MAYOR BENG CLIMACO has again asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to expedite the localization of the 911 emergency telephone number for faster response during emergencies in Zamboanga City.
Climaco said she has already spoken with Diosdado Valeroso, executive director of the Emergency 911 National Office (which shall handle the National Hotline Public Safety Answering Center) which is under the DILG and told him the need for the localization of the hotline number.
She said at present, when one dials 911, the call is diverted to the central command center in Manila causing inconvenience and delay in the actual process of emergency response.
“Instead of transferring calls all the way to Manila, emergency calls made to 911 within Zamboanga City will be automatically picked up by the local system through our own Security Surveillance Coordinating Office command center,” Climaco said.
She said the localization of the 911 had been requested in the past with the DILG and that all requirements set by the agency were already completed and complied by the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. “Localizing 911 will mean easier access by the public to the emergency hotline number and faster response to emergencies,” Climaco said.
Climaco also asked Zamboanga City congressmen Mannix Dalipe and Cesar Jimenez to bring the matter to the House of Representatives to accelerate the establishment of a local 911 emergency hotline here.
Duterte last year issued the Executive Order (EO) No. 56 institutionalizing 911 as the nationwide emergency number and replacing 15-year old Patrol 117 hotline to conform to international standards on emergency numbers for public telecommunication networks.
Under the EO, the local governments are tasked to establish and run local 911 centers within their area using their own funds and for private communication carriers and telecommunications companies to ensure and provide uninterrupted connectivity and integration of all calls made by their subscribers to the 911 hotline.
It said the Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine National Police officers will serve as primary responders to emergencies with major support service responders from various law enforcement agencies and military forces, including the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and accredited non-government organizations, hospitals, medical institutions and facilities, among others. (Zamboanga Post)
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