To improve emergency response efforts, the Cebu City government launched a
high-end emergency command center.
(Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels)
The Cebu City government has officially established its own 911 emergency hotline on September 30th, 2024, providing better access to emergency responders for residents in the city.
This is in partnership with Next Generation Advanced (NGA): a telecommunications company creating cloud-based systems for public safety.
They offer high-performance voice transmission and media dissemination ensuring accuracy and high-definition call quality. Their system provides real-time communication, with shorter response times for emergency situations.
The NGA has helped other local governments in the Philippines like in Rizal, Pangasinan, and Cagayan de Oro establish their own emergency hotlines and command centers.
In Cebu, they provided adequate equipment and training for the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRMO) to establish its new emergency response system.
911 will replace Cebu City’s existing emergency response numbers that are in mobile phone format, which may be difficult for some to remember. The new hotline will also be accessible through instant messaging and short message service (SMS).
They helped build the 24-hour command center located on the left side of the legislative building of Cebu City Hall. This is the very first of its kind in the entire Visayas region.
The office was unveiled by Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, who confirmed that it is being funded by Management Information and Computer Services (MICS). The city allocated Php 9 million for its construction.
Garcia confirmed that the city government had partnered with different public safety agencies like the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to provide an adequate response for a given emergency.
Aside from this, they are coordinating with local telecommunications companies to ensure all 911 calls reach the command center. This will also be geo-screened so that all calls within Cebu City will be transferred to the operators.
The NGA will be integrating the city’s CCTV systems to be used to record any reported crimes.
All calls are free in compliance with Executive Order No. 56, which established the 911 emergency hotline nationwide during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte.
Rob Llaguno, the Philippines manager of NGA, compared the city’s command center to the same system used in the US, saying calls will be answered within 10 seconds.
The command center will reportedly instantly know the location of the emergency as soon as the call is answered. The system uses Google Emergency Location Services to accurately pinpoint the caller’s location.
The system will also locate the nearest responders. According to Llaguno, responders will be sent out to the location within a minute of the call.
All calls will be recorded, with an anti-prank call engine in place. If a caller is seen making multiple fake calls, these will be rerouted to a queue that may send out law enforcement instead of an ambulance or fire truck to the location.
The system will allow callers to track responders digitally and receive instant messages regarding the response.
Their data centers will be powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Here are some other guides to look into:
https://cebuinsights.com/how-to/home-fire-safety-tips/
https://cebuinsights.com/how-to/ensure-safety-in-cebu-helpful-tips/
https://cebuinsights.com/how-to/rainy-season-tips-cebu-philippines/