Te Mata Park emergency response system to assist location of 111 callers

A collaboration between Emergency Services in Hawke’s Bay and Te Mata Park Trust has seen over 160 waypoints installed on track marker posts in the Park. Each post has a red sticker with a number and letter on it that corresponds to GPS coordinates, allowing the emergency services operator to pinpoint the location of the person in need.

While emergency services are now able to geo-locate someone in need when they make a call via their mobile, it is estimated that this is only 60% effective in Te Mata Park due to the Park’s terrain.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Fred Housham, a station officer from Hastings Fire Station, was instrumental to the project and said, “In the past it has sometimes been difficult to determine the exact location of someone making a 111 call in Te Mata Park. This system provides us with another tool to locate someone and potentially reduce our response time.”

Park Manager, Sarah Austin-Smith said, “The Trust is pleased to have worked with emergency services on this project to support the swift location of those needing help in the Park.”

If you need emergency services in Te Mata Park:

• Dial 111
• Follow the instructions of the operator
• If practical, find the nearest track marker post, look for the red sticker, relay the letter and number on the sticker to the operator

Park users should also be aware that there is an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) located at Peak House.

Media enquiries:

Sarah Austin-Smith, Manager, Te Mata Park Trust

sarah@tematapark.co.nz