112 emergency helpline to be rolled out across state: Govt

Gandhinagar: The state govt said on Tuesday that the 112 ERSS (emergency response support system) helpline, introduced in seven districts as a single point of contact for all emergency services, will soon be rolled out in all districts of Gujarat. The helpline has handled 1.49 crore calls since its launch in 2019.
The govt said in a statement that in order to make the service accessible across the state, efforts are underway to establish an integrated control and command centre. The centre will enable real-time monitoring of emergency response operations in all districts while allowing independent monitoring at the district level.
The initiative merged the toll-free numbers of the health and family welfare, police, fire, women and child development, and revenue-disaster management departments into one unified platform. Initially implemented in Gir-Somnath, Devbhumi Dwarka, Morbi, Chhota Udepur, Botad, Aravalli, and Mahisagar, the system is now set for statewide implementation, the statement added.
The govt said that 500 Jan Rakshak PCR vans will be deployed and personnel, including those from the police department, are undergoing specialised training on emergency response protocols.
Receiving 1.49 crore emergency calls, emergency teams were dispatched for immediate assistance in 69,477 cases. Across the seven districts where the system is operational, the average police response time stands at 26 minutes and 59 seconds, the statement said.