Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Digicel gets cleared to ship in equipment for 911 system

Apr 06, 2017 News

Several weeks ago, telephone service provider Digicel was awarded a $27M contract for the installation of the 911 business solution emergency service.
That process is one step closer to being fixed, the Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said yesterday.
He told the Government Information Agency that clearance has been given to company to ship the equipment needed to have the 911 system back up and running.
“Digicel won the contract for purposes for getting the equipment to be installed in Brickdam and I think the arrangements have already been made with the PS (Permanent Secretary) for the monies to be given to them to get the equipment in,” the Minister was quoted as saying.
Ramjattan pointed out that once the equipment arrives in Guyana, both the 912 and 913 emergency lines will be merged with the 911 number to have one cohesive emergency calling system.
Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) will be contributing to fixing the distribution line at the Brickdam Police Station, it was stated.
Ramjattan noted that there were some problems with the telephone lines and the equipment. He said these should be resolved in and around the time when the equipment comes in.
Minister Ramjattan explained that officers have already been trained to answer the emergency calls.
Last year, Ramjattan held consultations with local telephone service providers for the establishment of the 911 (Guyana Police Force) and 912 (Guyana Fire Service) emergency lines, because the defunct 911 emergency line continues to be a troubling issue.
Some $250M was allocated in budget 2017 for equipment for the Guyana Police Force.
In 2014, a blame-game had ensued between the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT)’s management and the Guyana Police Force over the ineffectiveness of the 911 emergency numbers.
According to reports, the Police Force believed that the problem was technical, on the side of GTT, rather than human, on the side of the Police Force.
GTT, on the other hand, had released a statement in 2014 calling out the police for the less than satisfactory responses to 911 calls.
The phone company had said that there were handsets which had disappeared at the 911 receiving stations. In some cases, handsets were taken off the hook or the phones were not answered by personnel during standard working hours.
Opposition MP Clement Rohee, while he was Home Affairs Minister for the PPP government in 2014, laid blame at the feet of the phone company, saying that it was dodging responsibility.
Last year, the acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine, had stated that despite a 2014 review of the 911 system which recommended a range of reforms to improve its efficiency, the service remains problematic.
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has been clamouring for years for the system to be upgraded. The body had noted that service was essential for any citizen who is under threat to be able to request a police response.
“People are dying, people are being hurt… The 911 system, in my view, is a national emergency and everybody from the President right down should not go to bed at night if this 911 system is not working and I am appalled that they do,” PSC executive Captain Gerry Gouveia had told a press conference last October.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

 D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life with Region 3 Jamboree

 D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life...

Nov 21, 2024

Kaieteur Sports – The D-Up Basketball Academy is gearing up to wrap its first-of-its-kind, two-month youth basketball camp, which tipped off in September at the Tuschen Primary School (TPS)...
Read More
Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in Final Amateur Outing

Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in...

Nov 21, 2024

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers as Stena Drilling Junior Skill Level Tournament concludes

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers...

Nov 20, 2024

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory at Mr. Guyana National Seniors Championship

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory...

Nov 20, 2024

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series against Bangladesh

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series...

Nov 20, 2024

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI 

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI 

Nov 20, 2024

Features/Columnists

  • Bureaucracy gone bananas!

    …Peeping Tom kaieteur News- Every morning, the government wakes up, stretches its arms, and spends one billion dollars... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]