The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is to reform Jamaica's emergency response systems through an initiative that will enable first responders to identify the location of emergency calls.

"This can significantly reduce response time, especially in rural areas where oftentimes there are no street names or numbers. It can literally save lives," the OUR said in its 2023-2024 annual report released on October 29.  

The initiative is part of a broader project launched after the government accepted recommendations made by the OUR in 2018.

"The project will result in the consolidation of all call-taking and dispatching functions in a unified (physical and/or virtual) emergency communications centre," the report explained.

The OUR said it will be assessing the capability of service providers to deliver automatic number identification and automatic location information. The technologies are expected to ensure that emergency communication centres can receive precise location data, thereby improving response times.

Additionally, the OUR plans to address customer premises equipment, such as Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs), to ensure they can relay accurate location information, particularly for calls made from complex facilities with multiple buildings or floors.

"One of the critical components of a modernised emergency access service is the need for customer premises equipment connected to public telecommunication network...to be able to dispatch precise location data," noted the report.

The OUR said it will establishing certification standards for PBX equipment under Section 57 of the Telecommunications Act. 

The regulator said activities related to the projects are expected to begin in the second quarter of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which started on April 1.

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