Abu Dhabi introduces SOS system on police app to report emergencies faster

New service is designed to cut response times

Abu Dhabi residents can report fires and request ambulance services by pressing an SOS button on Abu Dhabi Police's smart app. Photo: Abu Dhabi Police

Abu Dhabi residents can report fires and request ambulance services with the click of a button on an app.

Instead of dialling police or civil defence emergency numbers, residents can use the SOS option on the Abu Dhabi Police app to report incidents.

The emirate’s police force and its civil defence authority said the SOS option will deliver faster and more effective emergency help.

In a video on Abu Dhabi Police's social media pages, people are shown how to access the SOS button at the top right of the home page of the police app.

They can choose either the ambulance or fire services and then confirm their report by selecting one of the Captcha (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) images, which ensures the users are human.

A message will then appear stating that they will shortly be contacted by phone.

Abu Dhabi Police said the option will help reduce emergency response time.

The force’s Command-and-Control Centre phone number receives millions of calls every year from people in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions.

Calls involve people reporting all types of accidents and incidents but not all are emergencies, which prompt authorities to regularly remind public members to ring the hotline only for reporting cases that require urgent help.