Essential time can easily be lost during an ambulance request due to difficulty finding an address; for example, more than one Beach Road exists in Auckland and State Highway 1 is a very long road. The call handler will ask for location details, including the suburb, the town or district where the ambulance attendance is required. If this information is unknown nearby landmarks may prove useful along with a RAPID number used in rural locations.
Remember the person taking the call may never have been to the location where help is required. Any additional information such as bridge names, rivers or other geographical features acts as reference points and are an asset.
Even if the location is known having someone outside to identify the location, especially at night is a great help. Brightly coloured clothing, a torch (even from a mobile phone) or other means of identification help the ambulance crew see where they need to be.