Parliamentary petition seeks faster adoption of next generation 911

An Ottawa man is spearheading a drive to get next generation 911 (NG911) systems implemented more quickly, by way of a parliamentary petition which is garnering support across the nation. Current CRTC projections aim to have NG911 in place by March of next year. Among the new features proposed is the ability to transfer 911 calls between jurisdictions, meaning calls for help from one community can be sent to another as needed. The ability to send text messages to 911 dispatchers is scheduled to begin in 2026. It is all happening too late for Mike Wood. The Ottawa business consultant and part-time professor has personal experience with the necessity of transferable 911 services. On New Year’s Eve 2022-23, Wood’s brother in Toronto was in crisis and sent concerning text messages to family. Wood called 911 in Ottawa and asked to be transferred to Toronto for help, only to be told that the technology did not exist. He then phoned the non-emergency number for the Toronto police service and was on hold for an hour before he finally got through and managed to save his sibling. “I’m not faulting Toronto police,” Wood told The Wire Report in an interview. “When they got there, they looked after the situation, they were all really great.” Emergency dispatchers in Ottawa are now able to transfer 911 calls to other jurisdictions, but the city is one of very few places where that service is available. Nova Scotia, Calgary, and Waterloo, Ont. are also equipped, and Toronto expects to be on board shortly. The rest of the country does not yet have the capacity. It has been popular in the nation’s capital. “The city thought there would be five to 10 a month, of people looking to have their calls transferred,” Wood explained. “I can tell you from mid-November until June…there’s been over 500 call transfer requests.” A City of Ottawa spokesperson told The Wire Report that 510 calls had been transferred in that time frame, with a further 84 in July. Wood was a prime motivator for getting Ottawa to expand its 911 system. He met with a local city councillor who invited him to appear before a committee to explain his dilemma, before city council endorsed the idea and implemented it. The business consultant then took his fight to the federal level. Wood consulted Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, who is responsible for the CRTC; Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds, a former Ottawa councillor; Ottawa Liberal MP Marie-France Lalonde; B.C. Conservative MP Brad Vis; and B.C. New Democrat MP Richard Cannings. Vis explained the process of starting a Parliamentary petition, which will ultimately be presented to the House of Commons, requesting the government help implement NG911 faster. The petition, which began July 23, will be online until Sept. 21. Vis is sponsoring the document. As of Thursday morning, there were 377 signatories representing eight provinces. A group representing police, fire, and paramedics had previously written to the CRTC, suggesting that implementation of NG911 be delayed until 2026-27. Wood is not in favour of waiting that long. “I strongly feel that we are in a mental health crisis and that people are probably receiving messages from loved ones like I did, saying ‘goodbye,’” he stated. The group representing first responders argued that a delay would allow local authorities time to address issues related to resource shortages and to develop standards for texting. Over time, Wood is hoping to expand 911 call transfers to include all of North America. Many Canadians have older relatives who head to warmer areas in the United States during the winter months. Transferable 911 service could be invaluable to them, he said. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Parliamentary petition seeks faster adoption of next generation 911

News | | August 8, 2024

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Parliamentary petition seeks faster adoption of next generation 911

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