On a yearly level, Finland’s emergency dispatchers receive 3.8 million calls or other notifications. This total includes some 800,000 calls classified as non-urgent. In other words, 20–30 dispatchers are needed to handle calls that do not belong at the emergency number 112 (which may vary in other countries).
A committee in charge of reorganizing the handling of non-urgent calls to the 112 service now proposes to launch a new telephone number—116 115—for such calls. Calls to this number would be free of charge, as this currently is an important motive for calling 112 rather than a chargeable number. During working hours, calls would be connected to the relevant authority; at other times, a recorded message would provide guidance.
Among other suggestions, the committee also proposes that the legacy police emergency number 10 022 be phased out as soon as possible.
What do you think of these suggestions? Please post your comments!
Post a Comment