Strathcona County leads the country on Next Generation 9-1-1 network

On October 26, 2023, the Emergency Communications Centre for Strathcona County became the first 9-1-1 centre in Canada to transition to the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) network.

“Keeping our community healthy and safe is a priority,” said Mayor Rod Frank. “We are excited and proud to be leading the country in transitioning to this new network.”

While callers to 9-1-1 won’t experience any differences right now, the new system

• provides Emergency Operators with quicker and more accurate data to help determine the caller’s location and phone number.
• has improved security. Cyber security was a cornerstone when developing the new system.
• has more backup capabilities should a failure within the system occur.

“NG9-1-1 gives our emergency operators faster access to more accurate data so we can send help quicker to someone experiencing an emergency,” said Strathcona County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Dawn Nash. “In an emergency, every minute counts so the more information we have, the better we can respond.”

In the future, NG9-1-1 will allow for real-time texting, data, photo and video messaging.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has federally mandated that all 9-1-1 services in Canada transition to the NG9-1-1 network by March 2025. Strathcona County is the first municipality in Canada to make the transition.

“We are proud of our dedicated team who have worked hard over the last several years to prepare Strathcona County for the future of 9-1-1 services,” said Deputy Chief Nash. “Being the first in Canada to transition is a privilege and speaks to our staff, leaders and Council’s commitment to our community’s safety.”

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595