NEW DELHI: The telecom regulator has proposed a single number ‘112’ which could be used for all emergency phone calls across the country including for police, fire and ambulance, modelled on the lines of the all-in-one emergency number ‘911’in the United States If the proposal is implemented, the government will integrate all existing emergency numbers 100, 101, 102 and 108 into the proposed 112 helpline number.“Authority recommends that the number 112 be adopted as the single emergency number for India. This new number may be popularised extensively through a public awareness campaign by the government,” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai ) said in a statement.The regulator also suggested that existing emergency numbers such as 100, 101, 102 and 108 could be retained as secondary numbers. If any call is made to these numbers, the call should be directed to the new single emergency number 112, TRAI said.Even if outgoing call facility from a phone has been debarred or the service temporarily suspended, users will be able to make calls on 112 from their mobile or landline phones, according to the proposal.An SMS-based access to the new emergency number, in which telecom operators may be asked to provide location information of the device from where SMS has been sent, can also be provided, the regulator said.TRAI also recommended setting up of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) to handle distress calls. Under the new system, the regulator has asked government to set up Response Management System under PSAP which will coordinate dispatching of emergency service.The proposed PSAP will have various systems including a facility to automatically direct incoming calls to a free call taker and location tracking system with an interface to plot incoming location information on a map showing all nearby landmarks and resources and display on a monitor.Response resources such as PCR vans, fire engines and ambulances should be fitted with GPS to transmit location information to PSAP, it said.