In late 2022, the Town applied for funding through the Next Generation 911 Grant Program. The Ontario government has earmarked $208 million to help municipalities transition to NG911 technology. Staff have been seeking out quotations and applying for grant opportunities. It will also give emergency operators and dispatchers the ability to identify the location of a call using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, resulting in a safer, faster, and more informed emergency response.Ī presentation was delivered to council by Carole Steacy, a Police Communicator and NG911 lead with the Gananoque Police Service.Īs well, Gananoque Police Chief Scott Gee presented the history of NG911, and Owen Sound Police Service (OSPS) Chief Craig Ambrose and Chris Hill, head of IT, spoke to the capability of OSPS’s ability to store Gananoque’s data and monitor the NG911 services.Ĭouncil heard that the changeover from the current system to the NG911 system comes at a major financial cost to the town. Once fully implemented, the new NG911 system will make it easier to provide additional details about emergency situations, such as video from the scene of an accident and ability to text 9-1-1 when requesting immediate help from police, fire, or ambulance services. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) has mandated the emergency telecommunications networks and 9-1-1 call centres, also referred to as Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), must transition to a new 9-1-1 communication system, known as Next Generation (NG911), by March 4, 2025.

The Town of Gananoque has signed a transfer payment agreement to receive $620,000 from the Solicitor General to support a Next Generation 911 (NG911) system.Īnd the town has awarded the NG911 contract to Owen Sound Police Services in the amount of $493,155.51 to implement the system.Īt a recent council meeting, council heard that the existing 9-1-1 system has been in place for more than 30 years and has reached its end of life.

911 by Chris Owen