The Beach Emergency Numbers (BEN) system is helping keep beach goers in Western Australia safe by improving emergency response times in the event of an incident or emergency at a beach.
BEN signs display unique codes that identify their specific location to help emergency services arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.
They are being installed primarily at beach access points in participating local government authorities from Geraldton to Esperance. Some signs are also being installed at harbours and estuaries, boat ramps, fishing platforms, jetties and lakes.
More than 750 BEN signs are already in place and with installation plans underway in several more councils, there should be around 1000 BEN signs on WA beaches by the end of 2019.
In the event of an emergency, dial 000 and quote the unique code on the nearest BEN sign. Where possible, you should wait at the sign until emergency service crews arrive.
The locations of all BEN signs are available on the SharkSmart website via an interactive map (you need to turn on BEN Signage) or downloadable PDF maps for each participating local government authority.
BEN signs were named in honour of shark attack victim Ben Gerring, who died after a shark bite while surfing off Falcon Beach in Mandurah in 2016.