Military links up with Zambo’s 117 emergency hotline

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 4): Military links up with Zambo’s 117 emergency hotline
 
Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ), the military unit assigned to assist the local police force in law enforcement, will link up with the city’s 117 emergency hotline for better responses against crimes.

The city government maintains 117 emergency hotline at the Community Police Action Center (ComPAC) based at city hall to receive emergency calls and calls on corresponding law enforcement agencies to respond to a particular situation.

In practice, a fire call to 117 enables the ComPAC radio operator to alert the concerned fire station to respond.

The city has seven fire stations and seven fire –sub-stations under the Zamboanga City Fire District (ZCFD).

Residents in the barangays can report to 117 a crime in progress and 117 will dispatch policemen from its team or the Police Station that covers the place where the crime is being committed.

The ComPAC has an automatic switching system to instantly connect to the fire stations and Police Stations.

The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) has 10 Police Stations under its command.

Not all can remember the seven-digit Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) number of the fire station or of the police in their respective communities but can easily remember 117.

Not all of the residents can also remember the PLDT number of TFZ with its headquarters is located at Camp Gen. Arturo Enrile in Barangay Malagutay, seven kilometers west of this city.

TFZ Commander Col. Andrelino Colina said the linkage to ComPAC’s 117 will provide his command with a direct telephone hotline for emergencies.

On the other hand, ComPAC’s 117 will not have to dial the TFZ PLDT line for relay of instructions and the like, Colina said.

He said that swift response is needed in emergencies as criminals escape from crime scene on board motorcycles that can easily weave through traffic and speed away from the arms of the law.

Colina said they can immediately deploy men in cases of emergency to establish checkpoints and block any escape routes of criminals fleeing from crime scenes in the city proper.

In case of a kidnapping incident, Colina said they can immediately redeploy soldiers to man outposts in coastal barangays to block the kidnappers’ escape with their captives on board motorized banca.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=540974