Authorities in New South Wales have rolled out a new technology platform which allows people calling Triple-0 to live stream their emergency and send messages to dispatchers.
The capability, dubbed BluLink, is powered by a system called GoodSAM which was created by a London-based company of the same name.
The program allows Triple-0 dispatchers to send a link to callers, which they can then click on to provide their GPS coordinates, upload media, send messages, and live stream their situation through their web browser without needing to download an app.
BluLink now has widespread availability across NSW following a 12-month trial which began in February 2023, state authorities said.
The system would cost the state $6.3 million over four years, according to a contract award notice.
BluLink would allow for better triage of incidents and “potentially support subsequent investigations”, NSW Police said.
Police said the technology was used during the investigation of April’s Bondi Junction stabbing, after footage and CCTV of the incident was uploaded to the system.
Some of GoodSAM’s technologies have also previously been used by some Australian ambulance services during emergencies such as cardiac arrests.
Police say BluLink can be used to send messages, locations, images, and videos. Photo: NSW Police / Supplied
Police herald ‘unrivalled access’
Authorities said BluLink was used to stream 700 live videos and received more than 8,000 digital media files during its 12-month trial in NSW.
It was also used to find the locations of at least 62 missing bushwalkers.
In another example, police said BluLink was successfully used to pinpoint the location of two teenage girls who had been “threatened by two unknown males and escorted to an abandoned house” in March 2023.
Both men were arrested at the scene soon after.
BluLink runs in a user's internet browser, so no app download is required. Photo: NSW Police / Supplied
NSW Minister for Police and Counterterrorism, Yasmin Catley, said BluLink gave police “unrivalled access to a scene before they’ve even arrived”.
“On average, police receive more than 1,500 emergency calls for assistance every day," she said.
"This technology will help triage and respond to incidents more effectively than ever before."
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner, Stacey Maloney, said BluLink was expected to save time and resources for the department.
“You never know when you might be in an emergency, or need to call Triple-0, and BluLink could help if something were to happen,” she said.
More than 80 per cent of Triple-0 calls now come from mobile phones.
Since August 2021, advanced mobile location systems have allowed phones and watches running Apple’s iOS and watchOS operating systems, as well as Google’s Android, to automatically send location data to Triple-0.
