The National 911 Program is to be scaled up this year, says the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Officer-in-Charge Eduardo M. Año.
Año said that the P22.4 million allocated for the 911 program in the General Appropriations Act of 2018 is a good start to create necessary improvements from internal capacity enhancement to better response capability.
“As directed by President Duterte, we have so much planned for the National 911 program this 2018 and we commit to push through with all of these innovations as they were created and intended to benefit the Filipino people,” says Año.
The National 911 Program was one of the campaign promises of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte which he initially implemented when he was Mayor of Davao City.
The DILG is looking at hiring additional personnel and conduct the required certification training on Emergency Telecommunications Course (ETC) to achieve the 8-10 minute response time upon receiving the call.
“Hiring qualified and competent professionals to serve as telecommunicators, information technology, planning and legal service support will ramp-up 911’s quick response capability, thus, saving more lives,” adds Año.
DILG is also gearing towards attaining ladderized certification course on Emergency Medical Dispatch, says Año, which will be provided by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
Institution of learning
If additional funds are allocated by the National Government, Año also mentions the possibility of establishing the Emergency Dispatch Academy of the Philippines (EDAP), a learning institution that will serve as the education and training, research and protocol development of emergency telecommunicators, dispatchers and communications center managers.
“EDAP initiative is a dream that we would strive to fulfill as this learning institution will create efficient and capable telecommunicators and call dispatchers equipped with the proper training and knowledge needed for a successful emergency response scenario,” Año explains.
Since the National 911 Program adapts the international standards and emergency protocols prescribed by the IAED, acquired emergency response “well of knowledge” can be transferred to prospective students of EDAP.
He also added that EDAP will elicit the support of the private sector in the realization of the said endeavor together with the leadership of the Foundation for Crime Prevention.
Technology in emergency response
The DILG 911 Program is also looking to tie up with one of the premier universities in the country in developing an information ecosystems for emergency responders’ profiles and databases.
Año says that this information ecosystem also includes the hosting of said databases, development of big data analytics to uncover patterns of incidents, detect and prevent the occurrence of emergencies, crimes and similar incidents.
“These analytics can provide us and the authorities more informed strategies and decisions that will eventually lead to an improved and successful emergency response which in the end can save lives,” he adds.
The DILG also requested the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for 55 new ambulances through then former DILG OIC Catalino. S. Cuy and DILG Assistant Secretary Nestor F. Quinsay, Jr., which will be distributed to various fires stations in the National Capital Region and suburban LGUs.
