Mangaluru: The single emergency helpline number ‘112’, was launched by the Mangaluru City Police on Monday, under the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS).
Launching the helpline number, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash said that India has launched a pan-nation single emergency helpline number similar to the US. The helpline number 112 will be for immediate assistance services from the police, fire and natural disaster or disaster management services, he added.
The members of the public should henceforth dial 112 instead of 100. “The ERSS services will be accessible to all corners of the city so that help can reach without delay,” the compol said, adding that even if calls are made to the number 100, they will be re-routed to the 112 number.
All calls to 112 will be received by the Centralised Call Centre at the office of the Additional Director-General of Police (Communication, Logistics and Modernisation) in Bengaluru city and depending on the emergency, the messages will be passed on to the departments concerned for an immediate response, the compol added.
Mangaluru city is now the fifth police commissionerate and the 17th police unit to introduce the service to launch this helpline. The service is already available in the police commissionerates of Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Mysuru, and Hubballi-Dharwad.
Commissioner Vikash Kumar added that once a call is placed, the nearest vehicle will rush to the spot. This service will be available 24×7 and dedicated staff will work during different shifts.
On the occasion, the compol flagged off 19 Sagara patrol vehicles which will be used for the purpose of the ERSS. He said that the system will ensure that there is a timely response to emergencies. The response time will be monitored and the quality of the emergency response will be evaluated constantly, he added.
Speaking to the media, Director-General and Inspector-General of Police Praveen Sood said that the police are giving “15 by 15” promises to the public. “It will take the staff 15 seconds to answer the call and another 15 minutes for the emergency services to reach the scene,” he said.
DG-IGP Sood added that police units in the state are being included in the 112 response system in stages. “Ten more district police units will be part of the system by January 15 and the entire state will be covered by January 26,” he added.
