Triple Zero

How to call

• Dial 000 from a landline, pay phone, mobile or satellite phone within Australia
• You can also dial 112 from a mobile phone in Australia.

Important – if there is no mobile coverage on any network, you will not be able to reach Triple Zero from your mobile phone.

When you call

• Stay calm and call from a safe place
• Tell the operator which service you need – police, fire or ambulance
• If asked, provide your location – be accurate!
• Your call will be connected to the service you requested
• Stay on the line, speak slowly and clearly, and answer questions
• Follow the operator’s instructions.
  • The operator is trained to help you stay safe.
  • They may ask you to wait at a pre-arranged meeting point to assist emergency services to locate you.
• Do not hang up until told to do so.

Tips for reaching Triple Zero if you’re having trouble connecting

In an emergency, every second matters. That’s why all Australian mobile network operators work behind the scenes to help your Triple Zero (000) call connect. Even when you are outside the coverage area of your mobile network, a 000 call can still be made if another mobile network is available.

Here’s how it works, the backups in place, and what to do if you’re having trouble connecting.

What happens when you call 000?
When you call 000 from a mobile phone, it will first try to connect using your mobile network. If your network isn’t available, your phone will try to connect to another mobile network, if available. This is known as ‘emergency camp-on’.

What does ‘emergency camp-on’ mean?
If your network is unavailable, your phone looks for another available mobile network and temporarily connects to call 000. You don’t need to change any settings or do anything yourself. It works automatically at no cost to you, even without an active SIM in your phone.

What to do if your 000 call doesn’t seem to be connecting?
The ‘emergency camp-on’ process can take time to connect to another network. Generally, there will be silence on the line while this happens.

1. If your initial call doesn’t connect within around five seconds, hang up and try again immediately.
2. On subsequent attempts, stay on the line for up to 60 seconds to give your phone the best chance to connect via another network.

All phones are different; if ‘emergency camp-on’ is available, iPhone will show ‘SOS’ or ‘SOS only’ depending on iOS version. Android will show ‘Emergency calls only’, ‘No service – emergency calls only’, or a small SOS icon. If your phone shows ‘No service’, there is no mobile network coverage available where you are and you will not be able to call 000 using a mobile network.

If you can’t connect

‘Emergency camp-on’ won’t work if you are outside the coverage range of all mobile networks.

In this situation:

• Use a landline phone or public phone, if available
• Connect to Wi-Fi and use Wi‑Fi calling on your device. For instructions visit: optus.com.au/wifi calling

Your safety is incredibly important. If you cannot connect to Triple Zero, keep yourself safe, move away from danger if possible, help others where safe to do so, seek help from people nearby, or use any available means to contact emergency services.

Source
How to call Triple Zero (000)
Australian Government