The City of Toronto marked a milestone earlier this month when Toronto Paramedic Services successfully transitioned to the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) network following earlier transitions by the Toronto Police Service (TPS) in May and Toronto Fire Services (TFS) in December 2023.
With all three safety communication centres now operating on the NG9-1-1 network, Toronto is the first municipality in the Greater Toronto Area and one of the first municipalities in Canada to fully migrate all emergency services to the modernized system. The achievement represents a significant milestone in modernizing emergency response and reflects Toronto’s commitment to leveraging technology to better protect and serve its residents and visitors.
NG9-1-1 modernizes the traditional 9-1-1 network using digital technology and provides important improvements including:
There are no changes to how a caller accesses 9-1-1 services in Toronto.
The Ontario government has provided more than $11 million since 2022 to support the transition to NG9-1-1 across the Greater Toronto Area.
Quotes:
“Our government is proud to support the implementation of the Next Generation 9-1-1 network in Toronto, which is a major step forward in modernizing emergency communications. This milestone will lead to the faster deployment of paramedics and other first responders, so they can better protect Toronto families when every second counts.”
— The Honourable Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health
“Upgrading Ontario’s public safety communications will be a game changer. Next Generation 9-1-1 gives first responders real-time, life-saving information, which means a faster, more effective emergency response. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government will always have the backs of those who protect our province. That’s why we are proud to provide funding to Toronto as it becomes one of the first municipalities in Canada to fully migrate all emergency services to this new technology. This transition means more calls will be answered, more lives will be saved and people across the city can count on emergency services when it matters most.”
— The Honourable Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General of Ontario
“Toronto Paramedic Services Central Ambulance Communications Centre receives over 350,000 emergency medical calls each year. The move to Next Generation 9-1-1 allows our Emergency Medical Call Takers and Dispatchers to respond to emergency calls more efficiently. This milestone transition reflects years of hard work by our Communications, Information Technology, and Support teams, and I’m proud of their dedication to delivering this critical upgrade.”
— Chief Bikram Chawla, Toronto Paramedic Services
“Toronto Fire Services’ transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 in December 2023 marked an important milestone in modernizing how we connect with the public during emergencies. Since adopting the new system, NG9-1-1 has strengthened our ability to receive and share critical information through advanced, interoperable technologies, enhancing response times and coordination across Toronto’s emergency service partners. With all three emergency services now online, we look forward to leveraging these innovations to further improve interoperability and deliver the highest standard of public safety for our community.”
— Chief Jim Jessop, Toronto Fire Services
“As the busiest communications centre in Canada, the Toronto Police Service manages nearly two million calls every year. NG9-1-1 enhances how we respond to emergencies and will help all three emergency services in Toronto in serving our residents by delivering faster and better-informed emergency response. The use of this new technology helps us keep the city safe. I’m grateful to our members across the Service and our partners at Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services for their tireless work throughout this transition.”
— Chief Myron Demkiw, Toronto Police Service
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