Beach Emergency Numbers (BEN) system – named in honour of fatal shark bite victim Ben Gerring – is a coding system that aims to improve emergency response times by installing signs with unique codes at public beach access points.
These signs provide specific location information, vital when emergency services are deployed in the event of a shark sighting, attack or other beach emergencies, allowing them to pinpoint the person’s exact location and GPS coordinates along the coastline.
When you call 000 you can quote the code on the sign near you, and it’ll help emergency services find you and the best route to get there.