The Emergency Response Centre has started its activities on 2 October 2003 and it is a statutory body of the interior.

The main task of the Emergency Response Centre is to answer the emergency calls to the single emergency call number 112 that is used for reporting any offence ongoing, planned or committed, any risk to life or limb, health or safety, the environment, material, non-material or other values and, if necessary, for calling the appropriate emergency services.

Main functions of the Emergency Response Centre are as follows:
• answer emergency calls to the number 112,
• take and assess the requests for emergency assistance, determine what emergency assistance the callers need (police, fire and rescue brigades, emergency medical service),
• in case of a need, provide emergency assistance (advice, explanations, instructions, etc.) by phone until the arrival of emergency services,
• inform the appropriate emergency services about the need of emergency assistance at the place of the emergency, i.e. prepare the emergency reports and transmit them to emergency services,
• increase public awareness on the number 112, its purpose and use, related features and future alterations, also giving explanations how and in what cases should or should not this number be used.

Activity principles of Emergency Response Centre are as follows:
• permanent availability of services – the Emergency Response Centre accepts and handles emergency calls 24 hours a day and 7 days a week,
• rapidity – the Emergency Response Centre ensures immediate and appropriate response to requests for emergency assistance,
• professionalism – assigned tasks and functions are performed by the Emergency Response Centre officers who have been specially trained to handle emergency calls and who possess appropriate qualifications.

Updated 2006-11-23

bpc112.lt