The North Bay Police Service is in the early process of implementing a new Next Generation-911 service for the area.
Officials say the transitioning from the traditional 9-1-1 voice services to Next Generation-911 (NG-911) is complex and will eventually impact every emergency service within the province.
The system, which has been called a "game-changer" for public safety will enable digital information, such as text, videos and photos, to be sent from the public to the 911 communication centre, and this information will be passed on to emergency responders.
Police and emergency officials from Ontario have called it "an invaluable tool for gaining a better understanding of emergencies."
According to the Ontario Chief's of Police website, "Much like technology, the ways and means in which we communicate continues to evolve. It is therefore imperative - and legally required - that First Responders keep up to date with new technologies that meet the public's expectations on accessible, barrier-free ways to engage the 9-1-1 system that is beyond voice services and will include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and text messaging.
"Transitioning from the traditional 9-1-1 voice services to Next Generation-911 (NG-911) is complex and will impact every emergency service in the Province of Ontario."
The police service will start switching over to the new technology in the first quarter of 2021 with the hope of completely decommissioning the old system by 2023.
