Making Emergency Calls Easier to Hear and Understand
GRANCAST, Featuring an Advanced Technology System Adopted for the First Time in Japan^*1,
Goes Live at the Yamaguchi Western Fire Dispatch Center

GENERAL Inc. (formerly Fujitsu General) has delivered its fire and emergency dispatch system GRANCAST to the Yamaguchi Western Fire Dispatch Center, which is jointly operated by the cities of Shimonoseki, Mine, and Nagato in Yamaguchi Prefecture. This system is the first in Japan^*1 to implement technology that makes dispatcher voices easier to hear in a fire and emergency dispatch system. It establishes an advanced emergency dispatch framework that helps protect the lives of approximately 300,000 residents. The total project cost is approximately 3.29 billion yen. The system has been in full operation since February 25, 2026, and continues to operate stably.

The number of emergency calls nationwide increased by approximately 1.3 times^*2 between 2020 and 2024, making the enhancement and efficiency of fire dispatch operations an urgent issue. In response to this, under the national and prefectural initiative promoting regional cooperation^*3, the previous two-city operation of Shimonoseki and Mine was expanded to include Nagato City. This led to the establishment of the Yamaguchi Western Fire Dispatch Center operated jointly by the three cities.
The center aims to enhance disaster response capabilities and improve operational efficiency. By establishing a system that enables prompt responses even with limited personnel, it seeks to build a community where residents can live with a greater sense of safety and security. At the core of this initiative is GRANCAST, our newly adopted fire and emergency dispatch system.

In the GRANCAST system deployed at the Yamaguchi Western Fire Dispatch Center, the voice-clarification device "SMN CALL119" has been implemented in a fire and emergency dispatch system for the first time in Japan^*1. This technology corrects the dispatcher's voice in real time to frequencies that are easier to hear, based on voice characteristics. As a result, callers, including elderly individuals and others with hearing difficulties, find dispatchers' voices easier to understand during emergency calls. This enables clear audio delivery and supports accurate communication between callers and dispatchers. This device was jointly developed with the audio equipment manufacturer Radius Co., Ltd.

Going forward, we will continue to leverage over 50 years of expertise and technological capabilities in command-and-control systems. We will use these strengths to provide solutions that address the needs and challenges of fire and emergency operations. In addition, by leveraging new technologies to support accurate situational awareness and rapid response, we will contribute to the realization of a safer and more secure society.