Yanukovych signs law on 112 emergency number

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed law No. 4499-VI to create the 112 emergency phone system, according to the president's press service. "According to the law, the system will be created to ensure that relevant profile departments take urgent measures to prevent or respond to emergencies. The law envisages the creation of a central executive agency for the civil protection of the population in the case of emergencies with the 112 phone number, operational services, emergency detachments that will use telecommunication networks, software, hardware and other means," reads the statement of the press service.

According to the statement, the 112 centers will receive and process emergency calls, transfer information to operational services, and control their registration. In turn, operational services of the state and local governments will receive emergency calls and information about them, transfer information to emergency detachments, coordinate actions of these detachments and will be on duty twenty-four hours a day.

Phone calls on the 112 emergency number will be free of charge.

As reported, on March 13 the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law to create the 112 emergency phone system. As the law's explanatory note read, the 112 system will allow the rendering of aid to Ukrainian citizens in the case of there being threats to health, life, property, the environment, public order and other dangerous events or violations.

The law introduces 112 single phone number to call emergency services, instead of the current separate phone numbers: 101, 102, 103 and 104. During the introduction of the 112 number, the existing telephone numbers of the emergency services will be also used.

As earlier reported, the 112 emergency phone system will start working in the cities hosting Euro 2012, in particular in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Donetsk in Q2, 2012, and then in other regions of Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian Emergencies Minister Viktor Baloha, the launch of the 112 system will cost Hr 650 million.