Services - Reporting an Emergency
Tips on Requesting Emergency Assistance
As a good rule of emergency management, if you can use your mobile phone, use that option first!
What Can You Do On The Emergency Frequency?
You can request any assistance or signal you are in distress.
See our home page for examples of the types of assistance CREST Victoria provides.
Here is a hierarchy of methods to request help
1. Use your mobile phone to call 000 - if that doesn't work...
2. Using your mobile phone, dial 112 - This will connect you to any telephone service provider that has a tower in your area and will connect you to the operator who will connect you to the 000 service. If that fails...
3. Use a satellite phone that you have purchased or hired to dial 112 (this applies internationally). If you don't have a sat phone...
What use of UHF Chnnel 5/35 is approved?
The Minister for Communications (28/9/10 Hansard p.160ff)
An ‘emergency signal’ on UHF 5/35 is...
- a request for assistance; or
- a signal of distress; or
- a message that is related to a request for assistance or a signal of distress.
Over-seas Sat Phone Users
Depending on where you purchased your sat-phone, and the country of origin of the sat service provider, when dialing 112 you may be connected to the 000 service in Australia or another service such as 991 in America.
Always check with your provider before you need to make a call.
4. Use your CB radio on Channel 5 UHF or Channel 9 HF. On a UHF radio try Duplex mode first, and give a call out for help. If you don't hear anyone after a few trys, try Simplex mode. On HF try AM mode first, then USB (Upper Side Band) and LSB (Lower Side Band) modes if the radio has these functions. If you still get no response...
5. Move to other channels on your radio. If you hear someone, transmit 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday' (on any frequency) if it is a 'life and death' situation. Otherwise call 'Emergency breaker' to interupt a conversation. If that station hears you, ask them to relay your request to the appropriate authority. If you still can't get through to someone...
6. Move to a higher location and retry options 4 & 5. If that still doesn't work...
7. Send a text. Ask someone from your contact list to send help etc. A text may get out when a normal voice call can't. The shorter the text, the better (no emojis). And...
8. Try to locate someone who can travel to the nearest populated area, or move within reception range of a mobile service or radio reception area. Or...
9. If you have tried all these things, in cases of grave and imminent danger (i.e. a life-threatening situation), activate an EPIRB beacon that you have bought or hired. This will transmit a signal that can be detected by satellite. The length of time it takes for responders to locate you, and the cost of the rescue will vary depending on your situation.
10. If you do not have an EPIRB, find a clearing, light a fire (or better still 3 fires, if possible to maintain that many fires) to attract attention. Place fires in a 'V' pattern ('V' is the international symbol for distress). Place sticks or other material in a V pattern near the fire. Make the V pattern big enough to see from the air. Do not keep moving your location, as it is much harder to find a person who is constantly relocating. If you are with a vehicle, stay with it, even if it has broken down. If all these methods fail...
11. Sound your vehicle in groups of 3 blasts. Groups of 3 'anything' is an international sign of distress. (eg. 3 puffs of smoke, 3 blasts of a whistle, 3 shots from a firearm, 3 flashes of a light, etc. Wait one minute and then repeat.)
12. Find two cans, and a very long string!
