phone 100 for emergency

30 Nov 2009

SOON CALL 100 FROM ANYWHERE IN EMERGENCY

From Our Bureau

NEW DELHI: Goa is selected for pilot study on statewide system of dialing '100' from anywhere in the state in emergencies to get quick police, fire and ambulance services respond in real standard response time.

The pilot study also includes citywise system in Srinagar, Guwahati and Chennai to cover varied scenarios under the Home Ministry's project to ultimately make 'DIAL 100' a national emergency management system of future.

It will be a replication of 911, the number for distress calls in the United States. The single number will link police, fire and ambulance services and one can call it from any part of the country.

The project is a brainchild of the Delhi-based Bureau of Police Research and Development. Once one makes a call, a computer-based dispatch system will take over to identify mobile patrol vehicles fitted with GIS (geographical information system) closest to the caller's location to ask them to rush.

One also may not have the bother of going to the police station to lodge an FIR (first information report). Under the project, policemen will reach the spot and register the FIR. There will be also the video recording of activities of all patrol officers on reaching the emergency scene.

The pilot study is to cover all possible emergency situations. While the state-wide study is undertaken only in Goa, Srinagar study will involve a challenge of the mix of plain and hilly areas, remoteness and internal security converging into the sensitive district.

Guwahati has been selected for the pilot study because of its mix of rural and urban localities and vernacular language problems while Chennai has the requisite infrastructure on which the system can be tested in the urban scenario.

Once the pilot studies are completed, a centralised control room will be launched for taking calls at the call centres to be set up in all district and state headquarters, commissonerates and cities. Once a citizen dials '100', the control room will be able to trace the caller with the help o GIS maps and record the details.

In case of the crime-related and fire calls, the patrol vehicles, fitted with the computer-aided system, will receive information about not only the incident for which they are asked to rush but also check into the database to verify antecedent verification before they land up at the spot.

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