OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC was recognized by the Association of Professional Executive of the Public Service of Canada for its innovative work on the Text with 9-1-1 initiative at a ceremony held Monday.
Text with 9-1-1 enables registered users to communicate with emergency service call centre operators via text messages. Canada's Text with 9-1-1 service is unique in that along with the initial call, the operator receives the caller's approximate location, which can be of great assistance if the caller is unable to identify their location. A text messaging session is then initiated by the operator in order to exchange information regarding the emergency.
The rollout of these services started in the spring of 2014 and will be completed by the end of this year, when approximately 250 9-1-1 call centres across Canada will be able to support this service and have emergency personnel trained to interact with hearing and speech-impaired Canadians in this new way.
“CRTC staff worked closely with wireless service providers, 9-1-1 call centres, representatives of hearing and speech-impaired persons, and others parties to make Text with 9-1-1 available in Canada”, the Commission said in a statement. “The CRTC's partnerships and ongoing collaboration with dozens of participants has been instrumental in making this project a success.”
