'In Order For Us To Help You, We Need You To Help Us'

What Is 000?
000 is an emergency hotline service to contact police in life threatening or urgent situations.

How 000 Works
000 calls are answered by a Telstra Operator who will ask which service you require - Police, Fire or Ambulance.

If you ask for the Police, you will be connected to the Police Communications Centre. This centre is staffed 24 hours a day with highly trained and skilled Emergency Operators.

They will ask relevant questions, and arrange an appropriate response from a local police station or from other services (eg. Ambulance or Fire Brigade).

When To Use 000
You should ring 000 for crimes and other incidents -

• that are actually occurring at the time of the call.
• where offenders are still on the scene
• that involve violence (eg. domestic violence, assault and rob, brawl)
• where a crime has just occurred (eg. disturbing offenders breaking into a house).
• when a person fears for their safety or the safety of others

000 Calls From Mobile Phones
000 calls are free on all mobile phones. From analogue phones, 000 will connect callers, although many newer digital phones require the user to dial 112, the international standard emergency number. Consult your carrier if you are uncertain how to access the 000 emergency network.

The 000 Operator will ask you for your mobile phone number so they can reach you if they require additional information, so learn your number off by heart..

Non-Emergency Calls
For routine matters, and for non-emergency calls, contact your local police station.

What To Tell Police
You can help police by providing clear, accurate information that will save time. Assist 000 Emergency Operators by allowing them to guide you through the call. You will probably be asked to provide the following information:

LOCATION of the incident or where they should go. Knowing exactly where to send police can save valuable time. Take time to learn the addresses of houses and units around yours - either side and over the back fence.

You may also be asked what the nearest cross street is. The nearest cross street is the nearest intersecting street. Many people confuse it with the nearest main road, or give any street nearby that they can think of. The 000 Operator will ask a series of questions relevant to the incident. Different incidents require different questions. The Operator will ask them in a particular order and arrange police response accordingly.

For urgent matters, response may start while you are still on the phone, and details conveyed by radio to police cars.

When a call is to report a crime in progress, the Operators will also ask for information about offenders:

• number of persons
• descriptions
• vehicles
• weapons

000 Emergency Operators are highly skilled at assisting even the most distressed, angry and upset callers. You can help by allowing them to guide you.

Interpreters
Interpreter services are available in many community languages. This free, confidential service is offered 24 hours a day.

Privacy And Confidentiality
All information given to 000 Emergency Operators is treated in the strictest confidence. Your name will be kept confidential or you can remain anonymous.

When you call 000, the telephone number and address from where you are calling may be given to the emergency service so they can respond more quickly. If you do not wish to have the telephone number and address details disclosed, you must call you local police station or Police Switch direct Ph: (02) 9281 0000.

000 Is For Emergency Use Only

Other Important Numbers You May Need:

Crime Stoppers: FREE CALL 1800 33 30 00

Customer Assistance Unit: FREE CALL 1800 62 25 71

Police Switch: (02) 9281 0000

Batemans Bay Station: 0244 720099

TTY Emergency: FREE CALL 1800 06 71 67

People with hearing difficulties can obtain 24-hour access by TTY (Teletypewriter) or computer modem to emergency services by dialling the National Relay Service and asking for a call to emergency 000.

Other Emergency Numbers
24-hour emergency numbers can be found in the front inside cover of the A-K section of the White Pages.

Page Design © Ian Hunter.