St. Catharines Fire hoping to revolutionize 911 dispatch service with ‘Next Generation 911’

St. Catharines Fire Services is getting ready to launch Next Generation 911, a new dispatch service that allows residents to text and send photos to emergency dispatchers.

Fire Chief Dave Upper says he’s enjoyed the process getting this set up.

The province is funding the majority of the new $5-million system mandated by the CRTC. St. Catharines Fire Services, Niagara Regional Police Service and Niagara Parks Police Service will share the remainder of the cost.

Upper says he’s hoping the service will be fully operational later this year.

Other benefits of the modernized system will include improved 911 caller location information, improved responder safety and awareness, better response coordination during a natural disaster or large-scale emergency, language assistance for non-native English speakers, and improved assistance for people who are deaf.

Upper adds that he doesn’t anticipate this resulting in more calls, but moreso better use of the resources they have.

St. Catharines Fire Services helps in delivering dispatch services for fire-related matters in St. Catharines and other municipalities across Niagara including Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham, Port Colborne, Thorold, Wainfleet and West Lincoln as well as Haldimand County and Norfolk County.

They’ve also added 16 other municipalities to the list of those they support including Bancroft, Carlow Mayo, Centre Hastings, Deseronto, Faraday, Hastings Highlands, Limerick, Madoc, Marmora and Lake, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Quinte West, Stirling Rawdon, Tudor and Cashel, Tweed, Tyendinaga, and Wollaston. SCFS is also currently in the process of onboarding Prince Edward County.

(Written by: Matt Latour)