Every Second Counts

EVERY second counts in an emergency.

That's why we're making significant investments in people and technology to strengthen our 9-1-1 service. We've increased staffing, enhanced training and modernized our tools to reduce call answer times and ensure emergencies are prioritized and dispatched more efficiently.

Those efforts are delivering results. For the first time in 10 years, our 9-1-1 communications centre is meeting National Emergency Number Association (NENA) call-answer standards, meaning more calls are being answered quickly and callers are reaching help faster when they need it most.

Maintaining that level of service requires every available resource. When prank or hoax calls come in, they divert emergency communicators, dispatchers and frontline officers away from real emergencies.

One recent hoax call tied up 9-1-1 staff and resulted in six patrol cars being dispatched unnecessarily. That's six patrol cars that could have been responding to someone in crisis, assisting a victim or helping keep our community safe.

False reports don't just waste time. They take resources away from people who need them most.