Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122)

Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) is the first successfully tested model of trained Emergency Service in Pakistan. The Government of Punjab has established this Emergency Service through legislation to provide a system for Emergency Preparedness, Response and Prevention. The Service has been established for proper management of emergencies such as road traffic accidents, buildings collapse, explosions, hazardous material incidents, fires and disasters. The Government of Punjab has established an effective integrated emergency preparedness, response and prevention system through promulgation of unanimously passed Punjab Emergency Service Act, 2006. The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) also established under this Act includes Emergency Ambulance, Rescue & Fire Services and Disaster Emergency Response Teams. Trained emergency paramedics, Ambulance, Rescue and Fire services were virtually non-existent. The ambulances available with the NGOs are only patient transport vehicles without essential equipment and trained staff. These are good for transportation of routine patients and dead bodies which is not the function of an emergency service. Instead of making random interventions in a haphazard manner by reinforcing failures, the Government of Punjab launched the Punjab Emergency & Ambulance Services (Rescue 1122) Pilot Project from Lahore on 14th October, 2004. Then the Service accepted the challenge of establishing a modern Fire Service and Disaster Emergency Response Teams in Pakistan. After the successful evaluation of Lahore pilot project, the Service has been established in all the major cities of Punjab which include Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, D.G Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sargodha and Murree. Some of the major tasks involved in the establishment of the Service included acquisition of appropriate land for Rescue Stations at strategic locations from where swift response to emergencies could be provided with minimum number of stations; construction of Rescue Stations; recruitment of right staff and training of staff on modern lines; development of international standard Ambulances, Rescue and Fire vehicles in Pakistan resulting in significant cost saving; acquisition of toll free emergency number 1122 and wireless frequencies from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority; development & installation of vehicle and call monitoring systems for District Control Rooms. After the establishment of Rescue 1122 in all Districts of Punjab by 2009, Punjab shall have effectively strengthened its limited capacity to deal with emergencies such as road traffic accidents, buildings collapse, hazardous material incidents, fires and disasters which has long been putting the lives and properties of citizens at risk in Pakistan.