911 Amendments Promote Fairness

The province proposed amendments today to make its 911 legislation more fair and equitable to its stakeholders and all Nova Scotians.

"The 911 system has handled more than 500,000 calls since it went provincewide more than two years ago," said Jamie Muir, Minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Act, which covers 911. "During that period, program administrators worked closely with emergency response providers and MTT to iron out operational issues. Now it's time to take a step back and look more closely at the act both in terms of fairness and in terms of future plans."

The amendments focus on three major areas of the act: exemption from liability, responsibilities of the minister and prohibitions regarding speed dial.

When the legislation was first enacted, MTT was the only telephone service provider in the province and was granted an exemption from liability. Now that competitive local exchange carriers have entered the Nova Scotia marketplace, the province is proposing to grant other providers the same exemption.

"It's only fair that all telephone service providers in the province are on a level playing field," said Mike Myette, program manager for 911. "While MTT provides the network for the 911 system, customers with every local service provider have full access to 911 service. This exemption from liability, however, does not decrease the high level of responsibility all carriers and the province have to ensure the system does not fail."

The second amendment deals with the minister's authority under the act. With the proposed change, the minister will be able to set policies and fees in relation to the 911 service. For example, 911 staff are currently working on a policy governing the release of recorded calls. The policy will balance the 911 caller's right to privacy with the proper administration of justice, authorizing courts to obtain copies of tapes.

At this time, no fees are charged for 911 service in Nova Scotia. Should the province decide to exercise an option to follow the practice in other Canadian provinces and implement a cost-recovery fee, the minister will have the authority to establish that fee after appropriate consultation with the telephone service providers and the CRTC.

The final proposed amendment concerns the prohibition respecting automatic dialers, commonly known as speed dial. Currently, there are no exemptions to that prohibition. The province will also provide an authorized exemption for people who have disabilities that prevent them from dialing 911 in a conventional manner.

"Essentially what we've done is look closely at the entire legislation from an effectiveness and fairness point of view," said Mr. Muir. "These proposed amendments will refine the system for both service providers and service users, and all Nova Scotians will benefit."

The Emergency Measures Organization is the provincial agency responsible for the provision of 911 service in Nova Scotia.