Triple Zero (000) is the primary national emergency number in Australia.[1] The Emergency Call Service is operated by Telstra Corporation Limited as a condition of its telecommunications licence, and is intended only for use in life-threatening or time-critical emergencies. Other emergency numbers in Australia are 112 for GSM mobile phones and satellite phones — which is answered by a Triple Zero (000) operator — and 106 for TDD textphones. Triple Zero (000) was also the emergency number in Finland and Denmark until the introduction of the 112 number in 1993.
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History
Prior to 1969, Australia did not have a national number for emergency services; the police, fire and ambulance services possessed many phone numbers, one for each local unit. In 1961, the office of the Postmaster General (PMG) introduced the Triple Zero (000) number in major population centres and near the end of the 1980s extended its coverage to nationwide. The number Triple Zero (000) was chosen for several reasons, one of which was that zero was closest to the finger stall on Australian rotary dial phones, so it was easy to dial in darkness.[2]
911 was previously considered as a potential emergency number, though existing numbering arrangements make this unfeasible due to homes and businesses being assigned numbers beginning with 911.[3]
Calling Triple Zero (000)
Calling Triple Zero (000) connects the caller to a Telstra operator who will then connect the caller to the emergency service organisation call-taker. Telstra operators do not take any details or dispatch services; instead they ask the caller if they require the "Police, Fire, Ambulance?" and their location if calling from a mobile phone or nomadic service (i.e. Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP). The caller is then connected to the relevant emergency service answer point as requested by the caller.
As soon as the emergency service call-taker answers the call, the available caller location information is transferred to the emergency service. The emergency service call-taker will then query the caller for the relevant details and dispatch the required response.
The caller's address is always available to Telstra operators for fixed services in Australia even if the number is "private" (except for VoIP services). However, emergency service organisation call-takers will always ask for the address of the emergency to be stated whenever possible to ensure an accurate location is provided[4] - this is especially important in the case of "third-party" callers who are not personally on the scene of the incident (e.g relatives or alarm monitoring corporations). When calling from a mobile telephone, callers should always attempt to provide accurate location details. This will assist emergency call-takers, and will expedite emergency service dispatch, as this information is not always readily available during the call.
Within Australia, Triple Zero (000) is a free call from any telephone. Dialling Triple Zero (000) (or 112) on most Australian GSM mobile phones will override any keypad lock, and if the caller's home network is out of range, the phone will attempt to use other carrier's networks to relay the call. Interpreter services may also be available once connected to Emergency Services.
Due to special configuration in their firmware, some 3G or GSM mobile phones sold in Australia will redirect other emergency numbers, such as 9-1-1 and 9-9-9, to Triple Zero (000). These calls are sent out by the handset as an emergency flag to the network and as such are treated in the same way as a call to Triple Zero (000).
Issues
SES
As the Australian Communications and Media Authority does not regard State Emergency Service (SES) calls as life-threatening, this service cannot be contacted via Triple Zero (000). If dialing Triple Zero (000), asking the Telstra for the SES will result in connection to a recorded announcement explaining how to contact these services.
2003 overload in Melbourne
On 3 December 2003, floods and storms in Melbourne caused a large influx of Triple Zero (000) calls, which prevented some calls from being answered immediately. This caused some users interviewed by authorities to believe that they may have made a misdialed call. A subsequent investigation recommended that a recorded announcement be implemented to assure callers that their calls were being connected.[5] Callers to Triple Zero (000) are now greeted with a recorded message, which states "You have dialed emergency triple-zero. Your call is being connected."
Triple Oh
Emergency services and Australia's Communications Regulator prefer the phrase "triple zero" over "triple Oh" because of potential confusion and misunderstanding over keying the number when using alpha-numeric keypads, which could cause people to dial "666" in an emergency, not Triple Zero (000).
Remote locations
One major obstacle in earlier 2009 [6] is the inability of operators of triple-0 to use GPS within GSM or CDMA systems to accurately locate distressed or injured persons using mobile phones visibly away from roads. Presently, operators must ask the caller exactly where they are. The answer to this needs to correspond to an existing road name (which may be practically impossible for distressed person(s) some kilometres away from a road) prior the operator being able to send such details, allowing the relevant emergency service vehicle to be dispatched.
David Iredale
The Australian government has admitted to failings regarding the death of David Iredale, a high school student who died of dehydration in the bush near Katoomba in late 2006. [7] [8] Iredale made several calls for help to 000 prior to his death. [9]. Emergency services have been accused of inappropriately handling Irdale's calls; he was not provided with any medical advice, and operators were accused of being "pre-occupied" with obtaining a street address to send help to, despite the fact that Iredale was located in the bush. An inquest has been set up to investigate failings in the 000 system as a result of his death, which remains ongoing.
See also
- 111 Emergency phone number in New Zealand.
- 112 Emergency phone number across the European Union and on GSM mobile networks across the world.
- 119 Emergency phone number in parts of East Asia.
- 911 Emergency phone number in US and Canada.
- 999 Emergency phone number in Ireland, Poland and United Kingdom (where it works parallel to 112). Also an emergency number in several non-EU countries.
- Emergency telephone
- Emergency telephone number
- In case of emergency (ICE) entry in the mobile phone book.
References
- ^ "Triple Zero home page". Australian Government. http://triplezero.gov.au. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
- ^ "History of the Emergency Call Services". ACMA. 2007-08-27. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100580. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
- ^ "Emergency Call Services: Frequently Asked Questions. Can I call 911 in a life or property threatening time critical situation?". Australian Communications and Media Authority. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1695#911. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
- ^ "ESTA Frequently Asked Questions". Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (Victoria). http://www.esta.vic.gov.au/?id=71. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
- ^ "Telstra’s handling of calls to 000 on the morning of 3 December 2003" (PDF). ACMA. February 2004. http://www.acma.gov.au/acmainterwr/consumer_info/final_000_report.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-19. (page 9)
- ^ ""Biker mates rue calling Triple-0" The Australian" (in English). The Australian. 2009-04-25. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,253828775013404,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
- ^ http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,27574,25372569-5006009,00.html
- ^ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25443377-2702,00.html
- ^ ""A mother's hope: it never happens to anyone else" The Sydney Morning Herald" (in English). The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-04-25. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. http://www.webcitation.org/5gLwY8QZk. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
External links
- Australian Disaster Information Network: Triple Zero (000) - Australia's Emergency Call Service
- Australian Communications and Media Authority: Emergency Calls Service information
- Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (VIC)
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