Police seek a next generation 9-1-1 service that will use texting

Canadian police are sick and tired of receiving bogus calls, and are hopeful that the next-generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) being developed alongside the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will reduce them.

“What we are looking at for the future of next-generation 9-1-1 services will be so people can text in their 9-1-1 call so we can get it in the call centre that way,” said Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, in a Canadian Press article published yesterday.

The article notes that of 388,736 calls made to 911 last year, 152,320 were not for emergencies — about 39 per cent. This clutters the lines and makes it difficult for operators to get to real emergencies in a timely manner.

In the meantime, forces such as the Edmonton Police Service are using social media to raise awareness of the non-emergency line 3-7-7. This line, its website notes, is best used for situations including theft, assault, child welfare concerns and neighbour disputes. In Toronto and several other Canadian cities, it is 3-1-1.

The CRTC is currently seeking feedback from Canadians on how to build an emergency response service for a future that relies less and less on voice calls. The current plan, as we reported late last month, is to expand beyond voice, into texts, images, and even medical records in order more fully brief emergency responders on the situation.

Feedback will be heard by the CRTC until May 20, 2016, and a hearing will be held on the subject in Gatineau, Quebec, starting January 16, 2017.

CRTC Chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais told MobileSyrup in a statement: “Although our organization is just one of many stakeholders working together to enhance 9-1-1, we look forward to playing our part by establishing a regulatory framework for NG9-1-1. The public hearing we are announcing today is an important step in that process.”

[source]Canadian Press via CBC[/source]