On Thursday afternoon, another national malfunction occurred in the C2000 system of the emergency services. The failure in the communication system lasted until late afternoon, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for C2000.
The control rooms could not communicate in the usual way with the police, fire brigade and ambulance personnel on the street. It is not yet clear how the malfunction occurred. The control rooms switched to an emergency procedure, said the spokesperson. Among other things, they communicated with emergency workers on the street via walkie-talkies. Citizens could simply reach the control rooms.
There are regular problems with the C2000 system. The police unions have often expressed their concern about the hitches. Police union ACP called the system unreliable and life-threatening for officers on the street. In July, the Labor Inspectorate also criticized the system.
Concerns from police unions
“We foresaw that this was coming, but it is confrontational that it is happening now,” said spokesman Maarten Brink on behalf of the four police unions. According to Brink, this is a “significant disruption”. In addition to problems communicating with control rooms, control rooms could not see where officers were. The C2000 system also contains functions that are important for the safety of agents.
Brink says he heard from officers that they were temporarily recalled to the station. Special investigating officers, who also work with C2000, are also said to have been recalled. Brink: “It is again at the expense of safety, of both officers and civilians.”
In July, the Labor Inspectorate also criticized the system.