Will the latest directive of Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil for police units to respond to requests for assistance within three minutes really work?
The order from the top cop leading the 230,000 or so men and women of the police force throughout the country to immediately respond to calls from the public is part and parcel of the government’s revitalized emergency hotline 911.
The top cop’s order seeks to enhance the trust and confidence of the public in the ability of the police organization to give assistance to people during emergencies.
“Every Filipino deserves a quick and efficient police response, regardless of their location or status. The revitalized 911 hotline is not just a technological improvement; it is a crucial component of our mission to make every community feel secure and supported by the PNP,” Gen. Marbil pointed out.
Recently, the Department of the Interior and Local Government simulated the 911 emergency hotline service at Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters in Quezon City, to launch a faster and more effective method of handling distress calls comparable to those in the United States and Europe.
During last week’s demonstration of the E911, a call-to-police response took only about 56 seconds. The new E911 system, which replaces Patrol 117, incorporates advanced technology designed to reduce response times and improve coordination among emergency services.
The second-class municipality of Morong in Rizal province was the first town to be equipped with the “next generation” 911 technology last May.
“Our citizens rely on us during emergencies, and we have to ensure that every 911 call is met with the swift and effective response it deserves,” Marbil said.
“This directive is more than just a procedural requirement—it reflects our unwavering commitment to serve and protect the Filipino people, ensuring peace and safety across the nation,” he added.
The E911 uses the Next Generation Advanced 911 System, a global innovator of emergency calling technology and a leader in next generation emergency communications.
With the new system, all spam or prank callers can be identified and located because of the capabilities of the new system using with GPS.
Under the previous system, the hotline would receive around 50,000 calls a day with only about 500 legitimate calls.
Under the new system, the hotline has been receiving 700 legitimate calls out of a total of 30,000. Top of Form
Some of the features provided include precise caller location services, advanced mapping and incident management systems, data analytics, video streaming, omnichannel messaging, and integration of body and vehicle cameras in responding to emergencies.
Will this new system lead to faster police response to emergencies? We really hope so.
