Instant alert: SOS android service launched at 1,072 educational institutes in Kohat

Emergency texts will be sent to six police stations, 25 rescue centres

KOHAT: The police have now launched the android-based SOS alert service in Kohat as well, to guarantee security at 1,072 educational institutes across the district.

Under this initiative, the management of schools will be able to alert the police of an emergency situation through an application installed on their android phone. As soon as a person taps the alert button on their mobile device, police stations and rescue centres will be notified and arrive at the site to deal with any eventualities.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Fazal Naeem, a police spokesperson, said the app has been installed on the mobile phones of the principal and other officials at schools. He added the service has been introduced at primary, secondary and high schools as well as colleges and universities across Kohat district.

A click away

“Through a single click, messages will be sent to six police stations and an alarm will also go off in 25 rescue centres,” he said. According to Naeem, the app has been introduced to make it easier for people to inform the police about any eventualities.

“More often than not, it is difficult for people to contact the police or provide exact details about their whereabouts during an emergency,” the spokesperson said. “This service will make it easier for police to respond to a situation.”

Naeem said all heads of educational institutes have been trained on how to use the app.

“We have installed the service on their phones free of cost,” he added.

Under threat

Following the attack on Army Public School in the provincial capital which left over 150 people, mostly schoolchildren, the provincial police launched an android-based One-Click SOS Alert Service in the city. This service enabled vulnerable and sensitive institutions, including schools, to inform the police about any emergency.

With time, the service was also introduced in various districts across the province.

The APS massacre presented fresh challenges to ensure security at schools. The boundary walls at schools were raised, teachers were provided licenced weapons and a community watch was set up to ensure security. However, the costs associated with these arrangments and the failure to meet security requirements forced many schools to remain closed for prolonged periods of time.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2015.