Panaji: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant, on Wednesday (October 9), launched an Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), which would work as an integrated platform for police, fire and medical emergency services.

The ERSS will be a single emergency helpline number 112 that would replace the existing emergency services numbers, for instance, dialling 100 for Police and 108 for ambulance services.

Inaugurating the service, Sawant said, "In the first phase, the service will cover only police while fire and medical services will be added to it in the second phase."

He also expressed hope that with the new system crime rate will reduce in the state as the response time in handling distress calls is expected to improve significantly.

The new system will show the details of the caller as soon as a call is received. The software will then identify the exact location of the caller. Thereafter, the request will be connected immediately to the nearest emergency vehicle on its Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) without delay.

"At present, two centres, one at Panaji and another at Margao, has been established as a part of this service and 20 Police Control Room (PCR) vehicles have been fitted with MDTs for immediate dispatch," he added.

The chief minister also appealed to the people of Goa to install 112 India App on their mobile phones and register as volunteers to aid victims during any emergency.

Further, to ensure the 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 assistance from ERC.