Bicycle Network: Good Design Guides

Emergency Marker Program rolling out across Victoria

Identifying a caller’s location is the first and most critical element in the delivery of timely and accurate response to an emergency 000 call. It is an essential element in delivering emergency services to the Victorian Community.

Victoria’s Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) currently provides Triple Zero call-taking and dispatch services to
• Victoria Police;
• Metropolitan Ambulance Service;
• Metropolitan Fire Brigade;
• Country Fire Authority; and
• Victoria State Emergency Service.

When an incident occurs at a specific street address, it is generally easy for emergency services to locate the caller. However, when a similar incident occurs at locations such as open-space parklands, walking trails or beaches where no obvious reference points exist, it takes extra, valuable time for triple zero call takers to identify and verify the specific location and vehicle access point.

Emergency Markers have been installed at many of Victorias public open spaces such as parks, walking and cycling tracks, and rail trails, where defining the exact location is difficult.

Bike riders who use Melbourne's network of shared paths and trails, and travel to regional Victoria to use Rail Trails should take note of the Emergency Markers. This signage will be of use in case of falls or collisions in some of the more remote areas where trails exist, or even in busy urban areas, but where it's difficult to easily identify your location, aside from quoting something generic like "Bay Trail, near St. Kilda".

How do they work?

The two most important pieces of information required when calling Triple Zero are the location of the emergency (where is it?) and the nature of the emergency (what is it?).

Emergency markers are used to clearly identify the location of the emergency when a caller calls Triple Zero. The alpha-numeric identifier is linked to ESTA’s computer aided dispatch system and specifies relevant location, GPS coordinates, road access route or navigational data for the expedient dispatch of emergency services.

When an emergency marker is quoted, ESTA’s Triple Zero Dispatcher can then provide specific directional information to the responding emergency services, saving time and potentially saving lives.

Emergency Markers, are unique alphanumeric signs which are easy to identify.
Emergency Markers look like a street sign, have three letters and three numbers and have a green background and white text.

Markers are more than just signs. They are supported by GPS co-ordinates and directional instructions enabling ESTA operators to provide directional information to police, fire, ambulance and VICSES advising of obstructions such as locked gates, road closures and quickest access points.

Benefits of Emergency Markers

Benefits of ESTAs ability to accurately, and quickly being able to locate and verify the location of the 000 call include

• Reduce response times to emergency events
• Allow immediate and faster event location and verification
• Reduced adverse affects of emergencies
• Reduced time per call for Triple Zero call takers and dispatch operators,
• A safer response environment for ESO personnel enabling them to better assess situations and take the most appropriate action 

Where are they?

See the list on the right hand panel for trails and parks locations of markers as of this date.

ESTA is aiming to install markers in the following locations in the near future:

• Murray to Mountains Rail Trail - (MTM) installed in April 2011
• Ballarat to Skipton Rail Trail
• Moe to Yallourn Rail Trail
• Lake Benalla
• Bellaraine Rail Trail
• Goulburn river High Country Rail Trail
• Surf Coast Walk
• Great South West Walk
• Lake Wendouree & Steve Moneghetti walking trail
• Werribee Regional Park and river trail
• Plenty River Trail
• Darebin Creek
• Mullum Mullum linear trail