Next Step in Next Generation 9-1-1

The Toronto Police Service has launched a more resilient and technologically advanced 9-1-1 system to enhance public safety and emergency response services.

“Next Generation 9-1-1 will enhance all aspects of public safety communications and help our call takers work faster and more efficiently so we can better serve the public,” Chief Myron Demkiw said. “I appreciate all our members in Communications Services, Information Technology and across the Service who worked tirelessly to get us this important milestone. The Toronto Police welcomes this modernization journey that will make emergency responses faster, safer and more informed.”

The Service’s Communications Centre is the largest and busiest in Canada, receiving nearly two million calls annually.

“Ensuring that 9-1-1 services are fast, reliable and accessible is essential to keeping Toronto safe,” said Toronto Police Service Board Chair Shelley Carroll. “The successful transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 is a major step forward in modernizing our emergency response system and I commend the Toronto Police Service for their leadership in this important upgrade. By reducing wait times and improving call accuracy, this system will help ensure that people in crisis get the help they need when they need it most.”

Communications Services Unit Commander Superintendent Greg Watts said the changes will not affect how the public makes a 9-1-1 call.

“We will always encourage you to call 9-1-1 when you have an emergency,” he pointed out.

Watts said the old 9-1-1 system was originally designed for landlines and call-takers needed a fixed address to send help to a location.

“In 2025, that doesn’t make sense anymore,” he said.

The Emergency Service Internet Protocol Network, also known as ESInet, replaces the old system.

“It is basically our own secure internet that can connect with other 9-1-1 centres,” said Watts. “It uses broadband technology that can carry large amounts of lifesaving data that was not possible with the old system. This modern system is more resilient to outages or failures.”

If someone calls 9-1-1 by mistake, the Next Generation 9-1-1 technology identifies that a call is dropped and pulls it out of the call queue.

Pocket dials and misdials to 9-1-1 were responsible for 27 percent of call volume last year.

“This means people on the line with a true emergency can get through to a call-taker faster,” Watts said. “The person who accidentally called 9-1-1 will get a text message to confirm that that call was actually not an emergency. It has taken us years to get to this point.”

Training & Recruitment Unit instructor Andrew Mackrell said the automatic text feature will allow Communications members to respond to calls faster when someone disconnects before reaching an operator.

“The automatic text back feature will allow us to differentiate between emergency and non-emergency situations more efficiently,” he said.

“Also, the soft phone interface is intuitive and helps us streamline call-taking thus increasing the efficiency with which we respond to emergencies, and we will be more connected to other emergency services across Canada.”

The Ontario government provided over $5 million since 2022 to support the transition.

“Upgrading Ontario’s public safety communications will be a game changer,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “Next Generation 9-1-1 gives first responders real-time, life-saving information which means a faster and more effective emergency response. Our government is proud to have provided funding to help advance technology in Toronto to support this transition. This 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.”

Bell, the official network provider, collaborated on the system upgrade, offering technical support throughout the integration.

“This collaboration between Bell and TPS demonstrates our mutual commitment to public safety and innovation for service improvement,” said Wes Vurma, Bell’s Vice-President for Network Experience.

Watts said Next Generation 9-1-1 upgrades will be rolled out in the next few years.

“In time, our new system may be able to use GPS and GIS to pinpoint a caller’s location a lot more accurately, even in complex places like our downtown core high-rise buildings, so the help you need can arrive at the right place much quicker,” added Watts.