Who will save?

The unofficial website of operators, correspondents and reservists of the Moscow Rescue Service is distributing alarming messages that the service will soon be forced to cease its activities. The main source of information in this case is the material in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, according to which, from December 1, instead of a commercial structure, assistance by telephone in emergency situations will be provided to citizens by employees of a government structure. As the head of the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Moscow, Evgeny Bobylev, told the newspaper, a system will be created to ensure calls to emergency operational services using a single number 112 (the same number that employees of the Moscow Rescue Service have previously responded to). This service will record and transmit alarm calls to rescuers, doctors, firefighters, and police. As planned, eight operators will work on each shift, who may be replaced by an automatic dispatcher in the future.

Non-automated dispatchers from the Moscow Rescue Service report on their unofficial website that they have been asked to find a new job.

Meanwhile, official representatives of the service have so far refused to comment on the situation. The correspondent of the Daily Journal was told at the Moscow Rescue Service that the question of her fate was being resolved. It is possible that it will indeed cease to exist, but this will not become completely clear until next week.