Beach Emergency Number.
Brain child of Ben Gerrings family to assist emergency services and speed up response times at Perths beaches.
www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/shark-attack-victim-ben-gerrings-brother-calls-for-beach-codes-to-quicken-emergency-response-ng-243af7d5066c6f3f7d8a872e35898a4c
I thought the tracks on West coast highway were numbered at both ends? I always thought that was for emergencies etc but perhaps not?
Numbered sites for rock fishing was suggested many years ago.
Short memories...
But it is not possible to give a number to every nook and cranny, and people do themselves dis-service when they expect a 000 operator to understand where "the leftie at Bills" actually is. You need to say "on a beach, nearest road is Jones St Smithsville, , and we are 500m south near the headland. "
We'd need 5000 numbers just for WA locations (maybe 10,000?)
I do agree that they need something but you cant have a distinct marker for every beach break / feature.
It is amazing in such a massive country, with people attending remote places for activities like surfing or hangliding etc, that we don't have a better identifier...
Maybe the answer lies in not having 000 people in the East trying to locate a Perth area? The problem also exists with highways when people say they are on the "ummmm highway from meekatharra to carnarvon"
Maybe the 000 people need to be based in the actual state, and have a map with all the local surfers and fisho's names for places, that hyperlink / are geocoded? they can type in a part name and rough area and get a hit.
Better than $50K on signs (fark me!!!!! $2500 each!!!! ) that will get pushed over or graffiti'd.
Seriously, if the council are so interested they'd not be dropping that amount on 20 signs...
Id love to get my hands on that map with all the surfing and fishing spots 
But yeh, surely there is a better way. Most phones have gps, maybe there already is an app that sends location to emergency services.
I recently had the displeasure of dealing with a 000 operator. The retard simply would not listen to me (she thought i waa hysterical ) ooh i must follow my training. There were no road names or street names where we were, and she kept trying to substitue where i said i was by using google. She was actively changing and suggesting place names. It was xxxx beach so she was googling and coming up with nearby places that had road names associated with them because her tiny brain couldn't grasp what i was saying. I threatened to hang up and dial the local police. I ended up calling them on another phone as she simply would not accept the widely known and published location name because thete was no street name to get there and her bing search didnt work in 4wd only remote area. Sounds like a good idea but heaven help you if you get the fxckwit i did
There are signs on the beaches down here with a number on them you just ring up the 000 people and tell them which number...they are the yellow triangle ones
Subsidise shark shields...... give $ 250 to the first200 surfers buying one. Involve the state gov and get more money in it. There is a way to protect yourself use it or do not complain if you get biten.
Select to expand quotemyusernam said..
I recently had the displeasure of dealing with a 000 operator. The retard simply would not listen to me (she thought i waa hysterical ) ooh i must follow my training. There were no road names or street names where we were, and she kept trying to substitue where i said i was by using google. She was actively changing and suggesting place names. It was xxxx beach so she was googling and coming up with nearby places that had road names associated with them because her tiny brain couldn't grasp what i was saying. I threatened to hang up and dial the local police. I ended up calling them on another phone as she simply would not accept the widely known and published location name because thete was no street name to get there and her bing search didnt work in 4wd only remote area. Sounds like a good idea but heaven help you if you get the fxckwit i did
So there were no proper roads where you were and she was trying to find a landmark on Google to reference so she could get emergency service to you, as quickly as possibly and to the correct location the first time? and you call her the fxckwit? Sounds like she was doing her best help you!
Calling the local Police is only a short term solution, sure they might know where 'lefties' is but who said it's the local police that are going to turn up? You could ring the local police in Lancelin but if they're not available I've seen them drive from Gingin, Moora and Joondalup. And no point calling the police if you need am ambulance. If the local vollies are tied up already (highly likely on a weekend) then they will send a volunteer crew from Woodridge, Ocean Farms, Moora, Jurien Bay or a career van from Merriwa.
It's the local lingo for place names that cause the delays (along with people not actually knowing where they are). If I asked ten people that did the downwinder from Lancelin to Wedge to adequately describe a beach location halfway along I'd get ten different answers. Some would insist it's just up the beach from Lancelin, some would say Lefties, others Onions, bombing range (the break), others the actual bombing range, its near south rocks, its just south of Wedge, it's just south of Wedge Island, it's just near the big coke can on the bombing range. Most wouldn't know the locality/suburb between Lano and Wedge. At least one would try and describe where they are without using the name they know it as, as they don't want to give away their favourite secret break or fishing hole location.
