The mobile application 'Help 114,' which was developed by the Fire Fighting and Prevention Police Unit (PC07) under Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Public Security, has been launched to help city dwellers report locations of fire incidents in real time.

The application was born out of a joint research initiative between PC07 and tech experts, which started in 2018.

Residents of Ho Chi Minh City can download 'Help 114' on Google Play Store for Android devices or App Store for Apple gadgets.

Users can submit coordinates of any fire, as well as finding the nearest police stations, fire brigades, and fire hydrants in their immediate area, according to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Manh Truong, deputy head of PC07.

The fire fighting unit has installed over 7,800 fire hydrants in the city for better response to fire.

It is calculated that the app has received over 1,000 fire reports per day since its launch.

PC07 will verify each call and deal with the false reporters via local police forces, said Senior Colonel Huynh Quang Tam, head of the unit.

The call center can also ban false reporters from the app by blacklisting their phone numbers.

As the dry season is approaching, the fire fighting force of Ho Chi Minh City suggests that city dwellers keep highly vigilant when burning grass and debris, as the fire should be kept distant from surrounding buildings.

City residents are also advised against trash burning near bushy areas, setting fires without monitoring them, and starting a fire in strong winds or around noon.

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