9-1-1 service still on hold
After years of talk, reports and more talk, there's no movement on emergency phone service
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It remains unclear whether the territorial government will move to implement emergency 9-1-1 phone service 10 months after former MLAs were told by GNWT officials it's possible.
Ten months after former MLAs were told a 9-1-1 service in the territory is possible at a cost, no firm moves have been made to advance implementation. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo illustration |
The service would have a central call centre which would direct calls to to the proper emergency responders.
As is, those seeking emergency services must call a three-digit local area code followed by 1111 for RCMP or 2222 for fire and ambulance. Customers of Ice Wireless are the exception. The company uses call centres in Ontario and Europe for 9-1-1.
Whether and how to bring in 9-1-1 has been subject of repeated study and debate in the territory. It has existed in most southern jurisdictions for decades.
MLAs were told last May the issue would be flagged as something to be addressed after the fall election. Implementing the service was noted as something the GNWT continues to work on in a report provided to incoming MLAs. However, it doesn't appear in the mandate of the new government passed two weeks ago.
New MLAs have yet to be briefed on the issue said Eleanor Young, assistant deputy minister of the department of Municipal and Community Affairs. She said the department plans to brief the ministers of MACA, justice, transportation, and health in the coming months.
"I expect we'll be asking for an opportunity to brief those ministers fairly quickly so we ... can get some indications on where they'd like us to take it," she said last week.
Andrew Livingstone, a spokesperson for GNWT cabinet ministers, said because briefings have yet to take place, it would be premature to say whether the government plans to move ahead on the issue.
Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne, when asked whether he'd support bringing in a 9-1-1 system, said he hasn't had a chance to fully examine the issue or recent reports.
"I'm not overly familiar with what it would cost us," he said.
Other regular Yellowknife MLAs were not available for interviews on the subject.
The GNWT is in the midst of developing its budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year, which is expected to be tabled in the legislative assembly in late May or early June.
A recently revised report on implementation pegs the cost of starting the service at $616,100, which includes spending to establish a dispatch centre.
The annual cost would be roughly $266,200 once a 90-cent monthly user fee for cell phones and landlines is factored in.
That report takes a deeper look at and where a dispatch centre could be established. It states the most viable option is at the Yellowknife fire hall. It rules out working with Ice Wireless to expand its 9-1-1 service.
"Ice Wireless was deemed non-viable due to several concerns including out of country and/or territory emergency answering operators and expensive inter-connectivity charges," the report states.
The report concludes by saying if the GNWT wants to move ahead with 9-1-1, it should first begin a "discussion" about legislation and start-up spending.
