Tumulak wants briefing on 911 emergency hotline

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak wants the Department of Interior and Local Government as well as the National Telecommunications Commission-7 to explain how 911 emergency hotline will work.

Tumulak wants to be briefed ahead before the new emergency hotline will be implemented in the country.

Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City Council’s committee on peace and order, said the 911 hotline should accommodate at least 10 emergency calls per minute for quicker and efficient response during emergency situations.

“As I recall last 2013, there was already plan to integrate communication but, the problem was, I don’t know if na-resolve nani, nga dunay telecommunications kay hesitant to cooperate because these telecommunication companies have their own systems,” he said.

Tumulak, who used to sit as chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the use of 911 as hotline would bring good in terms of the city’s peace and order, disaster, calamities, among others.

He, however, said cooperation of private and public responders are needed in implementing the new system.

It was reported earlier that the NTC has assigned 911 as the national hotline number starting next month. Tumulak said he will draft a resolution asking DILG, Office of the Civil Defense, Office of the President, among others, to discuss the 911 system to educate the citizens.

“Ang question nako is if walay load, pwede ba makatawag? Hopefully, this 911, kon naa kay cellphone, before, you cannot dial 911 only using landline. Karon, maayo unta og pwede,” he said.

When he headed the CCDRRMC, he said at least four mobile phones and two landlines were available for emergency hotlines.

He said the Cebu City Command Control Center has recorded at least 10, 265 emergency calls in 2015. From January to May this year, he said the C3 has recorded 5, 343 emergency calls.

“Sauna naa man ning patrol 117. Akong i-raise gihapon like sauna kaning how can you call using cellphone kay mao manay mas easier sa mga tao, ang mobility lang nila,” he said.

Tumulak said he would include in his resolution that there should be an agreement among responders like Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation, Philippine Red Cross, among many others in responding under the new 911 system.

As to the recall of the three ambulances from the three barangays, Tumulak said it may affect in terms of responding emergencies.

While saying that neighboring barangays may respond to the affected barangays, Tumulak said these barangays should call and coordinate with the command control center. (FREEMAN)