I think these BEN signs are a knee-jerk reaction, they have been done by one local government to address one incident in their area and one-up the other coastal local governments. They should have taken it to the all the other local government first and got a consensus on making sure the signs are all consistent. And keep the information on them simple. Probably the most important being the GPS location. It never changes like formal and informal places names do over time. Every emergency call-taker can work with a GPS location, if they have to open google earth, they can then they find landmarks or references they need to work their own CAD system to despatch the job.
They did a very similar thing on the highway between Perth and Bunbury maybe 15 or 20 years ago, they had small signs every 2km or so so people could reference their location for serious crashes. It was a good idea but if they're even still there most wouldn't know to look for them or what they mean.
Alternately they need legislation and software in place so that if you call 000 on a smart phone the software automatically pings your phone and interrogates it's GPS for it's exact location but that probably won't happen because the civil liberty nuts would have a fit.
Let's just get this working here too:
www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/android-emergency-location-service/
Emergency + app for iOS and Android. Not perfect, but does give you your GPS co-ordinates so you can tell the 000 operator where you are without knowing geographic details.
google, with their location service are just piggy backing on the recently ratified Push MoLI (Mobile Location Information) standard implemented by US telcos.
Here in Oz, this has not been agreed to, so all the telcos can provide is shape co-ordinates as to where a mobile might be calling from. If there is only one tower near you then the shape is large and the centre usually the tower, not the device.
Select to expand quotewestozwind said..
Emergency + app for iOS and Android. Not perfect, but does give you your GPS co-ordinates so you can tell the 000 operator where you are without knowing geographic details.
google, with their location service are just piggy backing on the recently ratified Push MoLI (Mobile Location Information) standard implemented by US telcos.
Here in Oz, this has not been agreed to, so all the telcos can provide is shape co-ordinates as to where a mobile might be calling from. If there is only one tower near you then the shape is large and the centre usually the tower, not the device.
Negative...... well not with current tech
As I said here previously that domestic violence app so chicks can get the cops to come to a warning signal, showed a location in the bush 2km away from where she actually was in a caravan park.
So it is unreliable.
I think a melding of that and a whole of australia system of local names for 000 operators, would be the go. OTOH google maps shows Gearies, but has that happened after this attack...
Select to expand quoteChris6791 said...myusernam said..
I recently had the displeasure of dealing with a 000 operator. The retard simply would not listen to me (she thought i waa hysterical ) ooh i must follow my training. There were no road names or street names where we were, and she kept trying to substitue where i said i was by using google. She was actively changing and suggesting place names. It was xxxx beach so she was googling and coming up with nearby places that had road names associated with them because her tiny brain couldn't grasp what i was saying. I threatened to hang up and dial the local police. I ended up calling them on another phone as she simply would not accept the widely known and published location name because thete was no street name to get there and her bing search didnt work in 4wd only remote area. Sounds like a good idea but heaven help you if you get the fxckwit i did
So there were no proper roads where you were and she was trying to find a landmark on Google to reference so she could get emergency service to you, as quickly as possibly and to the correct location the first time? and you call her the fxckwit? Sounds like she was doing her best help you!
Calling the local Police is only a short term solution, sure they might know where 'lefties' is but who said it's the local police that are going to turn up? You could ring the local police in Lancelin but if they're not available I've seen them drive from Gingin, Moora and Joondalup. And no point calling the police if you need am ambulance. If the local vollies are tied up already (highly likely on a weekend) then they will send a volunteer crew from Woodridge, Ocean Farms, Moora, Jurien Bay or a career van from Merriwa.
It's the local lingo for place names that cause the delays (along with people not actually knowing where they are). If I asked ten people that did the downwinder from Lancelin to Wedge to adequately describe a beach location halfway along I'd get ten different answers. Some would insist it's just up the beach from Lancelin, some would say Lefties, others Onions, bombing range (the break), others the actual bombing range, its near south rocks, its just south of Wedge, it's just south of Wedge Island, it's just near the big coke can on the bombing range. Most wouldn't know the locality/suburb between Lano and Wedge. At least one would try and describe where they are without using the name they know it as, as they don't want to give away their favourite secret break or fishing hole location.
