TOPIC IN NEWS - Helpline Number 112

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER 112

India has launched a single  Pan-India emergency helpline number '112' recently.

About Emergency Response Support System (ERSS – Dial 112)

• ERSS is one of the key projects of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under Nirbhaya Fund. 

• ERSS will eliminate the need for people to remember multiple numbers.

• Basically, ERSS is an integration of police(100), fire(101), health(108) & women(1090) helpline numbers to provide emergency services through the single number '112'.

Why the number 112 is chosen?

112 is a part of the GSM STANDARD and all GSM compatible telephone handsets are able to dial 112 even when locked or, in some countries, with no SIM CARD present. It is also the common emergency number in nearly all the member states of European Union as well as several other countries of Europe and the world. 112 is often available alongside other numbers traditionally used in the given country to access emergency services. In some countries, calls to 112 are not connected directly but forwarded by the GSM network to local emergency numbers (e.g 911 of North America)

Basically it is a 112 is a globally recognized single emergency number, so, as a matter of fact it will be convenient for even a foreigner in a situation of panic to use such facilities easily.

Here are few things to know about the ERSS:

1. To access the emergency services, a person can dial '112' on a phone or press the power button of a smartphone three times quickly to send a panic call to the  state level Emergency Response Centre (ERC).

2. In case of a normal phone, a long press of the '5' or '9' keys will activate the panic call function.

3. People can also log on to the ERSS website for the state and lodge emergency email or send an SOS alert to the state ERC.

4. The '112' India mobile app will also be available free on the Google's Play-store and Apple store.

5. For women and children, 112 India App provides a special SHOUT feature which alerts registered volunteers in the vicinity of victim for immediate assistance

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY FACILITY. USERS ARE ADVISED TO USE THIS SERVICE CAREFULLY & DO NOT CALL THE EMERGENCY SERVICE WITHOUT A VALID REASON