Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli is announcing the Ontario government is providing $1,391,179 to the North Bay Police Service through the next phase of the Next
Generation 911 program.
“Our government takes public safety seriously and is committed to ensuring that when an emergency happens people can access the services they need,” says Fedeli. “We recognize that our local emergency operators, dispatchers and communicators are heroes of public safety and putting modern 9-1-1 technology in place will support efforts for faster deployment of first responders.”
According to a news release, the funding will enable technology and infrastructure upgrades to support the transition to a new 9-1-1 communications system known as Next Generation 9-1-1. Once fully implemented, the new system 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.
NBPS Chief Scott Tod says, “The North Bay Police Service is pleased that the Government of Ontario is investing $1.4 million to enhance our community’s 9-1-1 emergency response system. The funding will enable technology upgrades to support improved emergency services and provide additional tools and information for first responders.”
There are 108 public safety answering points across Ontario that receive and process emergency calls. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has directed all phone and cell service companies to update their networks from analog to digital, so they are ready to provide Next Generation 9-1-1 voice and text messaging services. The public will still be able to access 9-1-1 and other emergency communications throughout the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1.
