911 is the number for Cebu City

[Jollygoodfellow]

New emergency system set up and operating in Cebu city.

City launches 911 emergency command center

CEBUANOS now have fast and easy access to emergency response with the Cebu City Government’s 911 Emergency Command Center, launched on Monday morning, September 30, 2024.

The City’s 911 command center, located at the left wing of the City Hall’s legislative building, will operate 24/7.

The City partnered with Next Generation Advanced (NGA), a global innovator of emergency calling technology, to establish the emergency command center; the NGA provided the equipment, training, and systems to support activating the Emergency 911 hotline system.

Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, who led the blessing and ribbon cutting of the 911 command center, said the project’s funding was sourced from Management Information and Computer Services.

The City allocated a budget of P9 million for the emergency center.

The City Government, in partnership with the supplier, will manage the entire system, working closely with various departments such as the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and other relevant agencies.

According to NGA country manager Rob Llaguno, the 911 dispatch system installed at the City’s command center is similar to the one used in the United States.

One key feature of this system is its integration with Google emergency location services, which enables the accurate pinpointing of callers’ locations, ensuring faster emergency response times.

This will provide the exact location down to the barangay level of the emergency call and with more information about the situation, the dispatcher can analyze what kind of response is needed.

Llaguno said the command center is ready to receive calls and they are currently coordinating with the various telecommunications companies in the country to reroute 911 calls to the command center.

All calls on the 911 hotline are free, Llaguno said in compliance with Executive Order No. 56 of former president Rodrigo Duterte, institutionalizing the 911 emergency hotline for nationwide approach on responding to emergencies.

He added that their system is geo-screened ensuring that any calls made within Cebu City are automatically rerouted to the command center.

Cebu City Councilors Eduardo “Jaypee” Labella II, Jocelyn Pesquera, Joel Garganera, and Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr., together with Department of the Interior and Local Government Usec. Lord Villanueva also attended the launch on Monday. / EHP

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-city-launches-911-emergency-command-center

[Mike J]

Nice to see progress of this sort.  I am sure there will be some challenges during startup but that is to be expected.

[JJReyes]

My recollection is you can dial any combination of three digital numbers in the United States that starts with a 9 and it will connect you with an emergency dispatcher.  The theory is a caller might be nervous or in a panic while dialing.  I watched a National Geographic documentary about Taipei's emergency medical services and fire department.  Apparently, they use 119 for their system.  

[Dave Hounddriver]

2 hours ago, JJReyes said:

My recollection is you can dial any combination of three digital numbers in the United States that starts with a 9 and it will connect you with an emergency dispatcher. 

Maybe, but 988 is the suicide prevention hotline in North America.  Perhaps it also connects to 911?

[JJReyes]

2 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Maybe, but 988 is the suicide prevention hotline in North America.  Perhaps it also connects to 911?

911 is like a central dispatcher.  If called, they will ask the nature of the emergency and then the dispatcher can summon either police, fire trucks or ambulance.  I assume suicide prevention is part of it.  Fire and ambulance services are often linked.  The theory is the stations are evenly distributed throughout a large metro area and probably are the closest to any emergency.  

[hk blues]

Surely there should be a way to standardise the emergency services number globally?  The UK has one number for all services - 999.  A start would be to have the same in other countries - in Japan for example each service has its own different number.  Once that was achieved  they could then look at having one number for everywhere.  Let's be honest, how many of us know the emergency number for Japan as an example, and that each service is a different number?  

[Lee1154]

In Ormoc, I would love to see this implemented along with a real ambulance service and assigned addresses.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Wife and I were talking about this and wondering if it will apply to the entire Cebu metropolitan area.  It would be of very limited use if ONLY applied to the actual Cebu city and not Mandaue etc.