Dubai Police 999 hotline: Each officer handles up to 400 calls a day

Dubai Police emergency hotline (999) received more than five million calls last year with each operator handling an average of 100-400 emergency calls a day, said Colonel Turki bin Faris, Director of the Command and Control Centre.

Much like frontline heroes, such as doctors, paramedics, police officers and civil defence personnel, Dubai Police emergency hotline officials also work tirelessly in the shadows to ensure every distress call is answered within a fraction of a second.

Eng. Major-General Kamel Butti Al Suwaidi, Director of Operations at Dubai Police, says handling emergency calls is a critical humanitarian mission, as any delay in the arrival of emergency services may worsen the condition of the injured or even cause death.

"They (999 call handlers) facilitate the fast and effective response of police patrols and other emergency services arriving at the precise location of emergency scenes," he added.

Maj-Gen Al Suwaidi explained that Dubai Police 999 operators are trained on effectively and tactfully handling all calls to the Command and Control Centre and quickly transferring to the radio dispatcher.

"The Command and Control Centre plays a critical role as it places the Force's capabilities in the right place at the right time and enhances the speed of response to emergencies, which is one of the most important performance indicators of the Dubai Police," he continued.

Maj-Gen Al Suwaidi noted that the Centre utilises the latest technologies and AI-backed systems such as the smart security prediction system and big data analysis to redistribute patrols and focus on areas where emergency reports abound.