It's National Telecommunicators Week

    Friday, 19 April 2024 07:00

    By Tonya Organ

    For more than 500,000 residents and visitors province-wide, 9-1-1 Call Takers play an integral role in public safety, available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

     9-1-1 call takers are being recognized as part of National Telecommunicators Week from April 14-20. For more than 500,000 residents and visitors province-wide, 9-1-1 Call Takers play an integral role in public safety, available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Often under duress, this dedicated team ensures the fast transfer of callers to local emergency responders and assists with the coordination of response with fire, ambulance and police. In 2023, they handled more than 170,000 calls, averaging 14,200 per month. The yearly 9-1-1 call volume has nearly doubled since the service was introduced in 2015 and is expected to further increase this year. This is due to continued public education and awareness that encourages the use of 9-1-1 as the main number to call when immediate emergency response is needed for a threat to health, life or safety. As part of Budget 2024, $600,000 will go towards new call-aided dispatch and call-handling solutions for 9-1-1, which includes implementing a Next Generation 9-1-1 service. This new technology will automatically display a caller’s location and number. 

     

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