A pilot programme introducing emergency support points has begun in almost 70 municipalities across all 25 safety regions. The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) announced this on Tuesday evening.
The trial is being carried out by the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV) on behalf of the VNG, the safety regions and the Ministry of Justice and Security.
An emergency support point is a physical location in a municipality where residents can go if normal services are unavailable. At a minimum, people can receive essential information there. The pilot will explore whether these locations can also provide other forms of support.
Because municipalities are closely connected to residents and local businesses, they are working with the safety regions to implement the trial. A smaller pilot was already held in the municipality of Utrecht in December.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
