The eight questions you'll be asked when you call 000

YOU can never be fully prepared when you witness or are involved an emergency situation.

BE PREPARED: The Triple Zero (000) service is the quickest way to get the right emergency service to help you. Picture: Julia Whitwell

YOU can never be fully prepared when you witness or are involved in an emergency situation.

While no one wants to be embroiled in a potentially fatal or dangerous event, it is important to have an understanding of what is involved should the unlikely occur.

The Triple Zero (000) service is the quickest way to get the right emergency service to help you.

Triple zero calls are free of charge and can be made from mobile phones, home or work phones or pay phones.

When you dial Triple Zero (000) you will first hear the recorded message, 'you have dialled emergency triple zero. Your call is being connected.'

An operator will ask you if you need Police, Fire or Ambulance.

When calling Queensland Ambulance Service in an emergency, remain calm and speak clearly.

Do not hang up until told to do so.

QAS will ask you the following questions.

1. Exact address of the emergency?

E.g. House/flat/business/road junction/landmark/jurisidction/GPS coordinates.

Use the Emergency + smartphone app to determine your GPS co-ordinates .

Go to www.triplezero.gov.au for more on this.

2. Phone number you are calling from?

3. What happened?

4. Are you with the patient now?

5. How many people are hurt or sick?

6. How old is the patient?

7. Is he/she awake (conscious)?

8. Is he/she breathing?

The operator may give you first-aid advice while the ambulance is on its way.

Do not hang up until the operator tells you to.

You may need to hold the line until an ambulance arrives.

Callers with hearing or speech impairments can call the one zero six (106) text-based emergency call service using a text phone.

Originally published as The eight questions you'll be asked when you call 000