NECWG has released a White Paper entitled Emergency Communications in Australia that explores the needs to provide a pathway for the future of the critical link between the community and first responders.

The emergency communications ecosystems across the world are under stress from:

• Significant shifts in technological capability both in the public safety arena and in what is available to the community to aid them or alert them to dangerous incidents or risks to themselves.
• Generational change evolving in the workforce that is challenging the practices of emergency communications services that have been in place since the 1960s.
• The rise of social media, Apps and Artificial Intelligence that can monitor a person’s vital signs and target changes is leading to expectations from the community that emergency services should know what they know.

Dealing with these changes requires clear leadership and direction setting to address current demand, respond to sudden changes, and prepare for the future.

This paper has been prepared by the National Emergency Communications Working Group –A/NZ (NECWG) to provide commentary and analysis on areas to improve emergency communication systems in Australia with a view to generate awareness of the challenges and risks and to promote discussion.

The paper does not attempt to articulate the solutions, the emergency communications ecosystem is too complex to do so without considerable consultation across a range of stakeholders, however it does identify the key areas of focus and provides recommendations on the outcomes that would assist in setting a path forward. It should be noted that during the development of this paper, the establishment of the TripleZero Custodian was endorsed and initial consultation has commenced, which the NECWG has identified as a positive opportunity to provide a centralised focal point for Triple Zero coordination and development. The paper reflects this through its recommendations by nominating that actions should be conducted and governed through the Triple Zero Custodian.

View the full paper Here.