Mangaluru police creating awareness about ‘Dial 112’ facility

The Dial 112 Emergency Response Service System (ERSS) was launched in October 2019, replacing the erstwhile Dial 100

On April 10 morning, Barke police in a ‘Dial 112’ vehicle stopped in front of the KSRTC bus stand where a few construction labourers were waiting to board a bus to their work place. The personnel informed the labourers about the ‘Dial 112” facility and how to make use of it in an emergency, before the labourers boarded their bus.

Similarly, personnel of Konaje police station, in another ‘Dial 112’ vehicle, stopped at Deralakatte junction where people were standing by the roadside, on April 10. They asked people to dial 112 and then press 8 to mention their name, address and nature of emergency. The Dial 112 vehicle will reach the spot within 10 minutes, the personnel promised.

On April 9, personnel of Ullal police station carried out an awareness exercise among people who had come to Ullal beach. Mangaluru police personnel organised an awareness exercise near Mary Hill helipad where youth had assembled to play cricket. Such awareness exercises were held at Kairangala in Moodbidri police station limits, in Tannirbhavi beach, near Surathkal lighthouse, Kadri Park, in Katipalla, and in Saripalla.

For over a month, Mangaluru police have been using the break between attending to calls to travel in ‘Dial 112’ vehicles to meet people.

The Dial 112 Emergency Response Service System (ERSS) was launched in October 2019, replacing the erstwhile Dial 100. The 112 ERSS facility is available in Dakhina Kannada district of Karnataka since November 2020. In Mangaluru city commissionerate limits, the service became operational in December 2020. The calls made to 112 are received by personnel at a Public Safety Answering Point in Bengaluru, who, in turn, ask the nearest ‘Dial 112’ vehicle to respond.

There are 19 ‘Dial 112’ vehicles in Mangaluru city police commissionerate.

Police Commissioner Kuldeep Kumar R. Jain said, on an average, Mangaluru police handle 30 calls per day. “We want more people to make use of Dial 112,” he told The Hindu. In the last one month, police personnel assigned to ‘Dial 112’ have been meeting people to make them aware of the new facility. “The target is to meet around 1,000 people each day,” Mr. Jain said.