THE Department of Communications is looking for the public’s thoughts on how the 000 emergency service operates and what else can or should be done.

“The current arrangements for the national Triple Zero operator were established when voice calls from landlines dominated the telecommunications landscape. Now around two-thirds of calls come from mobile phones. Communications technology continues to advance, presenting new and exciting opportunities to improve the existing voice arrangements as well as new ways for telecommunications users to access assistance,” Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.

“The review is an important step in exploring how the Triple Zero service can take advantage of telecommunications advances and respond to changing community expectations. New services such as the Emergency + Smartphone App, which displays the phone’s GPS coordinates for the caller to read out to the emergency operator, is a great example of how modern technology can be used to improve the Triple Zero service.

“The review will focus on the Commonwealth-regulated national Triple Zero operator and Commonwealth regulation relevant to the Triple Zero emergency call service. It will work closely with the state and territory emergency service organisations, as they carry the responsibility for receiving and responding to emergency calls transferred from the national operator.”

A discussion paper is available online and submissions close on 22 August.