HCM City has linked up its three emergency numbers, 113, 114 and 115, and the public no longer has to remember individual numbers but can call any of them for any kind of emergency assistance.

Le Quoc Cuong, deputy director of the city Department of Information and Communications, said the multiplicity of numbers meant people in an emergency often could not call the correct one, and response was delayed.

The linking up would ensure co-ordination between the various emergency services, since people could call any of them and be linked to the correct service, he said.

The system helps operators locate the nearest medical, fire and rescue units, apprise them about the emergency and suggest the shortest and most convenient route to access the emergency spot quickly.

The public can also use the HCMC EOC mobile phone application to seek emergency assistance.

In future the emergency system will be upgraded to allow operators to observe the emergency site.  

In future the city plans to have just one emergency number, 114, and one emergency centre.   

The centre will create an automatic positioning system based on digital maps and photos taken by the city’s camera network. — VNS