The World Bank Supports the Strengthening of the Emergency Response System in Peru
The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a US$ 36.3 million loan to create an integrated system for emergency first response in Metropolitan Lima and Callao.
The project, Creation of a Centralized 911 Emergency Response and Information System, includes the construction and implementation of the 911 Center, where the emergency first response service will operate to ensure a more rapid, efficient response. The initiative also includes the creation of an integrated digital platform, which will be linked with National Police Force security cameras, procedural protocols and a component to support capacity building for service operators.
Currently in Peru each emergency response service has a different assistance telephone number, communication system and infrastructure. This makes it confusing for users to identify the service they need, limits coordination between agencies and duplicates response efforts. Additionally, insufficient resources and the large number of malicious calls affect response efficiency and speed. For example, in 2018, nine of every 10 calls to first response services were malicious (nearly 8.3 million calls).
“The World Bank is a key ally of the Peruvian government in its efforts to guarantee better public services for all citizens. To this end, we are collaborating to achieve an efficient integrated emergency first response system that improves the safety, health and protection of individuals,” said the World Bank Director for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, Marianne Fay. “The project will also contribute to improving the 100 Hotline service, which provides crucial assistance to women who have suffered violence,” she said.
The project will integrate Peru’s three main lines of emergency response assistance to the 911 system. These are the emergency hotlines of the National Police Force, the Ministry of Health’s Mobile Emergency Care System (Samu) and the Fire Department. These three hotlines receive 90 percent of all emergency calls, which include accidents (traffic, work or home), robberies, fires, harassment and others. Additionally, it will contribute to strengthening the 100 Hotline of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, which provides assistance with cases of gender-based violence by integrating it into the 911 system and enabling the geolocation of calls.
The 911 Center will centralize the first line of emergency response. Its design and construction will take into account the specific needs of disabled individuals and will follow energy efficiency guidelines to avoid significant environmental impact.
The 911 Center will also have the necessary digital infrastructure, which will include a geolocation system, a data storage system and an internal telecommunications network, among other services. Additionally, standardized response protocol will be established to improve coordination among operators. The National Telecommunications Program of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications will implement the project.