Emergency Plus

National Triple Zero Awareness Work Group

About this app

Save the app that could save your life – Emergency Plus.
 
In an emergency, time and location accuracy are critical. By downloading the ‘Emergency +’ app, you’ll equip yourself with a powerful tool that will help you call Triple Zero (000) quickly, and allow you to accurately communicate your location to emergency call-takers.
 
‘Emergency +’ is a national app developed by Australia’s emergency services and their government industry partners, helping people to call the right number at the right time, anywhere in Australia. Emergency + also includes SES and Police Assistance Line numbers as options, so non-emergency calls are made to the most appropriate number.
 
When calling Triple Zero (000), remember to stay focused, stay relevant and stay on the line. Before you call ask yourself:
 
* Is someone seriously injured or in need of urgent medical help?
* Is your life or property being threatened?
* Have you just witnessed a serious accident or crime?
 
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, call Triple Zero (000). Triple Zero (000) calls are free.
 
The app uses a mobile phone’s GPS functionality and what3words, so callers can provide emergency call-takers with their location information as determined by their smart phone.
 
With what3words available within the Emergency+ app, Triple Zero (000) callers can confirm their exact location quickly and accurately.
what3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one a unique three word identifier. Addressing using what3words works offline - ideal when you have no data coverage or are in a remote location.

Important – if there is no mobile coverage on any network, you will not be able to reach the Emergency Call Service via a mobile telephone​​.

Ratings and reviews

The layout and readability of the location are perfect. Great improvement on the previous version.

Excellent - but needs one tweak. This app should be preloaded on every Aussie mobile device, for its ability to quickly provide an accurate location to emergency services. However, it would be much improved for rural and highway use by adding an approximate distance and bearing from the nearest town, as the lat/long may be too complex and the highway name and 'suburb' not specific enough for some users and/or agencies.

The latest revision of the app looks OK on a 6.7" screen. On a 5.2" screen the wording of the location and the co-ordinates are on top of each other. The 3 words are too small to see. Trying to touch or to move the text to see it clearly has no effect. The only helpful thing is to touch the map - but who knows that? On the following screen, the address, co-ordinates and the 3 words are visible as they should be. The location on the map is not shown, because it is not centered, and is out of bounds of the frame. The 3 word system is smart, however, as I hold the phone, the words are changing constantly. This could lead to misunderstanding with the operator. Australia is a developed and wealthy country. It should adopt a system where the location of the phone is sent out on a touch of a button. Can't imagine a person suffering stroke being able to operate this app and read out anything correctly.

What’s new

Update SDK to 33