Editorial

A few weeks back, an elderly lady sparked off a nationwide security alert involving one of the commercial banks after she dialled the wrong number and asked questions that raised suspicion. The incident demonstrates both how convenient the telephone is and also that its misuse, intentionally or not, could result in wasting resources that could have been employed more fruitfully elsewhere.

The 112 emergency line service, run by the police force, is a case in point or, rather, the case in point.

The 112 is a freephone dedicated to emergency cases only. The same number is used across the European Union and the idea is to allow citizens of any of the 27 member states to remember the number in case of an emergency when the assistance of an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police is required irrespective of the country one is in.

The convenience of this service is borne out by the statistics: an average of one call a minute is received by 112 operators! The bottom line is 112 is a useful service, a unique one in that it can save lives if used wisely and prudently and, more importantly, in emergency cases only.

It had emerged that a third of calls made to 112 in the first half of last year went unanswered. The situation improved somewhat and in the last six months of 2009 between a fifth and a fourth of the calls were not answered. The statistics may be misleading because even if one dials 112 by mistake, realises the error and promptly cuts off, that is registered as an unanswered call. There were also cases of police officers and healthcare operators using the 112 either to check on working rosters or to trace personnel required for some reason or another. There are a myriad of other reasons why people use the 112 even if it is not an emergency, none of them acceptable but quite a few having no sinister motives.

Over the past months, the police have resolved to address the matter and ensure 112 is solely used for the purpose it is meant.

They launched a two-pronged campaign: An educational one aimed at explaining to the public the correct use of the service and how to avoid making genuine mistakes that would unnecessarily block useful 112 lines and another focused on tracing those making illicit use of the service and proceeding against them in court.

It is evident that for 112 to work as it should there has to be the full cooperation of all emergency services but, more importantly, the public. The emergency services may scramble in time to assist people in distress only to find uncooperative motorists blocking the roads and curious onlookers standing in the way of rescuers.

Educating potential users and enforcing the law are, of course, a must. But the powers that be need to ensure the 112 service has all the required resources at its disposal, be that adequate funding, well-trained personnel and state-of-the-art equipment. In addition, it must be ensured the agency responsible for the service, in this case the police, is legally empowered to call the shots and is assured of all the support it requires, even if that means encroaching on other agencies, ministries, departments or what have you.

This being primarily a service for the people, full accountability is a must, even to keep all those involved on their toes. Thus, publishing figures regularly is recommendable too.