AS SOUTHERN Downs residents begin their Easter vacation and arrive at their holiday destinations, the Queensland Ambulance Service is reminding holiday makers to familiarise themselves with their holiday address and new surroundings.

QAS South West Local Ambulance Service Network executive manager Russell Cooke said although the chance of an emergency incident occurring while on holidays was rare, it was important people knew their holiday address and their beach access code should they require assistance.

"You can cut minutes off emergency response times by knowing your location. In some cases this could mean the difference between life and death," Mr Cooke said.

"When you arrive at your holiday destination, ensure everyone in your group knows the address and record the address details somewhere easy to access and use.

"In a stressful situation people can easily forget the address of a holiday home or become confused and relay the incorrect information to 000 call takers.

"It is not uncommon for apartments and units to have similar names so it's important to have the information on hand, ready to relay quickly and accurately."

Mr Cooke stressed the importance of people knowing their beach access code on holidays.

"It is not uncommon for emergencies such as near drownings or surfing or boating incidents to occur while at the beach and knowing your nearest beach access code can assist emergency services to get to your location as quickly as possible," he said.

"Most beaches have numbered access points or signage and it is wise all beachgoers take note of the number of their access point each time they use the beach."

In the event of an emergency, phone 000 immediately.