nWHAT’S THE NUMBER?: At the moment, in Mumbai, the subscriber of Topsline is required to call the number 1252 for any kind of emergency. In Calcutta and other metros where the service is tentatively to be introduced, however, the designated number is yet to be decided upon.

nPRIVATE LIMITED: While the service is indeed based on the US Alert 911, the difference is that Alert 911 is a US government service, while Topsline is a private one. The former is available to anyone with access to a telephone at the time of the emergency. The latter is only available to a subscriber.

nCASH DOWN: You have to pay the company and become a member to avail of its services. Calcutta’s consumers, however, are not complaining. “It’s a small price to pay for a big service,” says Suniti Ganguly.