A Conversation With: Prabhat Jauhari, C.E.O. of Mumbai Private Security Firm Prabhat Jauhari is the chief executive officer of Tops Air Rescue and Topsline Life Response Services, the first private emergency response service in Mumbai, which was started by Topsgrup in 2004. The Topsline crew, which is trained in rescue and evacuation operations, worked with the Mumbai police during the terror attacks of Nov. 26, 2008, to rescue over 150 people. India Ink spoke with Dr. Jauhari, who is also an anesthesiologist, about Topsline's involvement in the rescue efforts in 2008, the need for better emergency response services in the city and the change in attitudes toward security in the five years since the attacks. Topsgrup has been one of the first Indian companies involved in corporatizing private security, while in most other countries emergency response is a government responsibility. Why was it important that this is a service that should be provided by a private company? Topsline was conceived by Mr. Diwan Rahul Nanda in 2004 when he felt that there was a complete lack of professional help to citizens in Mumbai. Topsline is an emergency response service, perhaps the only private player in the world, based on the 911 services in the United States. We reach people in nine minutes wherever they are in Mumbai for any kind of emergency, which could be assault, molestation, car accidents, short circuit, burglary, fire and medical emergencies. We charge a monthly fee of approximately $3 for this service. Today, Topsline has about 300,000 members in Mumbai and are planning to start in perhaps Bangalore or Delhi. There is definitely a lack in the government provided emergency services, which is why people would sign up for this. How was Topsline involved in the rescue efforts during the Nov. 26, 2008, terror attacks in Mumbai? In case there is a terrorist attack or a crisis like the floods in Mumbai, Topsline has 30 vehicles, which are equipped to fight fire and deal with medical emergencies, and 70 bikes, which carry paramedics and commandos. When the attack started on 26th November in the night, and the first shots were fired at the Leopold Cafe, our vehicle was parked nearby, so we rushed to the spot. That night at Leopold Cafe, we transported eight people to Cama Hospital. Then Hasan Gafoor, the commissioner of police in Mumbai during the attacks, said that they needed more people on the scene. Subsequently, our crew members went to the Taj, Trident and Nariman House along with the police commandos and helped to retrieve the wounded. The National Security Guard commandos took some time to reach the scene so our people were helping rescue 24 people trapped in the rooms inside the Taj. Throughout the next three days, Topsline crewmembers were right at the front of the action and saved over 150 lives. Have attitudes toward emergency response services and security changed in Mumbai after the attacks? I think there has been a shift in attitudes because I believe that general awareness has increased and so has the perceived need to make oneself secure. Today, women are carrying pepper sprays; people are securing their houses through video camera and putting in place alarm systems. From our point of view, there was a surge in membership for emergency response services in the months following 26/11. India is a country where people don't believe they need life insurance; they don't take Mediclaim. There is a very casual attitude towards life - people don't want to spend money on precautionary measures. That is slowly changing. Before this, there was a lack of preparedness if any emergency strikes or there is any natural disaster. After this attack, awareness increased and all the major corporate houses have started taking initiatives and are conducting safety drills periodically. On a global scale, after attacks like 9/11 and 26/11, terrorism has been highlighted, and more countries are aware of the need to take measures to handle it by cooperating with each other. What were some of the lessons learned during the 2008 attacks? Preparedness and awareness are the best tools we have. Security has to become a prime concern. Five years after the attacks, five-star hotels have secured themselves but what about a mall? Anyone can enter a crowded shopping mall with a weapon. What has been done about the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, where the maximum people were killed? Also, the police officers on the scene were lacking certain emergency equipment, such as torches and ropes, needed to help rescue people from the site. Our team was able to provide these things while jointly working with the commandos. How was the security threat posed by the terrorists in the 2008 attacks unlike those faced by the city before? It was a very refined operation, and a very elongated operation. They came armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons, and they also came prepared to die. To fight someone who has come prepared to die is a very tough task. They targeted areas where they could cause the maximum casualties, and where there were foreigners so that they would get media attention. It was not just vengeance - it was planned to the last detail. What are some of the new key developments in the security industry? There has been a rising demand for electronic surveillance systems, manned guarding and intelligence inputs such as background checks on people joining organizations. People today are demanding better quality of services both in prevention and in response, if and when something happens. There is a need for more professional companies in the sector. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.