Ihor Klymenko: Development of the 112 Service is one of the elements of the path of the European integration of Ukraine
It was stated by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine during the visit of the European Investment Bank delegation headed by Nadia Calviño, the President of the European Investment Bank, to the 112 Service in Kyiv. Katarína Mathernová, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, also took part in the event.
This meeting is a further step in the dialogue between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the European Investment Bank on the implementation of a system of emergency assistance to the public via a 112 single telephone number throughout Ukraine. The project envisages the provision of EUR 40 million under a loan agreement for the development of the respective centres.
First of all, Ihor Klymenko, together with Alina Shevchuk, the Deputy Director of the “Infrastructure and Technology Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine” State Institution and the Head of the 112 Service, introduced the international partners to the Kyiv communication centre and informed them about the work of the 112 Service in the cities of Lviv and Dnipro.
The Minister of Internal Affairs stated that since the launch of the 112 System in Ukraine on July 01, 2023, communication centres have received almost 5 million calls, with more than 768,000 transferred to emergency services.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the European Investment Bank are jointly working to improve the emergency response system in Ukraine. Implementing and improving the quality of the 112 Emergency Service is a priority for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, as we strive to ensure that everyone who needs help receives it in a timely manner. We are constantly looking for solutions for the protection and comfort of our people. And we do our best to respond as quickly as possible in critical and extreme situations”, – said Ihor Klymenko, addressing the partners.
Expanding the geography of emergency call handling
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine informed the delegation that emergency calls are currently handled in the communication centres of the cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Dnipro, covering the respective macro-regions. The 4th communication centre of the 112 Service is to be opened in the city of Odesa soon.
Number of calls handled and accessability
Alina Shevchuk, the Deputy Director of the “Infrastructure and Technology Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine” State Institution and the Head of the 112 Service, noted that the principle of the emergency system is that a person can immediately report an emergency to several operational services by dialing the 112 number:
“People with hearing or speech impairments can call 112. They will communicate via video link with operators who speak sign language. For this purpose, they need to send an SMS and wait for a link to the connection”.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine noted that since the launch of the 112 Service, the operators of the centres have processed more than 24,000 calls in sign language.
The European Investment Bank delegation was also able to see first-hand how the call was handled in sign language.
Ihor Klymenko also said that 65 out of more than 260 112 operators speak foreign languages such as English, Polish, Spanish, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Korean, Japanese, French and Georgian.
Meanwhile, the 112 Service processed 43 messages received through the European system of automatic notification of road accidents (e-Call). In addition, calls from 911 are forwarded to the line as well.
Technical support of the 112 Service
Ihor Klymenko informed the partners that the effective work of the 112 Service is based on advanced technological solutions that ensure fast data transfer and a high level of cybersecurity. The technical equipment of the service complies with the European standards, which allows it to respond quickly to calls even under martial law.
Moreover, an important element of the 112 Service is its continuous operation: in case of an air raid, operators move to shelters and continue to handle calls from there.
During the visit to the 112 communication centre in the city of Kyiv, the parties also discussed a joint agreement to attract €40 million from the European Investment Bank:
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the European Investment Bank have been cooperating in this area since 2021 and are now moving on to the project implementation. This cooperation will allow to increase the level of interaction between emergency services, in particular by automatically determining the geolocation of the caller. We will strengthen our ability to provide assistance to people with hearing and speech impairments, as well as foreign citizens”, – stated Ihor Klymenko during the briefing.
In her turn, Nadia Calviño, the President of the European Investment Bank, said that she was honoured to be in the city of Kyiv and to contribute to the continuation of reforms in Ukraine:
“We continue to work on this project, which is crucial for us. The 112 Rescue Service plays a key role in responding to critical challenges that are vital to the citizens of Ukraine today and will remain so in the future. Even after the war is over, this project will contribute to Ukraine's further integration into the European Union”.
Furthermore, Nadia Calviño noted the performance of the 112 Service when working with people with hearing or speech impairments. She emphasised the importance of access to emergency assistance for all citizens.
“I am amazed that in Ukraine, even during the war, the 112 Service is working at full capacity. This shows the resilience of the Ukrainian people and your constant work to improve services. We consider this project to be of utmost importance”, – said the EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová.
In addition, the participants got acquainted with the work of the Situational Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Coordination Centre for Countering Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition and the Centre for Integrated Border Management.
The meeting concluded with the parties reaffirming their mutual interest in further cooperation in order to improve the emergency assistance system in Ukraine. Representatives of the European Investment Bank expressed their readiness to support the further development of the 112 Service, in particular by expanding its capabilities, introducing innovative technologies and strengthening cyber defence.
In his turn, Ihor Klymenko expressed his gratitude to the international partners for their support and stressed that the development of the 112 Service is an important step towards Ukraine's integration into the European security and emergency response space.
Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
