The Telecom Commission on Monday accepted the recommendation by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to make 112 as the number for all emergency services in the country, including police, fire brigade and ambulance, reported PTI. Currently, callers need to dial different numbers for emergency services, such as 100 for the police, 101 for the fire department, 102 for ambulance. The independent regulator had said that the existing numbers can be retained as secondary numbers.

“In emergency situations every passing second counts, whether it is a burglary, theft, road rage, or a fire spreading, or a citizen struggling with a heart attack – the first few minutes are crucial. It is likely that crucial time may be lost in figuring out what number to dial,” TRAI had said, according to The Hindu. In its recommendation, the regulator had also said that the government should set up Public Safety Answering Points, which will be akin to a call centre, through which all calls to 112 will be routed. It had also proposed SMS-based access for emergency services.