Emergency call services

The emergency call service is a nationwide operator-assisted service that connects a caller, free of charge, to police, fire or ambulance in a life threatening or time critical situation.

Under the specifications of the This link sends you off DBCDE's websiteTelecommunications Numbering Plan 1997 :

  • the primary emergency service number is '000' and is accessed from any fixed and mobile network in Australia
  • the secondary emergency service numbers are '112' (from mobile phones) and '106' (TTY).

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy provides advice to the Minister in relation to the telecommunications regulatory framework, including emergency call services. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for monitoring the provision of the emergency call service under:

For more information visit the This link sends you off DBCDE's websiteACMA website.

Triple Zero (000)

Triple Zero (000) is Australia's primary emergency service number and is for use only to access emergency assistance in the first instance.

Telstra, as the designated universal emergency call service provider, currently operates the Triple Zero emergency call service from two centralised emergency call centres in New South Wales and Victoria.

Telstra's role in operating the Triple Zero service is to connect callers to the nearest and most appropriate emergency service organisation as quickly as possible. The local emergency service organisation (police, fire or ambulance) is then responsible for sending help to the correct location.

Callers can connect to police, fire or ambulance by dialling 000 from any fixed service (landline) or mobile phone (where there is coverage) in Australia. As it is not possible to automatically identify  the location of callers using mobile phones, those callers need to give as much information as possible about their location when speaking to an operator.

The number '911' used by emergency services in the United States is not used as an emergency number in Australia as the 911 prefix is already in use for some residential and business telephone numbers.

112—for emergency calls on any GSM mobile phone network worldwide

If you have a GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) digital mobile phone you can connect to the emergency call service by dialling Triple Zero. However, because GSM is an international standard, GSM mobile phone users can also connect to emergency services by dialling the international emergency call number '112'.

When dialling '112' on GSM mobile phones, access is provided regardless of the presence or validity of the SIM card within the phone, or whether the keypad is locked. The '112' number is not available from the fixed (landline) network.

  • Dial '112' anywhere in the world with GSM coverage to connect the local emergency number.
  • A caller is able to connect to the emergency services answering point if GSM mobile coverage is available from any carrier's network at the location of the call.

For further details regarding '112', consumers should talk to their mobile service providers.

The same enhanced capabilities available with '112' are also becoming available progressively on some new GSM handsets and SIM cards. For more information contact your mobile phone carrier.

106 (text-based emergency call service)

People with a hearing or speech impairment can call police, ambulance or fire services by dialling '106' from a phone line connected to a Teletypewriter (TTY) or from a computer with a modem (but not mobile text messaging). This text-based emergency call service is supplied through the National Relay Service which is provided by the Australian Communications Exchange.

For more information about the '106' text-based emergency call service visit the National Relay Service website 
This link sends you off DBCDE's websitewww.relayservice.com.au

 
 
 

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Document ID: 3824 | Last modified: 27 May 2011, 5:04pm