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This Emergency Travel App Will Keep Your Family Safe These Holidays

Travel smart.
Have a long road ahead? It's important to stay connected.
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Have a long road ahead? It's important to stay connected.

As we move through that weird week in between Christmas and New Years -- where our of perception of time, day and space flies out the window -- you might be rallying the troops for a family holiday.

And that may see you travelling through some unfamiliar areas.

As we see some extreme weather take hold across the country -- from record-breaking flooding streaming down Uluru in the Northern Territory to storms tearing through South Australia -- with some tragic outcomes, it is vital to keep safe.

Fire and Rescue NSW Deputy Commissioner Jim Hamilton has urged holidaymakers to download the free 'Emergency +' smartphone app before they set off this summer.

"Today, a large percentage of calls to Triple Zero are made from mobile phones," Deputy Commissioner Jim Hamilton said.

"Sometimes mobile phone users are not aware of their physical location -- making it difficult for emergency call operators to dispatch emergency services."

The Emergency + smartphone app uses GPS capabilities to assist emergency service operators pinpoint a Triple Zero caller's physical location.

Planning a camping trip this summer? Keep fire and storm conditions in mind.
Markus Bernhard
Planning a camping trip this summer? Keep fire and storm conditions in mind.

The app contains emergency contact numbers as well as those available non-emergency numbers -- including the Police Assistance Line (131 444) and the SES national line (132 500) -- to reduce the number of Triple Zero services that could be directed elsewhere.

It is free and available for download on iOS, Android and Windows via the Google Play, Windows and Apple stores.

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