Cape Town: PECC celebrates 25 years and is counting on celebrating more. The Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) opened its doors at the turn of the century. The staff log and dispatch life-saving assistance to an average of 200,000 incidents every year.
PECC started as the 107 Call Centre in August 2000, as the first service of its kind at municipal level. Over the passing time, the department has seen an increase in staff to meet the growing need as well as technological advancements and systems integration for quicker distribution and responses to incidents.
Reportedly, the example is the collaboration of City of Cape Town with the Provincial Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in year 2022. This will fast track the registration and sharing of emergency medical incidents in the city, as courtesy of a systems integration project.
Medical emergencies account for at least 40% of the approximately 200,000 incidents recorded by the PECC every year. Other major categories include crime, fires, bylaw transgressions and road safety-related matters.
Reportedly, the PECC has a team of nearly 70 Emergency Communicators who work in shifts. They provide a 24/7 service in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
The staff receives ongoing specialized training, including customer service conflict resolution, first aid, emotional intelligence, trauma management, leadership skills, team building, counselling, diversity management, mentorship and leadership modules and ongoing computer related training.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith said that the emergency communicators are the unseen first responders. Their ability to remain calm and extract information becomes quick when dealing with callers who find themselves in stressful situations that can be difference between life and death. They are the backbone of the service and the reason why it is the go-to for hundreds of thousands of callers each year.
Smith said that he wants to extend his sincere appreciation to everyone at the Public Emergency Communication Centre for the dedication and commitment to a safer Cape Town. He is looking forward to seeing continued innovation, service excellence and more milestones in the future.