THE NEXT-GENERATION Advanced 911 (NGA 911), which uses advanced emergency response technologies to enable faster and more unified responses, is being considered for expansion across the Philippines within the next three years, it said on Monday.
“It’s a process, and it’s not going to happen overnight. For us to actually finish this in the country, it’s going to take a couple of years, maybe three,” Mike Amos, co-founder of and International Sales Director of NGA told BusinessWorld during a media forum on Monday.
Mr. Amos noted that NGA 911 Philippines aims to install the technology across all 1,491 local government units (LGUs) and around 40,000 barangays in the country.
NGA 911 is equipped with cutting-edge technologies, including the ability to send text messages, photos, and videos for emergency reporting through the NEXiS Message platform.
“If there’s a fire, I want you to point your camera at it. I’m going to send you a link — click on it; I just activated your camera. Now I can see the fire, and as the fireman, I can say we’re going to need four more companies instead of waiting seven minutes after I arrive,” Mr. Amos said, describing the potential experience of the caller when using the NGA 911.
The LGUs of Morong, Rizal, and Mambajao, Camiguin are among the first to adopt this technology, with more areas expected to come online soon. Other equipped LGUs include Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro City, Alaminos City in Pangasinan, and Bustos, Bulacan, while Navotas City is still in progress.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government rolled out the unified 911 emergency hotline last week, aiming to replace more than 30 local emergency numbers with a single nationwide hotline.
The system is also powered by NGA 911 technology. — Edg Adrian A. Eva
