The National Communication Commission (NCC) is to create a national emergency call number to link all emergency agencies, ?including FRSC, Police and Fire Service, Mr Eugene Juwah, said.
Juwah, the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, made the statement on Saturday in Abuja during the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) monthly jogging, tagged, “Jogging to Save Life’’.
Juwah,who was the special guest on the occasion,?said that the number was ?expected to come into operation in 2013.
Represented by Mr Tony Ojobo, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Juwah?said already two pilot national emergency call centres had been set up in Anambra and Niger states to realise the objective.
He said?the centres would be test-run before the end of 2012 with a view to addressing future challenges.
“The pilot centres are ready, we have one in Awka, Anambra, ?one in Niger. Now, we are going to test-run them?before?the end of?2012.
“Definitely, within the next six months, Nigerians should be able to dial into the emergency centres.
“If the?emergency is in the area of?fire and it gets to the emergency communication centre,?the Fire Service will?be ?informed and if it is on?robbery, the police would be?sensitised.
“The centre?becomes a kind of hob for emergencies and?when the call comes into that centre, the responsible agency will?address the situation,’’ he said.
Juwahsaid that issues relating to emergency were important to the commission hence it was partnering with FRSCto create 122 free-toll emergency numbers to enable the public to report road?accidents.
In his remark, Mr Osita Chidoka, the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC,described NCC as a “key’’ partner to the commission?to save the lives of accident victims.
Chidokaurged the public to make use of the free-toll emergency numbers allocated to FRSC by NCC, adding that the FRSC had the personnel and equipment to?respond to save accident victims. (NAN)