Caledon residents to benefit from “Next Generation 9-1-1”

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

New technology is being used to improve the 9-1-1 system in Peel Region. 

On March 5, the Town of Caledon announced it was joining in the launch of “Next Generation 9-1-1”, which is being launched across Peel.

“While the process for callers to connect with a 9-1-1 operator remains the same, the technology driving the system offers several improvements,” said Town Communications staff in a news release. 

The technology in Next Generation 9-1-1 provides emergency operators with more accurate data to determine a caller's location and phone number. It also provides more backup in case of a system failure and increased reliability and cyber security.

Another major upgrade in Next Generation 9-1-1 is an automatic abandoned call-back feature that eliminates the need for manual callbacks. 

According to preliminary data from Peel Regional Police, Next Generation 911 has led to a 78 per cent decrease in 9-1-1 wait times in Peel. Since its implementation, 81 per cent of 9-1-1 calls were answered within 20 seconds, versus just 43 per cent in 2023. Over 75,000 calls have been processed by automated abandoned call-back.

Along with the implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1 comes a dedicated non-emergency public-facing number for the Joint Fire Communications Centre: 905-456-5724. This number can be used for non-emergency enquiries like complaints about fireworks or fire code violations.

Caledon's Fire Chief Dave Pelayo said as Caledon grows, so does its need for emergency services. 

“With our population projected to reach 300,000 by 2051, we are investing in the resources and cutting-edge technology to ensure our residents remain safe and have easy access to emergency services, should they need it,” said Pelayo.