Soon, dial 112 for all emergency services

NEW DELHI: ‘ 112 ’ will be the national emergency number in India, similar to the ‘911’ in the US and ‘999’ in the UK. The inter-ministerial Telecom Commission has given a go-ahead to the measure.The roll-out of 112 may see a gradual phase-out of existing emergency numbers like 100 (for police ), 101 ( fire services), 102 (ambulance) and 108 (disaster management), though they will continue to be in operation for at least a period of one year.The idea of having a single number for all emergencies has been in the works for a long time, though the measure will require active participation and enabling provisions from state governments if it needs to be turned into a success through widespread adoption.Telecom regulator Trai had suggested the adoption of 112 as the national emergency number in its recommendations submitted to the telecom department in April last year.Also, it had suggested the inclusion of a host of services which in the initial phase will include calls meant for police, fire, ambulance, helpline for women, senior citizens and children. Other services may be integrated progressively and in a phased manner.To make the service successful and highly efficient, calls to the emergency number will be prioritized in mobile networks while SMS-based access will also be permitted. More importantly, the location information and details of the caller will need to be made available to the agencies taking the emergency calls so that swift help can be provided.“The states will need to set up call centers, which will also cater to the local languages spoken in their respective region,” an official source said.Analysts say that implementation of the measure can be a challenge as many of the areas, especially policing, is a state subject. Also, putting in place an adequate infrastructure like ambulances and requisite number of police personnel to deal with emergency situations at a quick pace, can be an infrastructure nightmare.Most developed countries have put in place an Integrated Emergency Communication & Response System (IECRS) under which emergency services are accessed nation-wide through a single number. While the US and Canada have 911, the UK has 999, New Zealand has 111, Australia has 000. In many countries across Europe, 112 is the primary number to deal with emergencies.The number 112 was chosen due to a variety of reasons. 100, which is one of the widely known numbers for emergency, was not recommended as it is associated with police and several sections of society, especially women and children, may not wish to dial it.GSM phones have in-built recognition of emergency numbers 112 and 911. The facility of emergency calling encompasses calling even in cases where the phone is locked with a password or where there is no balance amount left for making outgoing calls. Calls will be possible even if the phone is outside the coverage area of the subscribed network but is receiving a signal of any other mobile operator, or the phone is without a valid subscription.