ERSS-112 EMERGENCY CALL number & PRAKHAR VANS project to reduce Street Crimes

The next time you have a fire emergency and simultaneously need police and ambulance assistance, instead of calling three separate helpline numbers – 100 (police), 101 (fire), and 102 (ambulance) just dial “112”. 

The emergency response support system (ERSS-112) was launched in Delhi on Wednesday by union minister of state for home affairs, G Kishan Reddy.

The helpline system which has been developed as a nationwide single emergency number for emergency services – police, fire, and ambulance – will gradually phase out the other three emergency helpline numbers, said Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik.

This single number for emergency services is similar to “112” in the European Union consisting of 28 member states and ‘’911’’ in the United States of America.

With this, Delhi becomes the 19th state to have adopted ERSS-112. Initially, it was launched in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and was further extended to 16 other states.

Patnaik said the implementation of new ERSS-112 system will help in reducing the police response to any distress call. The new emergency response system has come in the form of mobile application, similar to Himmat Plus app, as well. Apart from citizens who can volunteer to help the people in need by downloading the 112 mobile application, all police beat staff, and personnel deployed in patrol vans have also been directed to register themselves on the mobile application. In the new system, the call simultaneously passes to police control room as well as to at least nearby five persons, who register themselves as volunteers through mobile app.

HOW TO USE:

“In case of emergency, a person can dial 112 from phone or press power button thrice on smart phone quickly to activate a panic call to the Emergency Response Centre (ERC). This call immediately passes to the control room for providing immediate police assistance to the distress caller. The distress calls can also be made through e-mails and text messages,” Patnaik.

Explaining the functioning of ERSS-112 system, special commissioner of police (operations) Muktesh Chander said that the 112 control room will receive all emergency calls. “If it is a fire emergency, the software will automatically transmit the call to the fire control room. Similarly, medical emergency calls will electronically reach ambulance control room. In this way, all emergency control rooms will get information about the distress calls,” Chander said.

While launching the single emergency nmber, Reddy also flagged off “Prakhar” vans fleet for patrolling at crime hotspot locations. Police inducted 15 Scorpio SUVs with modern devices for extensive patrolling areas in Delhi which are prone to street crimes.

“Prakhar vans are different from PCRs as these vans carry more firepower and are equipped with modern technology. Initially one van will be deployed in each district. Its strength will augment in due course with a target of 100 such vans for the city,”