Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack today joined with Australasia's independent vehicle safety authority, ANCAP, to launch a new national app to help protect frontline emergency services personnel and provide faster post-crash care to vehicle occupants at the scene of a crash. 

The ANCAP RESCUE app provides first responders with critical vehicle safety information by identifying the location of in-vehicle hazards, and allowing the extrication of vehicle occupants involved in a crash to be conducted safely.

"All Australian road users will benefit from this app, which is the first to bring together important vehicle safety information for emergency service personnel," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

"If you're involved in a crash, the information contained within the ANCAP RESCUE app will allow emergency service officers – those who put their lives at risk responding to road crashes each day – to safely and more efficiently get to you and provide the help that is needed."

The app houses a dossier of rescue sheets, which display simple illustrations of individual vehicle models and highlight potentially hazardous elements such as fuel tanks, high-voltage batteries and airbag inflators.

"With the support of vehicle manufacturers, the ANCAP RESCUE app compiles the rescue sheets for more than 500 vehicle models into a central, digital resource," said ANCAP Director – Communications & Advocacy, Rhianne Robson.

"This is part of our broadening safety focus to minimise post-crash risks."

"Providing our Fire & Rescue, Police and Ambulance officers – and in many cases SES volunteers – the tools to identify known hazards will improve response time and help reduce some of the risks they face on the job each day, and this will become increasingly important with the anticipated growth in hybrid, electric and alternative-powered vehicle models," Mrs Robson said.

Fire & Rescue NSW Commissioner, Paul Baxter – who also Chairs the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council – commended the proactive approach being taken to inform his officers and all emergency responders.

"Having standardised vehicle rescue information available in a centralised and easily-accessible platform provides our officers with a better understanding of the vehicle they're responding to, and how to ensure both their own safety and that of any crash casualties," Commissioner Baxter said.

The ANCAP RESCUE app is available to all Australian and New Zealand emergency service agencies for free from the App Store and Google Play. 

An explanatory video is available at ancap.com.au/rescue.