In an effort to further improve the capability of the city government to provide emergency services and act on complaints from the public, the Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved City Ordinance No. CO 34-2019 on 14 October 2019.
Also known as the ALERT 161 Ordinance of the City of Bacoor, the said legislative measure aims to enhance the capability of the city government to respond to emergency situations and to resolve complaints by members of the public, increase community involvement in disaster risk reduction and management, and promote public order and safety.
Under the ordinance, people in need of emergency assistance or who wants to file a complaint against any city government official or employee may dial 161 on their landlines or mobile phones and expect immediate feedback from personnel of the Bacoor Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (BDRRMO), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP) who were duly trained to handle such calls. Designed to mimic the capabilities of the famed 911 emergency response system, Alert 161 shall require callers to pay ten pesos per call in order to dissuade prank calling as well as to augment the funds of the city government for the said program.
Prank callers and the managers of hospitals that fail to respond to calls for assistance by Alert 161 personnel shall be held liable under the said ordinance.