New 911 system revamps emergency services across Canada

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) launched an upgraded version of Canada’s emergency call system, Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1), to help Canadians reach emergency help quickly.

The development of NG 9-1-1 began in 2017 when the CRTC released documentation to Canadian telephone companies, such as TELUS, to transition to a digital, IP-based platform.

The initial voice phase of NG 9-1-1 will prepare the country for future safety needs.

Surrey Fire Service Communications Manager Shannon Harris says the new and improved 911 service will offer real-time texting after the initial voice phase, with future phases adding the ability to send photos and live videos to 911.

“The next phase is called real-time texting …. You can physically see the keystrokes [a person is] typing,” Harris says. “It’s going to be good for [people who are] deaf or hard of hearing, and for those who are in an emergency situation and cannot talk.”

With improved features, Harris says the new upgrades will positively impact the community by enabling emergency responders to locate people more quickly with enhanced location accuracy.

The system will also speed up emergency calls and enable emergency responders to receive calls from remote locations.

“Better location [accuracy] is definitely going to be an improvement,” Harris says.

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has provided financial support for the new 911 system. The funding was used to acquire the necessary hardware and call-handling solutions, which have helped with the implementation of new system upgrades, including real-time texting.

The UBCM funding has helped smaller agencies acquire the resources to upgrade to the new 911 system, she says, adding that they would have to shut down or merge with larger agencies without it.

“It definitely came as a huge help when we heard about the funding,” Harris says. “The hardware, servers, and the call-handling solutions — those are not all cheap pieces of equipment and software.”

While the transition to the new system has been smooth, Harris says the main challenge with the system upgrades is the “fear of the unknown.”

“It’s a huge, complex project. It touches all parts of emergency systems and requires a complete re-architecture of the telephony system, so there’s costs involved in all of that,” she says.

Harris adds each upgrade cycle will introduce additional technical and financial risks, with the hope that it won’t disrupt existing functionality.

Operators had to undergo training for the new 911 system. Harris says the biggest stress for operators was transitioning from a physical phone to a soft phone or computer-based calling, which they have been using.

There are agencies that are still in the process of transitioning to the new system. Once these agencies are fully transitioned, future phases of the upgrade can begin rolling out, she says. 

“[NG 9-1-1] is one of the most important public safety upgrades of our time. It’s about giving people the tools to reach help wherever they are, giving first responders better information to do their jobs,” Harris says. 

“The end result will be a system that’s stronger, smarter, and built for the future.”