Triple zero text option to be trialled in safety push

Australians may soon be able to contact emergency services via a simple text message, in a push to keep people safer.

A text response will be tested by the country’s Triple Zero Custodian, who was responsible for ensuring the emergency system works properly, Communications Minister Anika Wells said in a statement on Tuesday.

If effective, the change would allow people to contact emergency dispatchers in times when a voice call might not be practical.

The move could help domestic violence survivors and those with limited phone services.

The Triple Zero Custodian will test whether a direct SMS could provide a safe and effective new way for Australians to get emergency help.

IT service Accenture Australia is creating simulated environments to see how a text system fares during emergency situations.

”We’re working closely with industry, emergency services organisations and state and territory governments to ensure the triple zero system remains strong, effective and responsive to the way Australians communicate today,” Ms Wells said.

”About 85 per cent of triple zero calls are now made from mobile devices, yet much of the regulatory framework for the service was designed for a fixed-line world.”

A recommendation for text options was made by a Senate committee in September, following failed triple zero calls that cost people their lives.

A government inquiry has called for control of triple zero functions to be removed from Telstra and nationalised to avoid further crises.

It also recommended that domestic roaming be mandated, and a minimum performance and reliability standard be connected to automatic compensation if there were outages.