Tag: press-release

E911 National Office commends PLDT and Smart for direct routing of 911 calls to NGA911 activated call centers for free

On By Jennifer PagalilauanIn NewsLeave a comment

The vision of a unified and integrated 911 emergency response system across the country is swiftly moving towards realization.

Advanced technology from Smart Telecommunications and the Philippine Long-Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company began to enable the seamless routing of 911 calls to the activated Local Command Centers in Morong, Rizal; Alaminos City, Pangasinan; and Cagayan De Oro City in October.

For Smart and PLDT subscribers in these areas, emergency calls are now routed directly to the respective local government unit’s (LGU) Local Emergency Response Centers. The streamlined process eliminates the previous step of routing calls through the Emergency 911 (E911) National Office and results in faster, more direct responses to emergencies.

“The primary mandate of the E911 National Office under the 911 National Program is to provide and ensure improved public safety services to the general public by providing a clear command structure for responsibility and accessibility. We should also facilitate the prompt deployment of a seamless nationwide communication infrastructure for emergency services through the joint efforts of the government, the private sector, and civil society,” said Executive Director Fajardo.

The Executive Director thanked PLDT and Smart for their commitment to ensure that their subscribers have quick and direct access to emergency assistance. Fajardo urged other telecommunications providers to join this life-saving initiative for the greater public’s good, safety, and survival.

NGA 911 Philippines Country Head Rob Llaguno echoed these sentiments, commending PLDT and Smart for facilitating the early routing of their subscribers’ 911 calls to the LGU Command Centers. This significant advancement further speeds up emergency response, enhancing the LGUs’ ability to protect lives and property, Llaguno said.

“We are integration-ready for any telco and eager to work with all concerned to equip our local government units with our NextGen emergency response system that is faster, more responsive, and resilient,” Llaguno added.

Llaguno emphasized the comprehensive support provided to the LGUs they serve, including the Philippine National Police Public Safety Command Center (PNP PCC). “Our services include fully recorded 911 environments, seamless conference and transfer facilities for responders, and advanced mapping and location detection capabilities. Recent statistics indicate that approximately 90% of 911 calls received by the PNP PCC in NCR are met with response times of five minutes or less as a result.”

Alaminos, Pangasinan activates next-generation emergency response command center

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Alaminos City in Pangasinan has become the first city in the country to boast of a cutting-edge emergency communication command center to respond to the public safety concerns of its citizens.

Before Alaminos, the town of Morong, Rizal had been the first municipality in the Philippines to provide world-class, state-of-the-art emergency response.

At the National Emergency Response Summit held last August, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos stressed the need for a unified, nationwide 911 emergency response system that uses the latest technology, like in the US and Europe. He exhorted all LGUs to put up their own emergency response centers equipped with the latest technology.

Abalos said the need is critical – especially during La Niña. LGUs must respond swiftly and accurately to emergencies, save lives and property and deliver quality public service.

“Every city and town must set up its own local emergency call center,” Abalos said, and directed the National E911 Office to involve all relevant agencies in the mission, emphasizing that advanced technology is a must in emergency response.

E911 National Office Executive Director Francis Fajardo explained that cutting-edge emergency response command centers staffed by well-trained and dedicated personnel who can handle crises and emergencies with precision and professionalism will serve as the nerve center for emergency operations in all LGUs. “The goal is to provide efficient and effective emergency response services to every corner of the nation,” Fajardo said.

The Alaminos and Morong initiatives are thus a hearty response to the call of the DILG Secretary and the National E911 Office.

Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste and Vice Mayor Jan Marionne Fontelera welcomed Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Juan Victor Llamas, E911 National Office Executive Director and Pangasinan First District Representative Arthur Celeste on September 10 as the City launched the Alaminos, Pangasinan Next Gen 911 Command Center in Poblacion.

Like Morong, Alaminos City has partnered with NGA 911 to provide its constituents with world-class and complete solutions for emergency communication and public safety services.

NGA Philippines is the local subsidiary of NGA 911, LLC headquartered in California, USA, globally known as the innovator of emergency calling technology, and the leader in Next Generation 911 (NG911) emergency communications worldwide.

Built on industry standards adopted by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in the United States and the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), the NGA 911 system and technology will revolutionize the way and speed with which the LGU can handle emergencies.

“LGUs are most capable and should operate their own command centers because they know their own terrain, people, and types of emergencies best,” Executive Director Fajardo observed.

“The E911 National Office is a disaster recovery site and we are here to support Alaminos and all other LGUs that will put up their emergency response command centers. We will continue to provide guidance and training and route 911 calls, consistent to their activation process,” Fajardo added.

NGA 911 Country Head Robert Llaguno said “All 911 calls to the Alaminos DRRM Command Center are now fully recorded and conference and transfer facilities are now seamless. Its capability to respond efficiently and accurately to emergency callers has been revolutionized. Now, when someone calls 911, the location of that particular caller is immediately provided and the search radius is limited to just about 5 yards with 90% accuracy.”

The Alaminos emergency response team has already completed its capacity development training, supported by the Emergency 911 National Office, Llaguno shared. Response time in Alaminos has been cut from 3 to 4 minutes, the standard response time set by the DILG and the PNP.

Mayor Celeste lauded the activation of the City’s 911 command center, saying, “This is no ordinary 911. When you call, you’re not going to be patched to another agency. If you call within Alaminos, it’s now the command center that answers. All calls are recorded and give the exact location. No longer do citizens need to remember 11 digits and look for a CDRRM member to get help. What you see in Hollywood movies where someone calls 911, we already have that in Alaminos. This technology will really help our citizens.”

NGA 911 Philippines Head Office Inauguration

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Don Ferguson, Founder and CEO of Next Generation Advanced (NGA) 911 LLC in the United States together with NGA 911 Philippines President Ishka Villacisneros-Tusjakova and Country Manager Robert Llaguno led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the June inauguration of the NGA 911 head office in Quezon City.

NGA 911, with a mission to provide peace of mind and equal access to emergency response for everyone in communities through cutting-edge, cloud-based telecommunications, has already begun modernizing LGUs, starting with Morong, Rizal. Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Alaminos, Pangasinan are next in line for activation, with other LGUs in the pipeline.

Don Ferguson is a leading innovator in adopting Next Generation 911 in the United States who has over 30 years of technology experience in deploying large-scale, mission-critical systems and is the holder of several emergency call routing and services patents. He served in the technology and innovation team of President Barack Obama tasked to modernize public safety communications. NGA 911’s cutting-edge technology would bring the Philippines up to first-world emergency response standards when adopted by LGUs. Its use of the highest level of redundancy and resiliency ensures high-performance transmission of voice, text, and video during emergencies while promising unbreakable connections, empowering communities to save lives and property in everyday emergencies, as well as during large-scale disasters.