Oita Prefecture has become the first in Japan to centralize its emergency 119 call response at the prefecture level through a new fire and ambulance command center.
Its standardization of procedures — from receiving emergency calls to dispatching responders — is expected to significantly reduce response times.
The center, which began full-scale operations on Oct. 1, is housed in a multi-purpose public facility in the city of Oita. It’s staffed by 49 personnel from the prefecture’s 14 fire departments. Of these, 42 serve as emergency dispatchers handling 119 calls.
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