Prince Albert shifts to next-generation 911

First responders in Prince Albert have joined Saskatoon and Regina in adopting the next generation of 911, as the province shifts to a digital emergency communi

The Parkland Ambulance medical communications and coordination centre in Prince Albert switched from analog to digital communication platforms this month.

“To the caller who’s calling 911, he or she in terms of calling for help doesn’t notice any difference whatsoever,” said Lyle Karasiuk, media relations director for Parkland Ambulance.

“The accuracy in the 911 technology now helps us better.”

The analog phone system has been replaced with an IP-based network that will allow the communications centre to more accurately locate where calls come from.

Calls are routed based on geographical data instead of phone network boundaries.

“The cell phone that you’re holding has technology in it that allows for the system, the overall [Next Generation] 911 system to better know where you are,” said Karasiuk.

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Parkland says Next Generation (NG) 911 will improve accessibility for people who cannot speak, are deaf or hard of hearing or are in unsafe situations.

“When 911 starts to talk about the eventuality of being able to receive texts or video, or gosh knows what enhancements might come about, that information will be seamlessly handled here as well,” explained Karasiuk.

The NG 911 system was launched locally Dec 9, making Prince Albert the third and final centre in the province to adopt the upgrade, following Regina and Saskatoon.

“Our range is basically, in essence, the northern third of the province,” explained Karasiuk about the operating centre. “The northern third of the province is covered in Prince Albert."

Parkland says this change will make it easier to share data between police, fire, EMS, and partner agencies. It’ll also reduce reliance on aging telecom infrastructure.

In 2026 the ambulance communications systems will be upgraded with mobile data terminals to work with NG 911.