EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUPPORT SYSTEM (ERSS)

April 20, 2019

20 and Union territories have so far joined a pan-India network of single emergency helpline number '112' on which immediate assistance can be sought by anyone in distress.

About:

The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) envisages a single pan-India emergency number '112', which is an internationally recognised number, to target all types of emergencies.
Features:
- The single number for emergency services is similar to '911' in the United States.
- The '112' helpline is an integration of police (100), fire (101) and women (1090) helpline numbers.
- On pressing the number, the system would identify the location of the person in distress connecting through voice or data and immediate assistance would be provided.
SHOUT: To ensure safety of women, a SHOUT feature has been introduced in ‘112 India’ mobile app to seek immediate assistance from registered volunteers in the vicinity apart from the immediate assistance from Emergency Response Centre (ERCs). The SHOUT feature is exclusively available to women.
Parent Programme: The project is being implemented under Nirbhaya Fund, which was set up by the central government for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of the women.
Background: In November 2018, Himachal Pradesh became the first state to launch pan-India single emergency number ‘112’ under ERSS project.