911 Marks Second Anniversary

Nova Scotia's 911 system is two years old -- and young Jessica Price is living proof that the system works.

Six-year-old Jessica and her mother, Trina Price, were rescued from their burning home in Pereaux on the morning of June 7. Without the enhanced 911 system, the results could have been tragic.

"This case is a classic example of the value of the enhanced system," said Mike Myette, 911 program manager. "Once the call came in, we knew exactly where the fire was because the address appeared on the call taker's screen."

In this particular case, the caller only had time to say the house was on fire and there were people trapped inside. Because the system records the exact civic address, the Canning Fire Department had no problem responding to the call. Fire departments from Kentville, Port Williams and Wolfville were also on hand to provide assistance. The 911 call taker also requested that ambulance dispatch send paramedics since there were people trapped inside.

"If it wasn't for the enhanced 911 computer system, it would have taken us longer to determine the location of the fire and to respond," said Terry Porter, Canning fire chief. "And in an emergency, every second counts."

"The calibre of 911 service in this province represents peace of mind for Nova Scotians," said Kennie MacAskill, Minister responsible for the Emergency 911 Act. "Even if the caller can't speak, emergency help will be on the way."

Because the 911 system in the province operates on civic address numbers, it is crucial that all Nova Scotians know their civic number and post it where it can easily be seen from the roadway.

"I can't stress enough how important it is for people to post their civic number where it's clearly visible," said Mr. Porter. "When the entire house is in flames, it's pretty easy for us to find our destination. Otherwise, the only link responders have to the emergency location is the civic number."

Cellular phone callers have an added responsibility when it comes to 911. It is up to the caller to describe the exact location of the emergency because wireless phones are not connected to a civic address. Cell phone users are encouraged to take note of landmarks, road signs and civic addresses and to relay them to the call taker.

Nova Scotia's 911 call takers have received about 450,000 calls since the system was implemented provincewide July 7, 1997. A recent independent consultant's report on 911 service in Nova Scotia showed that nearly 90 per cent of people surveyed were highly confident that by calling 911 their emergency needs would be met.

"We are happy with this report card and with the progress we've made over the past two years," said Mr. MacAskill. "However, we see the 90 per cent as a starting point. The report has been valuable in that it highlighted a number of areas for improvement, several of which have already been addressed. Our ultimate goal is 100 per cent public confidence in the system and we will continue to work diligently to reach that target."