In an emergency? 112 mobile app enables you to send your location to rescue services
New 112MT mobile app allows people in emergency situations to automatically send their GPS location to police
People in emergency situations can now use a new mobile app to send their location to rescue services.
The new 112MT app lets smartphone users request the assistance of the police, ambulance, civil protection personnel and the army, and automatically sends the persons’ GPS location to allow the rescue services to find them quicker.
Available for iOS and Android smartphones, the app also enables users to send photos to the police.
The new app was unveiled during an event at Fgura Primary School marking European 112 Day, where personnel from the four emergency assistance branches - police, paramedics, army and Civil Protection Department - showcased their services and equipment.
Addressing the event, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said that the 112 service had received 380,000 calls last year. Of these, 56,000 were requests for ambulances.
Unfortunately, Camilleri said, 79% or 300,000 calls were from people who weren’t in an emergency situation. A portion, of these, for instance, were from persons wanting to ask for the number of a particular police station.
This issue highlights the importance of only dialling 112 when faced with a situation which genuinely constitutes an emergency, Camilleri said.
“You would be wasting the time of 112 workers and of people in an emergency situation if you use the service abusively,” the minister underlined.
Education Minister Owen Bonnici said the 112 event served as a way of educating school children on the emergency services available.
Exposure to the work of emergency personnel could also help attract children to a future career int he sector, he said.