Alarm bells: Emergency Alert Code to notify police about danger

The service has been launched in the wake of growing security concerns about schools.

KARACHI: In the wake of growing security concerns about educational institutions, the police have launched an Emergency Alert Code service to report terrorist activity in the city’s schools.

The service was launched in an event at the Central Police Office on Wednesday, attended by Sindh IG Ghulam Haider Jamali, Karachi AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo and Ufone officials.

To avail this service, school staff members will register their Ufone numbers with the provincial education department and the city police, by filling out forms online or at any police station. Once the phone number is registered, dialling a simple code, *55#, will alert the nearest police station, telling them the name, location and institution of the person who generated the alarm. If the text message is not received by the police officials, they will then receive a call.

“After the Army Public School attack in Peshawar, we gave the task of developing this service to our team,” explained Ufone sales head Arif Mehmood Malik, thanking the IG and other police officials for letting the company contribute to the city’s security. “We inaugurated this service in the Punjab first, where 20,000 schools are now using it.”

Jamali termed the initiative a part of the battle against terrorism. “After the Peshawar school attack, we decided to use advanced technology as part of our efforts,” he added.

“This service is a unique security alarm that will help the police take immediate security measures in case of an emergency,” said Thebo.

Meanwhile, Ufone South Region sales head Wali Muhammad briefed the media about how the code works. “Because of the numerous prank calls received by the police, we have asked the school authorities to first register their cellphone numbers,” he clarified. “The code will work even if the user has no credit.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2015.