tools to your door. Give them:
Expect to be asked to show that you live at the address. A locksmith will want photo ID with the address on it, and that check is what stops a stranger getting a locksmith to open your home. Tell them on the phone if your wallet is inside with the keys, so the check can be planned around it.
Why Speed Can Change the Entry Method
In an ordinary lockout, the aim is to open the door without damaging the lock or the door, and that is the default approach to the job. Non-destructive entry keeps the lock working afterwards, so you are not left with a door that will not secure that night.
When time matters more than the hardware, the order of priorities can shift. A locksmith may still start with a non-destructive method, but if the lock is damaged or will not open any other way, drilling the cylinder becomes the faster route. That is a last resort on a normal job and a sensible trade on an urgent one.
Emergency crews choose their own way in. When someone inside may need help, the crew who attend may force a door or break a window to reach them quickly, and a broken door, frame or window is a repair for the next day.
Waiting at the Door Without Making It Worse
Once the right call is made, your job is to stay put and stay useful. Keep talking through the door so a child hears a familiar voice. Stay where the people coming to help can find you, at the front of the property with the house number visible. If a neighbour is home, ask them to wait out the front for the locksmith or the crew so you can stay at the door.
Avoid the things that turn a lockout into an injury or a repair bill. Shouldering a door, levering a window, or trying a lock-opening trick from a video leaves split jambs, broken glass, and damaged locks.
The doorstep decision is easier made now than in the moment. Know which of your doors lock themselves as they close, and get into the habit of keys in hand before the door swings shut. When it does go wrong, sort danger from delay first, make the matching call, and let the people who open doors for a living do that part.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The call-taker keeps asking questions after the crew has been dispatched, and those questions do not slow the response: the answers are passed on to the crew already heading to you. Stay on the line until you are told you can hang up, and ask a neighbour to make any other calls.
Do not count on it. The operator who answers may not see where you are, and you will be asked which state you are calling from before you are connected. Have the full street address ready, and if you are unsure, a free emergency location app on your phone can show your position.
It can be arranged. A locksmith may open the door and then wait while you fetch your licence, a lease or mail with your name and the address on it. A digital driver licence on your phone can serve the same purpose, and a neighbour or property manager who can vouch for you can help settle it.
The locksmith still needs someone with authority over the home to confirm the opening, so have the owner ready on the phone to vouch for the carer and the address. That check belongs to the delay branch only; a 000 call never waits on it.
No security reason calls for it. If the keys were on the bench inside the whole time, nobody else has had them, and your locks are as secure as they were that morning. Rekeying only makes sense when a key may be in someone else's hands, such as a set that has been lost or stolen.
Yes. A deadlock with a keyhole on both sides requires the key to get out, which can cost time in a fire or medical emergency if the key cannot be found. Leave the bolt drawn back whenever anyone is home, or ask about an escape-type deadlock, which has an inside knob or lever that opens it without a key.
Ring with who is inside before anything else — once 000 is ruled out or already called, a locksmith who knows a child or pet is behind the door can plan the entry before arriving. True Locksmith serves Bayside and South East Melbourne. Call 0421-767-767.
