"European Emergency Call Day 112": Top marks for police emergency call - Federal Police is a European Pioneer thanks to ISO certificate
February 11 is the European Emergency Call Action Day and draws attention to the necessity and importance of the pan-European emergency number (112). In Austria, the emergency call 112 is carried out on a professional level by the ISO-certified regional control centers (LLZ) of the Federal Police. This year, they successfully passed the first surveillance audit by Austrian Standards. The applied ISO standard (ISO 18295-1) confirms that the nine LZZ adhere to uniform processes with the latest technology using the uniform control and communication system "ELKOS" and can, therefore, provide the best possible help in case of an emergency.
Last year, the Austrian Federal Police received approximately 3.7 million emergency calls via the numbers 133 and 112. Handling this volume of emergency calls in a contemporary manner requires uniform processes and systems.
The Ministry of the Interior is leading by example here: Austria is one of the first countries within the European Union with ISO-certified emergency and control centers, in which the police can accept emergency calls using the nationwide uniform IT system "ELKOS" and coordinate operations nationwide. After the international ISO certification was awarded in February 2021, the nine LLZ passed the first surveillance audit carried out by Austrian Standards this year - an important milestone for any ISO certification.
Professional processes for fast emergency call processing
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasizes a significant advantage that ELKOS and the certification achieve: "The police officers at the emergency telephone in the control centers benefit from uniform processes. They, therefore, receive the best possible support for their decisions, which creates competence for action and additional security, which is enormously important in this responsible position."
„The surveillance audit confirms that with the uniform control and communication system ELKOS, fast and competent help is guaranteed under the European emergency numbers 112 and 133. I congratulate the responsible persons of the emergency and control center competence center of the BMI that the state control centers of the police continue to meet the high standards," says Valerie Höllinger, CEO at Austrian Standards.
Without defects: police passed the checks positively
The regular review of awarded certificates is essential for the quality and trust that standards claim and enjoy in all areas of life. After two years, the provincial control centers of the police were put to the test by Austrian Standards. The clearly imposed goal was to guarantee uniform quality for all people seeking help at the European emergency number 112 or the police emergency number 133. The positive result of the monitoring audit fully confirmed this expectation.
Uniform emergency control and communication system (ELKOS) for all of Austria
ELKOS initiated a paradigm shift: it provides a comprehensive overview of available emergency forces and the current police situation. Thanks to the new technical possibilities, the emergency call operators can optimally support their colleagues in police operations. The additional transmission of operationally relevant information also increases the possibilities of self-protection for the deployed police officers, especially in the area of first responders.
"This ensures that in an emergency, assistance can be provided in a timely and optimal manner," Karner said. "A special thanks goes to the police officers who are on duty every day to ensure the safety of the people in Austria."
Review 2022
In every province there is a police emergency call and control center, which can be reached via the emergency numbers 112 and 133. In 2022, 3.7 million emergency calls were received at the nine police provincial control centers in Austria. This resulted in approximately 1.33 million real operations. Throughout Austria, the police arrive at the scene of an emergency in less than eight minutes on average - in conurbations, this response time is even shorter.
Photo:
Mirjana Verena Mully
