The transition to NG9-1-1 has been federally mandated across Canada by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Canada’s current analog system was designed decades ago primarily for landlines, and the aging infrastructure needs replacing. The CRTC has set a deadline of March 31, 2027, for the national transition. E-Comm’s implementation of NG9-1-1 is on track to take place ahead of that time, by the end of 2026.

The transition to NG9-1-1 lays the foundation for safer, faster, more informed emergency response. The first phase, launching this fall, migrates voice 9-1-1 calls to the new network. In the future, NG9-1-1 will allow for capabilities such as real-time texting to 9-1-1, sharing of streaming video, as well as enhanced location details through GPS and geographic information systems or GIS to ensure help gets to where it’s needed as quickly as possible. These are future-state capabilities and are not part of E-Comm’s first transition phase in 2026.

The transition to NG9-1-1 will happen behind the scenes and will largely be undetectable to callers who dial 9-1-1. Callers will reach a 9-1-1 call taker just as they do today who will ask if they need police, fire or ambulance, and for which location. The call will then be directed to the proper agency for call-taking and dispatch just like today. From a caller perspective, the transition to NG9-1-1 will be invisible. The only immediate public facing change will be how quick hang up 9-1-1 abandoned calls are handed.

A timeline is not yet known for when real-time text to 9-1-1 will be available in B.C. and timing will be largely dependent on further direction by the CRTC on a national rollout.

As the largest public safety answering point in the province, E-Comm is overseeing the implementation of NG9-1-1 on behalf of all its 25 regional district partners who are responsible for administering 9-1-1 services for their communities and E-Comm’s police and fire call-taking and dispatch partners.

E-Comm is also responsible for transitioning other agencies such as BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), BC RCMP and Saanich Fire. E-Comm’s project team has been working to build the physical infrastructure necessary to support the new network, while also conducting rigorous testing, and helping to develop technology solutions such as the new automated system for accidental 9-1-1 calls. The scope of the project means E-Comm is leading the largest NG9-1-1 migration in Canada.

In March 2023, the Province provided E-Comm with $90 million towards the initial implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1. The one-time funding has helped to offset start-up costs, resulting in a significant savings for local governments and agency partners. An additional $60 million in provincial funding went to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) for implementation associated with emergency communication centres, including for the police and fire agencies who do not contract with E-Comm for their dispatch services or who are not part of E-Comm’s NG9-1-1 program. It’s also important to note that implementation funding does not cover ongoing costs related to NG9-1-1 after 2026.

There will be no immediate changes to how people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech impaired access 9-1-1. Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) is a specialized texting service available that provides 9-1-1 call centres with the ability to converse via text messaging with a DHHSI person during an emergency. Registration is required for this service. To register visit: www.textwith911.ca. With future capabilities on the horizon with NG9-1-1, there will be more options for a DHHSI person to connect with emergency services.

With the introduction of NG-9-1-1, technology complexity will significantly change. Ensuring business continuity and technology resiliency is paramount. The NG-9-1-1 call handling system is designed with multiple layers of redundancy - spanning system, data centre, and remote site levels - to minimize the impact of technology failures and other service disruptions. E-Comm is placing significant emphasis on robust Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, and technology resiliency measures to ensure uninterrupted emergency services.

The new automated callback system will automatically call back when an abandoned 9-1-1 call is detected, before reaching a call taker. The caller will hear a voice recording letting them know their phone dialed 9-1-1 and provide them with two options: press one to be connected to a call taker if their call is regarding an emergency, or press three to indicate an accidental 9-1-1 call, and no further action will be taken. The message will repeat three times prior to the call disconnecting. If there is no response to the first call back, a second automated call back will be made by the system. Currently, quick hang up calls may not receive a follow-up if it is not detected in the system. Learn more about the new automated callback system.