Installing Triple Zero emergency markers
Project Overview
Determining caller location is the most critical piece of information used by emergency (Triple Zero/000) call takers to dispatch emergency personnel and resources.
Triple Zero (formerly known as Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority or ‘ESTA’) emergency markers enable Triple Zero Call taker to immediately and accurately verify the location of an emergency 000 call in public open space.
These emergency markers have a green background and white text, and can be your gateway to help in an emergency. By quoting the unique six-character alpha-numeric code displayed on the emergency marker, you can equip emergency call receivers with clear, unambiguous directional information.
Barwon Coast provides signage across the coastal reserve to support managing risks to public safety, awareness and informed use of the coast. Barwon Coast will now be installing the first of these new, green emergency markers across the coastal reserve.
Barwon Coast's new Emergency markers
Barwon Coast has had 60 new Emergency markers installed (they can be seen here).
All existing yellow beach location sign system have been replaced by new alphanumeric codes.
Beach access naming shift
The installation of the new Triple Zero emergency markers is an important milestone for Barwon Coast, as they enable Triple Zero (formerly ESTA)– the body responsible for handling 000 calls in Victoria – to despatch emergency services to the exact location of the marker.
Following the closure of the 2023/24 fire season, Barwon Coast has installed the first phase of these new, green emergency markers at 60 locations between Collendina and Breamlea.
Replacement of existing signs
Installation of the first 60 emergency markers is the first stage of the project to replace the yellow beach location signs. .
The previous yellow beach location signs, such as 36W, were well-known locally but not linked on the Triple Zero emergency dispatch CAD system, meaning that often the information cannot be used by Triple Zero call operators.
While Barwon Coast understands and respects the history and community connection to the yellow beach location signs, safety is of paramount importance, and the new emergency markers will save our emergency responders time trying to locate you.
The Triple Zero emergency marker is the primary system that should be used when reporting an emergency to 000.
Which code do you use?
The rule of thumb for beach users in case of emergency is if there is a green emergency marker sign with an alphanumeric code, that is what should be provided to 000 operators, rather than the previous yellow beach location sign numbers.