Single-number emergency service launched

NEW DELHI: India's non-profit Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) has launched the country's first 'Call 108' emergency services contact system, powered by solutions from Nortel.

EMRI launched this service in a public-private partnership with the Andhra Pradesh government.

The new Call 108 system provides more than 10 million residents of five cities and 10 municipalities in Andhra Pradesh — including Hyderabad, the state capital, and the cities of Warangal, Vijayawada,

Visakhapatnam and Tirupathi — with single-number, fixed-line and mobile access to fire, police, medical and other emergency services, EMRI said in a statement.

Plans call for extension of the Call 108 system to all 80 million citizens of Andhra Pradesh within three years, and eventually to each of India's 28 states.

“Valuing and caring for life is a fundamental pillar of a progressive society, and a public-private partnership initiative such as Call 108 can help create a much needed bridge between the citizens of India and our public safety services,” said Ramalinga Raju, chairman, EMRI.

“Nortel has been actively involved in implementation of 911 services in North America, and we now look forward to applying this global expertise in India,” said Ashoka Valia, managing director, India, Nortel.

Nortel's solution enables callers to dial '108' from a fixed-line or mobile telephone and be instantly connected via a Nortel Meridian* Option 61C PBX to a Nortel Communication Server 1000 IP PBX for immediate routing to one of EMRI's communications officers in Hyderabad using Nortel's Contact Center Manager Server technology.

The caller's location instantly appears on the screen, allowing the communications officer to verify the address of the emergency and immediately dispatch the right type of assistance. If required, the officer is also able to re-establish contact with the caller.