The high costs of emergency rescue have discouraged many
of Naga City’s underprivileged residents from availing
of emergency services. Such limitations of emergency rescue
services can lead to dire consequences. For instance, in
Naga City, a woman died while giving birth in a tricycle
on her way to the hospital. Upon hearing this news, the
city government staff made it a priority to address this
issue. Out of their frustrations from this incident, they
formed Emergency Rescue Naga (ERN), a low-cost program aimed
to democratize access to emergency services, thereby providing
equity along with Naga’s economic growth.
Begun in
May 1991, Emergency Rescue Naga addresses the urgent need
for fast, reliable service in times of emergency. ERN provides
24-hour quick response medical and protective services to
all Naga City residents in life and property-threatening
situations. The program mobilizes the combined resources
of the city government (especially the police and fire departments),
the local association of barangay councils, government-owned
and private hospitals and schools, radio stations, local
amateur radio groups and private medical volunteers. It
provides the following services: a) emergency rescue and
transfer; b) first aid; c) ambulance service; d) quick police
response e) traffic control; f) fire fighting; g) promotion
of safety awareness; and h) disaster preparation and control.
In three
years, the program has responded to 10,000 calls, serving
15,000 people. Effective coordination, primarily through
the use of two-way radios in every barangay and a telephone
hotline, enabled the program to attain a 3-5 minute average
response time within the city proper to a 30-minute average
response time for the farthest mountain barangays some 17
kilometers away. During the onslaught of typhoon Monang
in December 1993, the ERN was the only communications network
that did not break down.
This partnership
between the local governments, private sector, and civic–minded
citizens has made possible the access to quality quick-response
services for the entire 126,000 population of Naga City.
Lately, the program has expanded to provide services to
the residents of neighbouring municipalities.
