DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi has dismissed rumours that the DEMS call centre is handling EMPD calls, clarifying that the EMPD call centre has not migrated to the DEMS.

Ntladi explained that the EMPD, the DEMS, the Licensing Department and the Emergency Management Services were amalgamated last year to form the Community Safety Department in a bid to streamline operations and improve service delivery.

Ntladi said the EMPD call centre remains separate, despite recent changes in the city’s administration.

“The CoE call centre is subdivided into life-threatening and non-life-threatening sections. The non-life-threatening call centre is predominantly for general service delivery matters. The life-threatening call centre is about life-saving, policing and protection of properties and life. It requires specifically fire brigade services, the DEMS and law enforcement services.

“The non-life-threatening emergency call centre has a specialised number: 0860 543 000. The emergency number for all life-threatening situations, including fires, rescue services, and metro police emergencies, is 011 458 0911.

“The contact number is centralised to receive calls from complainants or reporters. Of the three CoE metropolitan operational regions, each has its own dispatching centre to fast-track the response time from different EMPD precincts and fire stations. It has been this way since the formation of the Metropolitan Municipality of Ekurhuleni in 2000.

“In terms of life-threatening emergencies, the contact number for the call centre (011 458 0911) remains as is. The EMPD is dispatched from the receiving and dispatching call centres for policing activities. There is no migration of the EMPD to the DEMS call centre,” Ntladi said.