Emergency services have launched the Windows version of the Emergency+app making it available to more than 98 per cent of smartphone users.
The Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan launched the app at the NSW Ambulance headquarters today.
The app was first introduced in December 2013 for iOS and Android devices and has now been downloaded more than 270,000 times.
With the release of the Windows version, more than 98 per cent of smartphone users can now utilise the app that helps Australians call the right number for help in emergency and non emergency situations.
It was developed by the Triple Zero Awareness Work Group (TZAWG), a national body that represents emergency call taking agencies and their government and industry partners throughout Australia, in response to a number of problems identified by emergency call takers and emergency service workers.
Research revealed more than 65 per cent of calls to Triple Zero (000) are made from mobile phones; however, often callers don’t know their exact location, meaning prolonged call processing times making call takers unavailable for the next emergency call.
The TZAWG also found few people know the State Emergency Services (SES) 132 500 or Police Assistance Line (PAL) 131 444 numbers, which means their default action is to call Triple Zero, needlessly tying up emergency call takers.
Operational Communications and Information Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter Barrie, said downloading this app to your smartphone could potentially help save your life, or the life of a loved one.
“Knowing the exact location of the caller in an emergency is the most important piece of information,” Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.
“If Triple Zero can’t confirm your location, it makes it far more difficult to send emergency services to help you.
“The Emergency+app uses the existing GPS functionality of smartphones to pinpoint the caller’s exact location, which can then be passed on to emergency services,” Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.
The Emergency+ app provides users with the contact numbers and a short explanation of when to call the non emergency numbers such as the Police Assistance Line and the SES national number.
This is to help members of the public dial the correct number, and reduce the number of calls to the Triple Zero service that should be directed to another service.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“In eighteen months, the app has been downloaded thousands of times, allowing people to make the right call to the right resource during emergency situations,” Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.[/social_quote]
When activated, the features of a smartphone will also describe aloud what appears on screen, so a caller can use the app without seeing it.
The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Windows store, Google Play store and Apple App Store, and is available in English, Chinese (traditional and simplified) and Japanese.
Links to download the app can be found at emergencyapp.triplezero.gov.au.
