Summary

Central 911 functions as both a call center and a dispatch center that links residents with the emergency resources of the government. The Emergency Computer-Aided Dispatch (ECAD) system developed by Davao Light allows Central 911 to immediately locate the origin of emergency calls.

Program goals

Central 911 aims to efficiently bring assistance to citizens that need the emergency resources of the government, leveraging Davao Light's GIS to track the location of emergency callers and their nearest responders through the Emergency Computer-Aided Dispatch, or ECAD.

Key program components

On September 27, 2002 the Central Communications and Emergency Response Center was formally launched. The facility is both a call center and a dispatch center that will link the residents needing assistance with the emergency resources of the government - the police; firefighters; medical workers; and rescue services. For convenience and easy memorization, the combination of numbers 9-1-1 was selected as the access number to the facility. That is why when the facility, now know better known as Davao City Central 911, was launched, Davao City became only the third locality in the world that utilizes 911 as its emergency number, patterned after the United States system. It is the country’s first fully integrated emergency response service using GIS Technology. Davao Light’s light posts are used to locate emergency cases and used as markers for the ambulance in rural areas. A year after its launching, Central 911 added to its ensemble its very own Emergency Medical Services Unit, Urban Search and Rescue Unit, Fire Auxiliary Service Unit, and K-9 Unit.