Ontario is investing $78 million in telecommunications infrastructure to help municipalities and emergency response centres transition to a new emergency communications system known as Next Generation 9-1-1.
The funding is part of the government’s $208 million investment to help emergency operators and dispatchers save more lives by transitioning to the enhanced Next Generation 9-1-1.
Money will be used to make significant technology and infrastructure upgrades such as new telephony systems, call handling systems, internal network infrastructure and cyber security infrastructure.
To do so, the St. Thomas Fire Department will be receiving $1,040,594 in funding and the St. Thomas Police Service $1,032,803.
Once implemented, Next Generation 9-1-1 will enable voice, text messages and data to flow seamlessly from the public to 9-1-1 communications centres when emergency assistance is required.
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.
Emergency communications centres across the province have until March 4, 2025, to transition their networks from analog to digital as mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
Written by: K. Freeman
