A new European Union-funded project is underway in Estonia to introduce a video call option for the emergency number 112, complementing traditional voice calls and providing first responders with more detailed information about emergencies, potentially improving response times and saving lives, on Tuesday, the 9th of April, reports Estonian media ERR.
112 is the pan-European emergency number.
Kadi Luht-Kallas, advisor to the Estonian Ministry’s Department of Rescue and Security Policy, stressed that
the integration of video calling into the emergency system is an important and fundamental change.
“Until now, all communication with the emergency services was based on calls or text messages, but in the future, it will be possible to make a video call to the emergency coordinator where both the caller and the recipient can see and hear each other,” she said.
The tech company CGI Eesti is the project contractor.
Liisa Abel, Head of Public Sector Justice and Internal Security at CGI Eesti, underlined the importance of the project in promoting the integration of society, and that IT solutions play a key role in supporting society as a whole.
The Government Office announced that the project will last five months and cost 169 456 euros excluding VAT.
The first phase of the project will analyse requirements, explore accessibility solutions, and develop a video calling and real-time text relay system. The results of this phase will be used for the next phase, planned for the end of this year, for which another call for tenders will be launched.
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