I think these BEN signs are a knee-jerk reaction, they have been done by one local government to address one incident in their area and one-up the other coastal local governments. They should have taken it to the all the other local government first and got a consensus on making sure the signs are all consistent. And keep the information on them simple. Probably the most important being the GPS location. It never changes like formal and informal places names do over time. Every emergency call-taker can work with a GPS location, if they have to open google earth, they can then they find landmarks or references they need to work their own CAD system to despatch the job.
They did a very similar thing on the highway between Perth and Bunbury maybe 15 or 20 years ago, they had small signs every 2km or so so people could reference their location for serious crashes. It was a good idea but if they're even still there most wouldn't know to look for them or what they mean.
Alternately they need legislation and software in place so that if you call 000 on a smart phone the software automatically pings your phone and interrogates it's GPS for it's exact location but that probably won't happen because the civil liberty nuts would have a fit.
No. Its not a name like that. I dont really want to identify thr place or the in incident but its a famous extremely well known place like cable beach.
Just because it was in the top end the road names stopped 500 ks back
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said...
Numbered sites for rock fishing was suggested many years ago.
Short memories...
But it is not possible to give a number to every nook and cranny, and people do themselves dis-service when they expect a 000 operator to understand where "the leftie at Bills" actually is. You need to say "on a beach, nearest road is Jones St Smithsville, , and we are 500m south near the headland. "
We'd need 5000 numbers just for WA locations (maybe 10,000?)
I do agree that they need something but you cant have a distinct marker for every beach break / feature.
It is amazing in such a massive country, with people attending remote places for activities like surfing or hangliding etc, that we don't have a better identifier...
Maybe the answer lies in not having 000 people in the East trying to locate a Perth area? The problem also exists with highways when people say they are on the "ummmm highway from meekatharra to carnarvon"
Maybe the 000 people need to be based in the actual state, and have a map with all the local surfers and fisho's names for places, that hyperlink / are geocoded? they can type in a part name and rough area and get a hit.
Better than $50K on signs (fark me!!!!! $2500 each!!!! ) that will get pushed over or graffiti'd.
Seriously, if the council are so interested they'd not be dropping that amount on 20 signs...
Don't bother with roads when you call 000, just give your state then post code. Wait until your onto the emergency service before giving anything else. 000 is just there to put you through to the correct ES for the emergency location.
Select to expand quotewestozwind said...
Emergency + app for iOS and Android. Not perfect, but does give you your GPS co-ordinates so you can tell the 000 operator where you are without knowing geographic details.
google, with their location service are just piggy backing on the recently ratified Push MoLI (Mobile Location Information) standard implemented by US telcos.
Here in Oz, this has not been agreed to, so all the telcos can provide is shape co-ordinates as to where a mobile might be calling from. If there is only one tower near you then the shape is large and the centre usually the tower, not the device.
Moli maps does exist in Australia and it is being used but its effectiveness at the moment has a number of significant limitations. Triangulations off phone towers can also be really good, or really bad. I've seen both extremes.
Select to expand quotemyusernam said...Chris6791 said...myusernam said..
I recently had the displeasure of dealing with a 000 operator. The retard simply would not listen to me (she thought i waa hysterical ) ooh i must follow my training. There were no road names or street names where we were, and she kept trying to substitue where i said i was by using google. She was actively changing and suggesting place names. It was xxxx beach so she was googling and coming up with nearby places that had road names associated with them because her tiny brain couldn't grasp what i was saying. I threatened to hang up and dial the local police. I ended up calling them on another phone as she simply would not accept the widely known and published location name because thete was no street name to get there and her bing search didnt work in 4wd only remote area. Sounds like a good idea but heaven help you if you get the fxckwit i did
No. Its not a name like that. I dont really want to identify thr place or the in incident but its a famous extremely well known place like cable beach.
Just because it was in the top end the road names stopped 500 ks back
You'd be stunned how many people can't describe their location well enough to get emergency services to them and what they think makes perfect sense is no good. Actually it's often fkn useless. I know one guy who retold a story to me about calling police to a brawl out the front of his own home and and when asked for a cross street didn't know what it was- despite living 50 metres from the intersection.
As soon as you start talking remote or semi-remote bush locations you could easily miss by hundreds of kilometres. The best opportunity to get your location right is on the first call, if they're still asking for more information then the call taker still isn't confident enough to send someone to you without a chance of delay by going to the wrong spot.
