New Emergency Communications System to Protect Communities

Province extending Next Generation 9-1-1 funding for another year
As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is investing almost $22 million to help municipalities and emergency response centres support the transition to a new 9-1-1 communications system known as Next Generation 9-1-1.
“Every second counts when calling 9-1-1, and that’s why we are taking action to ensure Ontario’s emergency operators and dispatchers have access to state-of-the-art technology so that they can get help to where it’s needed most,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “Extending Next Generation 9-1-1 funding for an additional year will support the continued adoption of this life-saving system, resulting in safer communities and a better-protected Ontario.”
Public safety answering points (PSAPs) that handle emergency calls, and have not yet transitioned to Next Generation 9-1-1, will have the opportunity to apply for the funding this summer. The funding is part of the government’s $208 million investment to help municipalities and emergency response centres upgrade infrastructure and technology to support the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1. These upgrades include new telephone systems, call handling systems and internal network and cyber security infrastructure.
Once fully implemented, Next Generation 9-1-1 will make it easier to provide additional details about emergency situations such as video from the scene of an accident and to text 9-1-1 when requesting immediate help from police, fire or ambulance services. It will also give emergency operators and dispatchers the ability to identify the location of a call using GPS coordinates, resulting in a safer, faster and more informed emergency response.