911 Service Gets New Technology

Nova Scotians can continue to count on 911 when they need help after the system received a $2-million technology and equipment upgrade.

911 officially changed to the new equipment today, June 19, after the upgrade finished on time and on budget. The 911 fund, supported by a 43-cent contribution from Nova Scotians for each of their phone lines, paid for the upgrade.

"Nova Scotians depend on the 911 service, often in life or death situations," said Ross Landry, the Minister responsible for the Emergency Management Organization. "Its quality and reliability is not negotiable. The new technology has made the service as reliable as possible, at no extra cost to Nova Scotia taxpayers."

The Nova Scotia 911 system operates 24 hours a day, year-round so the technology is replaced every five to six years to ensure reliability.

"The new system is even better than the outgoing system and has additional features like increased backup capacity, to ensure the system is always operating properly," said Paul Mason, director of emergency services at EMO. "It is one of the most sophisticated 911 systems in North America."

The new equipment will also make it easier to accommodate changes in cellphone technology. About half of all 911 calls are made from cellphones. In 2011, there were about 237,000 calls made to 911, an average of 650 a day.

Nova Scotia's 911 emergency program was launched in 1997, the first provincewide service in Canada. There are 180 call-takers who work at four independently operated 911 centers, in Halifax Regional Municipality, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Truro and Kentville.