‘112’ single emergency helpline number launched for Indian mobile phone users: Here’s how to activate
The Government of India on Tuesday launched a single emergency number ‘112’. The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is now available in 16 states and union territories across India.
112 will be the universal helpline number for the ERSS which offers emergency services for police (100), fire (101), health (108) and women (1090). The response time for the emergency helpline is said to be around 10 to 12 minutes. This is expected to come down to 8 minutes within the next 6-8 months.
Here’s how you can activate the 112 emergency helpline number
The simplest step is to dial 112 from your phone to reach the helpline.
Smartphone users can press the power button thrice to activate the panic call for 112.
Feature phone users can long press 5 or 9 key to activate the panic call.
Users can also access the ERSS’ website for the state to send an emergency email or send SOS alert to state ERC.
112 India app is available on Google Play Store and App Store. This app auto-detects the user’s location and sends a panic signal whenever initiated.
At present, the 112 emergency helpline number has been activated for 16 states and union territories including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshwadeep, Andaman, Dadar Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Jammu and Kashmir.
It was first launched in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The helpline number will be gradually rolled out to the rest of the country.