Cebu City’s local government has tapped NGA 911, an American company known for its 911 services across the United States, to deploy next-generation emergency response system.
NGA 911’s systems allow responders to swiftly receive calls, pinpoint caller locations, execute dispatch operations, and seamlessly integrate with Cebu City’s existing infrastructure, including CCTV networks.
The introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities by the NGA system is expected to revolutionize how Cebu City residents can access emergency responders.
Besides using traditional mobile and landline calls to report emergencies, citizens will soon be able to do the same via SMS and instant messaging applications, expanding the accessibility and speed of emergency response services.
Dante V. Arcilla Jr., Cebu City’s department head of MICS (Management Information and Computer Services), made the recommendation to adopt the system after a thorough analysis and evaluation of the system.
“Through this collaboration, the city aims to meet not only its current but also future technological requirements, bolstering its capacity to respond rapidly and robustly to crises,” Arcilla said.
“By integrating NGA 911’s systems with our existing emergency infrastructure, we anticipate heightened resilience and redundancy in disaster scenarios, as well as enhanced situational awareness for our first responders,” the MICS head said.
Cebu City mayor Mike Rama also emphasized the importance of public safety and has made it paramount in the city’s agenda. “Ensuring the safety of our residents is our top priority,” he said.
