Translated by Andrés Martínez Forero
As part of the “Bogotá, My City, My Home” strategy, which focuses on public safety and emergency management, the city continues its efforts to protect its citizens through the comprehensive security plan 'Bogotá Camina Segura' (Bogotá Walks Safely). A delegation of government officials from Córdoba, Argentina, toured the C4 facilities to learn about Bogotá’s coordinated approach to emergency response, which integrates agencies and institutions to deliver timely and effective solutions to citizens’ needs.
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The C4 has become a benchmark for cities and countries aiming to understand how different agencies can work together to address safety and emergency incidents in an urban setting.
“From here, we coordinate the Bogotá Police, the Secretariats for Women, Health, and Mobility, the Bogotá Fire Department, the Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change, and the Institute for Animal Welfare. Each organization addresses incidents based on its area of expertise and citizen reports,” explained Ada Luz Sandoval, director of the C4.
For more details on the visit, check the Secretariat of Security’s post on X:
Centralized and Coordinated Emergency Responses
Created in 2016, the C4 was established to address the disjointed systems that previously hindered Bogotá’s ability to respond to emergencies effectively. By centralizing emergency operations and integrating various agencies, the city has significantly improved response times and outcomes.
The center also manages Bogotá’s advanced video surveillance system, which oversees more than 10,000 cameras across the city, providing real-time monitoring capabilities.
Juan Pablo Quinteros, Córdoba’s Minister of Security, emphasized the importance of Bogotá’s model for their plans in Argentina.
“We have separate emergency lines—107 for municipal health services, 911 for police, and others—but we aim to unify them into a centralized multi-agency system. What you have here is better organized and more centralized. Learning from this experience will greatly help us in Córdoba,” said Quinteros.
Enhanced Emergency Line: Bogotá’s 123
In recent years, Bogotá’s 123 Emergency Line has upgraded its technology and processes to ensure faster and more effective responses. Certified by NENA 911 international standards, the system is on par with those in countries like Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
This year alone, the line has handled nearly seven million calls, 29.5% of which required agency intervention. The Bogotá Police address 59% of these cases, followed by the Emergency and Urgency Regulatory Center (CRUE) of the Health Secretariat at 19%, and the Mobility Secretariat at 11%.
High Standards and Employee Welfare
Ricardo Pieckenstainer, Córdoba’s Minister of Health, praised the C4’s excellence not only for its skilled personnel, certifications, and metrics but also for its emphasis on the well-being of its workforce.
“We’re taking these best practices with us to implement and follow the same path, incorporating Fire, Health, Police, and Women’s Centers in a way similar to what Bogotá has achieved here,” Pieckenstainer remarked.
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International Recognition
Representatives from Brazil (Fortaleza and Minas Gerais), Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina (Córdoba) have visited Bogotá’s C4 to observe how the center manages incidents like traffic accidents (with or without injuries), floods, fires, and animal welfare issues.
The C4’s success continues to inspire international efforts to develop integrated emergency response systems tailored to their own cities’ needs.
