More residents of this city are turning to the "911" hotline for help after response time became shorter resulting from the joining of more telecommunication companies in the program.
Based on data obtained from the city government on Tuesday, 17,006 legitimate calls in 2024 which were received by the Baguio Smart City Command Center that were dispatched to the appropriate response offices, including the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Emergency Medical Service (EMS), and various medical facilities.
“Mas marami ang number ng legitimate callers ngayon, ibig sabihin nito mas marami na ang nakaka-access at naniniwala sa services ng 911 (There is a bigger number of legitimate callers at present, which means more are gaining access and trusting in the services of 911),” said Aileen Refuerzo, chief information office of the city government.
There were 3,328 calls for emergency assistance in 2024 which were attended to by offices concerned including the PNP, BFP, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) and the EMS, and 13,678 calls on inquiries and general assistance which were also promptly attended.
There were also calls received through the CDRRMO and EMS hotline, as well as 1,066 incidents communicated via very high frequency (VHF) radios from the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO).
Refuerzo said 911 has gained the trust of the people as a result of the efficient service provided to the public.
Record obtained shows that the response time ranges from one to three minutes to about six minutes.
Refuerzo said the entry of more telecommunication companies allowed easier access to the helpline.
“Siguro mas madali na rin tumawag kasi lahat ng telecom pasok na sa loop. Kapag nasa Baguio ka, tatawag ka sa 911 using a cellphone, diretso ka nang papasok sa Smart command center ng Baguio, hindi na sa 911 call center sa Metro Manila (Maybe because it is now easier to call with all the telecom [telecommunication] companies on board wherein cellular phone calls to 911 within Baguio go straight to the Baguio call center, no longer in Metro Manila),” she said.
The cross connection of the key telecommunication companies enables the Baguio 911 to directly receive calls from users of Smart Communications, Talk and Text, Globe Telecom and Touch Mobile sim and landlines and Philippine Long-Distance Telephone (PLDT).
Mayor Benjamin Magalong in an earlier statement said, “This proves that the Baguio 911 continues to develop as a cornerstone of the city’s public safety infrastructure offering residents a crucial resource for emergency response since its commissioning in 2021.”
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Liza Agoot
Quelle/Source: Philippine News Agency, 08.04.2025
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