New security centre ensures a faster response to emergencies in Czechia’s Moravian-Silesia region

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"This is probably our biggest advantage, that we can solve all things in a flash from one place. When someone asks for help, it doesn't matter what rescue number they call, we'll share the information immediately and send help. Seconds sometimes literally save lives."Colonel Radek Zeman, head of the Integrated Security Centre of the Moravian-Silesia RegionThe ISC is designed as an ‘intelligent building’ and its critical systems are under constant supervision. The building can operate autonomously for 72 hours in the event of a power or water supply cut. If a serious event or natural disaster occurs, it can serve as a crisis centre for the city of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesia region.Coordinated responseIn the ISC dispatching hall, information is brought together in one place to save lives. Critical situations can be resolved quickly and with cooperation between emergency services. Within a few seconds, police, ambulances and firefighters can be sent to one place after receiving information about the intervention at the same time.Dispatchers receive more than 700 000 emergency calls and send resources to over 300 000 emergencies every year.Every day, several police officers monitor hundreds of security cameras. In this way, they can send rescue services to accidents or other events even before they receive reports from patrols or people asking for help by phone.  Work in the ISC can involve more than 200 people at one time.Integrating technologiesThe ISC integrates various technologies for all emergency services, including telephony, geographic information systems, data-video conference space, and CCTV streams. The building provides a working space for the technical departments of the fire brigade and the municipal police directorate. In addition, there is a duty room and an emergency medical service intervention/response post.The ISC was created by merging 16 safety centres, one of which covered the city of Ostrava. The merger has reduced the costs of providing emergency coverage in the region. The ISC has received several awards, including the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) award for Outstanding Emergency Call Centre in 2014, and the Grand Prix for Building of the year of Moravian-Silesia Region in 2010.The Moravian-Silesia Region covers about 5 400 km2 and is home to around 1.2 million people. The region lies in east Czechia and borders two EU member states – Poland to the north and Slovakia to the east. Before May 2001, Moravian-Silesia was called Ostrava, which remains the name of the region’s capital.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “The Integrated Security Centre of the Moravian-Silesian Region” is EUR 27 014 266, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 22 962 126 through the “Moravia Silesia” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.