3G emergency phone to save lives

An emergency telephone installed at a dangerous rock fishing spot in Western Australia is expected to improve emergency response times and potentially save lives.

The phone at Salmon Holes, near Albany, was funded by a $13,530 grant from the WA government’s Gaming Community Trust.

Thirteen people have died while rock fishing at Salmon Holes in the past three decades.

Racing and Gaming Minister Colin Holt said the phone will counter poor mobile phone reception at Salmon Holes and comes on the back of a separate state and federal government commitment to upgrade mobile coverage in the area.

“The new phone works on a 3G network with a push-button that calls Triple Zero directly,” he said.

“Fast communication with emergency services can sometimes be the difference between life and death.”

Grant recipient Recfishwest worked with the Department of Parks and Wildlife to determine the installation site for the phone.

Image courtesy vagawi under CC BY 2.0