By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will launch SAFE NIR Dial 911, a police initiative designed to ensure swift and dependable police response in the city, at the BCPO Gymnasium today.
“There is no need to locate the number of a police station or a police officer to respond to any emergency situation or crime incident. Just dial the 911 emergency hotline,” BCPO director Police Colonel Eugene Rebadomia said.
“We will have a quicker response from our police officers. As a result, we can save more lives and arrest the perpetrators,” he added.
Upon dialing 911, the Philippine National Police headquarters will reconnect the call to the local police units for a fast response to any reported incidents.
Dialing 911 is free of charge, whether using a cellphone or a landline.
Today’s launch will be attended by acting Regional Director Brigadier General Romano Cardiño of the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region, city officials, barangay officials, tanods, various stockholders, force multipliers, and students.
Rebadomia said SAFE stands for Seen, Appreciated, Felt, and Extraordinary, a flagship program of Cardiño.
Unified system
Meanwhile, Rebadomia said the Bacolod City government is also set to launch a localized 911 hotline at the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Mayor Greg Gasataya said he had already talked with Interior Undersecretary Jon Paulo Salvahan in line with the unified hotline.
“We are supportive of the initiative of the national government to have a unified 911 system, but here in the city, we want it to be more effective in terms of time response,” Gasataya said.
The call will be answered by the operator, and a responding team will be deployed immediately.
The mayor added the city had already attended a capacity development training for emergency telecommunication.
Gasataya noted that the Department of the Interior and Local Government central office had earlier sent their team and instructors to Bacolod for various trainings, and the city was also given a certificate of training completion.
Meanwhile, Gasataya said the city government had earlier established a 24/7 hotline for emergency calls.
He said the 911 command center will be located at the CDRRMO evacuation center in Barangay Taculing./MAP, WDJ