Fifty years of 111 celebrated

The 50th anniversary of the 111 emergency response service in New Zealand was celebrated last month.

The service started as a trial in Masterton and Carterton in September 1958 and was progressively rolled out across the country, with full installation completed by 1988.

The New Zealand Fire Service, Ambulance services, NZ Police and other partners gathered on 8 May to mark the anniversary and launch a joint emergency services 111 website – www.111.govt.nz

Fire Service Director of Communication Centres, Ian Pickard, says before 111, if people wanted to report a fire, for example, they would either have to know the number for the local fire station – if they had a phone – or activate a fire alarm call box on a lamp post.

“Today, the three emergency services are answering more calls quicker, and dispatching emergency responses faster than ever before, utilising some of the most advanced systems in the world.”

Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, National Manager Police Communications Centres, says the regrettable events of four years ago did affect public confidence in the Police 111 service.

“However increased investment in our people and systems has allowed us to build the lessons from that time into our training and structures. This is paying off and we’re seeing vastly improved levels of professionalism and service to the public,” says Steve.

“I believe Police now has a 111 service the public can, and should, have confidence in. Does that mean we’ll always meet people’s expectations? No – on rare occasions we won’t. Our people start every shift aiming to get it right for the public, but there is no fail-safe emergency response system anywhere in the world. This is a human business and some days it’s not easy.”

The new emergency services 111 website is designed to build increased public awareness and understanding of the 111 service, its links to the Ambulance, Fire and Police Communications Centres, and the vital role communications play in mobilising emergency services.