Sharjah Police revealed a remarkable humanitarian and security situation, during which an employee at the Communications Operations Center was able to rescue a foreign woman who was being threatened by her husband while he was in an abnormal state, after she resorted to an unconventional method of requesting help, as she called the emergency number and asked for “pizza” in an attempt to call for help without attracting her husband’s attention.
The director of the Sharjah Police Communications Operations Branch, Captain Majid Al-Bass, narrated the details of the incident during his speech on the “Aman Ya Biladi” program, explaining that one of the foreign women called the emergency number and asked for a pizza, and when the employee (Khamis) informed her that she was speaking with the police and not with a restaurant, she confirmed that she knew that, but she continued her order in a way that seemed unusual.
He said that the employee realized that the caller might be in a dangerous situation and unable to speak freely, so he handled the call intelligently and calmly, and continued talking to her as if he was receiving an actual order to buy food, as he asked her how many pieces of pizza and drinks she wanted, making use of her answers to collect information that would help evaluate the situation.
He added that the employee immediately informed the relevant officials and coordinated with the concerned authorities, while the caller’s location was determined, and the specialized teams moved to the site, where the field inspection revealed that the woman was indeed being threatened by her husband, who was in an abnormal state, which required immediate intervention to protect her.
He explained that such situations confirm the importance of the training programs that operations center employees undergo, which focus on dealing with various types of reports and unconventional scenarios, noting that some methods of calling for help have become known globally, including the use of requests for food or symbolic phrases to express the presence of danger without the ability to disclose it directly.
He stressed that the presence of more than one different nationality and culture in the country requires operations center employees to possess high skills in communication and to understand different patterns of behavior and methods of expression, pointing out that some callers may deal according to concepts or practices common in their countries of origin, which requires the employee to have quick understanding and good judgment to ensure that the required assistance is provided in a timely manner.
He stated that the Sharjah Police Operations Center is the first starting point for dealing with various reports and security events, and it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week through three main departments: the Emergency Operations Center via the number 999, the call center for non-emergency services and reports via the number 901, in addition to the security monitoring center.
The public called on the importance of distinguishing between the numbers 999 and 901, explaining that the number 999 is designated for emergency situations that require immediate mobilization of a field resource, whether it is a police patrol, ambulance, or civil defense teams, while the number 901 is used for inquiries, services, and reports that do not require urgent intervention.
He pointed out that busying emergency lines with non-urgent inquiries may affect the speed at which assistance reaches people who need immediate intervention, so callers with inquiries and services are directed to the number designated for that.
He stressed that the operations center represents the beating heart of the security system in the emirate, and continues to develop its human and technical capabilities to ensure rapid response, raise levels of security and safety, and enhance community confidence in the security services provided.
