House of Representatives Committee on Public Order and Safety Vice Chairperson, Abra lone district Rep. JB Bernos, on Thursday urged local government units (LGUs) to integrate their emergency response systems into the Unified 911 Emergency Hotline to avoid confusion and address system lapses.
“We need complete buy-in from LGUs if Unified 911 is to succeed. Ang mangyayari kasi, kung hindi integrated ang local emergency response sa Unified 911, magkakaroon ng duplication sa serbisyo (If the local emergency response is not integrated into the unified emergency services system, it will lead to a duplication of services),” Bernos said in a news release.
“Malilito rin ang tao kung kanino sila dudulog sa oras ng sakuna (The public will also get confused on which agency to approach in time of crisis).”
The Unified 911 Emergency Hotline is the country’s centralized network, linking the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and LGUs to provide 24/7 assistance anywhere in the Philippines.
The lawmaker batted for Unified 911’s ease of recall, saying three digits are much easier to memorize and save people the hassle of having to find the number of their LGU’s emergency command center.
He called for continued cooperation and coordination among agencies and LGUs so the system could respond to emergencies more efficiently and effectively.
“This is a new system, and understandably there will be growing pains. That is why it is necessary that all public order and safety stakeholders work together to improve it,” Bernos said.
He also called for proper funding to ensure that Unified 911’s capacity is strengthened, such as through the hiring of call-takers to reduce queue times, along with heavy investments in necessary technology.
According to the DILG, Unified 911 currently handles an average of 70,000 calls daily. (PNA)
