Emergency Communication Centres as Life-saving Channels

The recent upgrade of the country’s Emergency Communication Centres by the Nigerian Communications Commission, will enhance security and safety operations across the centres, writes Emma Okonji

In continuation with its vision and strategy to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the handling of emergency call services through the Emergency Communication Centres (ECC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), recently embarked on the deployment of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) solution at the centres.

This is coming on the heels of the Commission’s recent activation of the Taraba State ECC, thus bringing the total number of operational ECCs across the country to 25. 

The Taraba ECC joins the existing operational ECCs in 23 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These ECCs are located in the FCT, Adamawa, Imo, Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Plateau, Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Ekiti, Cross River and Edo. Others are Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Bauchi, Osun, Zamfara, Kebbi and Gombe states.

To further modernise the centres, the NCC recently initiated the deployment of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) for the response agencies. The Commission has deployed the CAD system to the commands of six response agencies including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), States Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), as well as in Ambulance and Fire Service operations in seven states.

The seven states that have benefitted from the deployment of the CAD equipment to transform and upgrade their ECCs into an Internet Protocol-based (IP) facility, are Ogun, Cross River, Enugu, Kwara, Kano, Adamawa and FCT.  The Commission said it planned to upgrade the remaining operational ECCs soon.

On March 9, 2022, the Commission carried out the successful trial calls to test the effective implementation of the supply, installation and integration of the CAD system for Ambulance Service in Abuja, FCT for the recently-launched National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems (NEMSAS) of the Federal Ministry of Health.

Computer Aided Dispatch Equipment 

Speaking at the CAD deployment in Taraba State CAD recently, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the Commission would continue to modernise the ECCs from time to time to keep it effective and to respond appropriately to the dynamics of emergency cases, in keeping with its objective of enhancing security of lives and property in the country.

 “Over the years, the centres have been transforming lives and helping many citizens to survive emergencies and other life-threatening circumstances through instant dispatch of emergency calls received to Emergency Response Agencies (ERA). This intervention has had very positive impact on the lives of Nigerians,” Danbatta said.

The CAD is an automated dispatch software solution deployed for the seamless transmission of calls from the ECC to the relevant ERAs via the click of a button on the Call Agent’s System.

NCC established the ECC project in 2005 and had since then, taken the establishment and effective operations of the centres across the country as a matter of priority in keeping with Sections 107 (3) A and B, of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.

Call Processing 

In keeping with its objective of enhancing security of lives and property in the country, NCC said the Emergency Communications Centres (ECC), established by the NCC, processed about 34 million calls made by Nigerians, seeking succor during emergencies and under other circumstances within the first eight months of 2021.

This was revealed in the latest report from the Commission, indicating that a total of 33,953,213 calls were received and processed through the National Emergency Number 112 managed by NCC’s 24 operational ECCs from January and August, 2021.

According to the report, the calls bordered on emergency situations, enquiries as well as hoax calls. They were received, processed and subsequently dispatched to various emergency response agencies (ERAs) within the first eight months of 2021.

Analysed on a month-on-month basis, the data shows that of the 33,953,213, a total of 4,380,923were received in January 2021; 4,050,013 in February and 4,135,830 in March. In April and May of the same year, a total of 4,209,715 and 4,016,189 calls were received by the centres respectively.

Accordingly, the report shows that, in June, July and August, the total number of calls received and processed by the ECCs across the country stood at 4,286,341; 4,397,146 and 4,477,056 in that order.

The centres have been transforming lives and helping many citizens in handling emergencies through instant dispatch of emergency calls received to ERAs. These include the Nigerian Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Fire Service, Ambulance Services, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and so on. This intervention has had very positive impact on the lives of Nigerians.

According to Danbatta, over 1,500 COVID-19-related calls were received and processed by the ECCs in the peak of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The Centres provided a platform for members of the public to seek life-saving information and support with regards to COVID-19 related cases by dialing ‘112’ from any of the networks. 

The Senate, in September 2021, passed a bill to establish the Nationwide Emergency Communications Service, in recognition of the centrality of the NCC’s ECC project to national economy. The lawmakers approved ‘112’ as the nationwide toll-free emergency number as the primary emergency telephone number in the country. This is apart from the legal provision for ECC/112 Emergency Number contained in the Nigerian Communication’s Act (NCA), 2003.

The Commission has received both local and international awards for its commitment to ensuring safety of lives and property for the Nigerian populace.

“The Commission is committed to constantly upgrading and modernising the ECC infrastructure to improve the efficiency of the facility in meeting the needs of citizens, assuring that in the near future the inactive centres will become operational,” Danbatta said.

NCC’s 112 Emergency Number 

NCC has said that the National Emergency Number 112, which it instituted and superintends, is the most critical infrastructure necessary for the successful implementation of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance Systems (NEMSAS), which was launched by the Federal Ministry of Health.

The NEMSAS is established as a programme implementation unit in the Office of the Honourable Minister of Health. The project aims to establish an Information and Communication Technology-enabled emergency medical service that is effective, efficient, timely and in partnership with the private operators in the health sector. The objective of this new project is to increase access to healthcare, and to reduce mortality and morbidity rates in order to improve health care outcomes to all Nigerians.

By integrating disparate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resources available in Nigeria, the scheme will coordinate the national roll-out of EMS, enabling services to be provided through relationship with other entities and organisations. In essence, NEMSAS will rely on many organisational partners to perform its EMS service delivery functions and the NCC’s 112 Emergency Number is going to drive the communication element of the project. 

Speaking at the public signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the NEMSAS project between the Federal Ministry of Health, other relevant agencies and development partners, at the Shehu Umar Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, Danbatta, said the Commission was delighted to provide the technology platform that will link the NEMSAS partners with those who require emergency health services.

“The NCC has been at the forefront of deploying ICT to drive the implementation of various government projects and initiatives. The 112 number is at the heart of this initiative to provide a national number to Nigerians who are in need of health-related emergencies to be able to call Emergency Response Agencies (ERAs) or organisations in life-threatening situations,” Danbatta stated. 

The NCC boss said the Commission would continue to support NEMSAS’ implementation as well as similar governmental initiatives as part of the strategic programmes of improving Nigeria’s digital culture through policies instituted by the NCC’s supervising Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

Danbatta commended the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, other government agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), various private sector partners and international development partners involved in the project, for giving priority to EMS in order to progress toward providing universal health coverage (UHC) to all Nigerians regardless of their locations and circumstances through the NEMSAS’ initiative.

Over the years, Nigerians in distress and life-threatening situations have used 112 emergency numbers to get succour from ERAs to ensure safety of lives and property. The role played by 112 Emergency Number particularly at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria has been adjudged phenomenal.

The ECCs are built and operated through partnerships, by the NCC as points where distressed calls by citizens terminate, from where they are routed to the appropriated emergency response and security agencies that manage such incidents.