Kidapawan to upgrade Call 911

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Disaster and risk reduction officials here, led by the city’s chief executive, hasembarked on a state-of-the-art computer system, which will monitor how quick their responses would be to any man-made or natural calamities.City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, chair of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDDRM), said the upgraded computer system of their Emergency or Call 911 will help improve their response time to any disaster or calamity.Also, residents of the city and from nearby towns in North Cotabato province would be able to access the mobile responder app, which would be introduced by Pure Force and Rescue Corporation, a technology and innovative company that specializes in security and rescue throughout the Philippines.Evangelista has set up the city’s 911 in 2013, the second in the Philippines.The first to set up 911 was Davao City.The Kidapawan 911 staff underwent training from the Davao City Central 911.The upgraded computer system, Evangelista said, would be able to track down the city LGU’s rescue teams and dispatch them immediately in the field. Using this system, we would be able to locate anyone who would ask help from us, as long as it is within our reach,” said the mayor. Outside our area, still, using the mobile app, our command center can also tap local responders in nearby towns and [we would] inform them of a disaster or incident happening in their area,” he explained.Without the internet signal, citizens seeking help can still connect with the command center through short messaging system (SMS) or through texting.Evangelista said the developer of such mobile responders’ application was the original 911 in the US.The system was also used in Australia and in New Zealand. Meaning, this system has already been tested,” he stressed.The mayor said the City DRRM council is set to submit a project proposal to the Sangguniang Panglungsod for possible funding.He expects the Sanggunian will approve the proposal by September so that by December, the upgraded computer system of our Call 911 would already be in place.”Initially, the city government will have at least 60 of their mobile rescue units or teams subscribed to the system.Each subscription will cost them P13,500 in a year.Mobile rescue teams would come from the city LGU’s Call 911, Traffic Management Unit, Bureau of Fire Protection, local PNP, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, barangay DRRM, and Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams.