NewIndpress

Chennai, Dec 3: Come January, Chennai will have its own 911-type, toll-free emergency number. Under this, emergency services — medical, police and fire — will be provided for calls made to 108 from any phone. In the US, the 911 serves as a primary number for any emergency related calls.

Hyderabad-based Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) will provide the service in the city. Founded and funded by Satyam Computers Chairman B Ramalinga Raju in April 2005, EMRI is touted to be a success in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

In Andhra Pradesh, EMRI has 380 ambulances deployed across 50 towns and 23 Districts. “About 15,500 lives have been saved, through the 500,000 emergency dispatches made. Ninety-five percent of the calls were attended to in the first two rings. And, the average time we take to reach the site or victim is 22 minutes,” said Venkat Changavalli, CEO aof EMRI.

EMRI is presently holding talks with the Tamil Nadu Government to ensure that the response system from different agencies is quick enough to handle emergency calls on 108. Handling emergencies quickly, especially in accidents, is vital during the Golden Hour — the hour after the incident.