Bali Begins 112 Emergency Hotline Pilot, Bringing Multiple Services Under One Number

DENPASAR, Bali - September 25, 2026 - Bali has been selected as Indonesia’s pilot province for a single emergency telephone number, marking a major step toward integrating the island’s fragmented emergency-response services under 112.

The initiative was formally advanced through the signing of a joint commitment involving the central government, the Bali provincial government and local administrations across the province. The agreement was signed in Nusa Dua on Thursday, September 24, with the announcement reported publicly on Friday.

The pilot forms part of the national Indonesia Siaga 112 programme, which is intended to become the foundation for a wider nationwide emergency system over the next two years.

For Bali, the move carries particular significance because of the province’s large resident population, extensive tourism industry and the number of foreign visitors moving through its cities, resorts, beaches and remote destinations.

“Bali is a tourism province that requires a single emergency hotline,” Safrizal ZA, Director General of Regional Administration Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, said during the commitment signing. He said the service would be available not only to residents but also to international tourists.

One number for multiple emergencies

Under the pilot, 112 is designed to connect callers with several emergency functions rather than requiring people to determine which agency they should contact first.

The planned system brings together fire and rescue services, medical assistance, disaster response, and public-safety and security functions. The hotline is intended to operate through both mobile and fixed-line networks, with calls provided free of charge during the pilot. A mobile application is also planned as part of the system.

The idea is straightforward: in an emergency, the caller should not have to know whether the situation belongs to a hospital, fire department, disaster agency or another authority. The request can enter through one channel and then be directed through the integrated response system.

Bali’s Regional Disaster Management Agency, or BPBD, said multiple emergency services will eventually be connected through a single command structure under the Bali Emergency Service, known as BES 112.

That integration is expected to be particularly important for visitors who may be unfamiliar with Indonesia’s emergency institutions, local telephone numbers or administrative boundaries.

Bali records thousands of emergency calls

The push toward a single number comes as Bali’s existing emergency services are already handling thousands of calls.

According to data presented by BPBD Bali, the province recorded 5,889 emergency calls between January 1 and September 19, 2026. Denpasar accounted for 2,877 calls, representing 48.8 percent of the provincial total during that period.

The figures were cited during a September 24 workshop in Nusa Dua focused on mapping existing emergency services and identifying what is needed to strengthen the 112 system.

For authorities, the numbers illustrate why coordination matters. Bali's emergency response network currently involves different institutions operating with their own responsibilities, procedures and channels. The new model is intended to make those systems communicate more directly.

57 sub-districts targeted

Bali Governor Wayan Koster has welcomed the pilot and said the province is prepared to support its implementation.

according to regional travel authorities and bureau field correspondents, Bali is planning specialized training and dedicated units covering all 57 sub-districts across the province. The objective is to create a response network capable of handling calls consistently across Bali rather than concentrating capability only in the island's main urban centres.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, or Komdigi, is also preparing the technical and digital infrastructure required to connect institutions that have historically operated separately.

Komdigi Secretary-General Ismail said the success of 112 would depend on reliable connectivity, coordinated operating procedures and digital infrastructure capable of synchronizing emergency responses between institutions.

A tourism issue as much as an emergency issue

For Bali, the significance of the project extends beyond disaster management.

The island receives international visitors across a geographically diverse tourism landscape, from densely developed areas in southern Bali to mountain villages, rural destinations, offshore islands and coastal communities. An emergency involving a visitor can therefore occur far from the major hospitals and emergency centres most familiar to residents.

The decision to explicitly include international tourists in the planned service reflects that reality.

It also places greater importance on the quality of the system behind the number. A single telephone number can simplify access, but effective emergency response still depends on the speed of dispatch, communications infrastructure, trained personnel, location information and coordination between agencies.

Those are among the issues the Bali pilot will now have to address.

The Bali government and central ministries describe the province as a model for the eventual national rollout of 112. The pilot therefore has implications beyond Bali itself: its operating procedures, technology and institutional coordination will help determine how Indonesia approaches a single emergency channel nationally.

For residents and visitors, the significance is ultimately simple.

Instead of having to determine which emergency agency to call, Bali is moving toward a system in which one number - 112 - becomes the first point of contact.

The challenge now is turning that promise into a response system that works consistently, quickly and across the entire island.