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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - City councillors want Yellowknifers to know they've been working hard to get a 911 service in Yellowknife and now it's up to the public to give the extra push.

"The message needs to be out there that the city is moving as fast as we can ... the public needs to put the pressure (on the territorial government)," said city councillor Kevin Kennedy, referring to the need for financial support from the GNWT to get 911 off the ground.

Councillor Paul Falvo, who chair's the city's 911 committee, added he can understand the frustration some Yellowknifers may feel over the seemingly slow pace. He felt it himself before he became a councillor and realized "there was a lot more to it."

"A lot of work has brought us to the point where we are today," he said.

The city will soon release its latest 911 feasibility study and implementation analysis, completed by Vancouver-based Planetworks Consulting Corp. The $125,000 study, 80 per cent funded by the city and 20 per cent funded by the GNWT, looks at setting up Enhanced 911 (E911) services in Yellowknife and six communities.

It follows a previous study completed in 2004 focusing on "Basic 911" services that was later canned because it largely relied on the co-operation of the RCMP to set up Public Service Access Point (PSAP) services - which the RCMP decided it didn't want to pursue.

"The city has pushed and pushed to move forward on this for years. We've met, if not brick walls, then foot-dragging from other parties involved," said Kennedy, referring to the territorial government and the RCMP.

Initial costs for the new system total $1,018,000 to set it up in Yellowknife and the six targeted communities, and $1,290,000 annually to run it.

"We all know if this is seen as something that is only a benefit for Yellowknife, the GNWT is not going to be too excited about it," said Falvo, referring to the importance of including other communities in the study and implementation.

While a number of details still must be hashed out before a 911 service could be implemented, city council is set to vote at its next council meeting whether to ask administration to initiate the first steps.

Those steps include, approaching the GNWT to see if funding is available to start the 911 service, approaching the other communities outlined in the report to see whether they're interested in participating, and then reporting back progress to council.

In the meantime, Falvo suggested the city get decals on emergency vehicles advertising the city's current emergency service numbers, pointing to the uncertain timeline for starting the service.

"I don't think you can get a end date on something that has no clear start date," he said.