As anybody who has ever been in an emergency situation in Jakarta knows, we have nothing like 911 or a similarly all-encompassing emergency hotline. Instead, we are expected to have memorized the numbers to dozens of different local police precincts and fire departments if we want to get in contact with the help we need quickly – which can be very frustrating in situations ranging from car accidents to being chased by a crazed murderer.
But that should all change soon, as Jakarta is finally getting a universal emergency number of its very own. That number is ‘112’ (which should hopefully be easy for everyone to remember).
“We’re going to change everything (the number of emergency services) to 112. Forget everything else, we’re focusing on 112,” Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, as quoted by Okezone today.
Ahok said that the service is a collaboration between the Jakarta Provincial Government and the Ministry of Communications and Information. It will be managed by the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), who will manage the hotline that is promised to cover everything from crime to fire to even flooding.
Callers won’t be charged for using the service.
The 112 emergency hotline will come into effect as soon as President Jokowi issues a decree authorizing it. It’s not yet known if the service will be introduced to areas outside of Jakarta.
