112… These three numbers save lives. 7 days 24 hours can be searched free of charge while anywhere in Turkey this number live with kicks in the thin line between death. The 112 Emergency Call Center, which responds to thousands of calls every day, was called by 2020 people until September 61.318.293.
155 Police Emergency, 122 Alo AFAD, 156 Gendarmerie Emergency, 158 Coast Guard, 177 Forest Fire Warning and 110 Fire Warning lines will also be disabled as of June 2021; All of them will serve under the number of the 112 Emergency Call Center.
What training is given to the personnel answering the phones in 112 Emergency Call Centers?
Our welcoming staff are given practical training before starting their duties. We prepare virtual calls for the most common situations and prepare them. At the end, an exam is held. Friends who pass the exam start their duties. We do this to all our staff.
How many people are in your call center and how many phones does a staff member answer on average per day?
Our call center 51 active across Turkey we have worked around two thousand. These friends of ours work in shifts. Their shifts are determined by the governorship of the province they are in. But they generally work in 2/12 shifts. They work for 48 hours and rest for 12 hours. Although the numbers vary by provinces, they answer an average of 48 calls per day.
What is the process when a call comes in?
When our citizens call the call center, the location information of the caller comes automatically. The call center greeter confirms this. Then, they calm the other person as much as possible in an environment that competes with seconds, and they tell the event and learn its nature. They process them into the system as text and throw them into the system that all institutions see. They send the audio recording to the officer of the institution concerned. All institutions see the current information about the case. Thus, all institutions providing emergency aid have equal information about the incident and provide coordination.
A project is underway to gather all emergency services under a single number. Can you give information about this?
Currently, 51 Emergency Call Centers are actively serving in 112 provinces. All short numbers you know have been collected at this emergency call center. But these tricks are still in action. But when they are called, the 112 Emergency Call Center answers. It operates in 81 provinces to spend and we want to create a unity in all of Turkey. Subsequently, all call numbers will be abolished.
What is the benefit of collecting calls in one number?
Before this project, institutions providing emergency services were dealing with calls that we call too many false calls. They didn't know if there was anyone on the phone that really needed help. With this project, our call handlers eliminate them and convey the cases that really need to be dealt with to our aid agencies.
How many calls are received to 112 a day?
It varies from province to province. In 2019, 44 calls were received in 43.642.912 call centers. The province with the highest number of calls was Ankara with 6.239.569. We receive more calls from our big cities. We encounter an annual call traffic of nearly 6,5 million. It is actually evenly distributed on a daily basis. 45 percent of incoming calls are about health and 45 percent are about safety issues.
What can you say about the number of false calls?
Coming a lot… This is a subject we are dealing with a lot. These people cause a delay in someone else's service. Over the years, with the promotional activities of our call center activities, our false call rates have decreased from 80 percent to 66 percent. But I still think it's not enough. More staff are working due to unfounded calls. They both reduce the motivation of our employees and prevent people who really need help from reaching the call center. Those who make unfounded denunciations or keep unnecessarily busy are fined 250 lira. If it is repeated, this penalty is doubled. In 2020, 146 people were fined in this way.
During the pandemic, the burden of 112 Emergency Call Centers increased considerably. Could you give information about your work during this period?
All coordination of Vefa Social Support Groups formed during the pandemic process was carried out by 112 Call Centers. In particular, all the needs of our citizens over the age of 65 were met with the guidance made by the 112 Emergency Call Center. On the days of curfew, we were called five times the call we normally receive. In addition, our call center conveyed our citizens who said they were contacted or positive to health units.
You also have the 112 barrier-free application… What exactly does this do?
It is an application developed for our disabled citizens to reach the 112 Emergency Call Center quickly when necessary. It can be used on mobile devices with Android and iOS operating systems. It can be downloaded from application stores. Our friends who know sign language at the Emergency Call Center in Ankara transfer the disabled citizens who reach them to the relevant units by helping in sign language. Although it is not an emergency situation, there are some problems that our disabled citizens face in daily life. For example, they go to the police station, they have to give a statement or they go to the doctor and they cannot explain their problems… Our call center, which consists of our expert staff who know sign language, helps them. Barrier-free 112 application has been in service since April 2019. In 2019, we received 5.001 calls between April and December. Until September 2020, we served 4.450 people.
Could you give information about the e-Call module, which is vital in traffic accidents?
This is a project for vehicles to automatically call 112 Emergency Call Centers in the event of an accident. If our citizens have an "e-call" module in their vehicle, they automatically call 112. Even if the driver is unable to call the call center, the location of the vehicle is automatically reported to the call center thanks to this module. Thus, we can immediately direct our relevant teams. A project that can save lives. It is very important to increase awareness. This system is mandatory for vehicles produced in all EU member and candidate countries since April 2018, in accordance with European Union regulations. Necessary legal regulations have been made in our country for this and we have also received such calls. We provided them with the necessary assistance. This application started in June 2018. Since then, we have received 10.750 calls. This module can also be mounted externally on old vehicles. But this is not legally required.
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