a new 911 system has rolled out in ottawa. here's what it means
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members of the ottawa police service work at ops communications centre.
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most ottawa residents won’t notice anything different the next time they call 911.
operators will still answer the phone, ask where the emergency is and dispatch first responders, as they always have.
but behind the scenes ottawa has joined communities across canada in a national rebuild of the country’s emergency communications system, replacing aging analog infrastructure with a new network known as next generation 9-1-1.
the switch is expected to eventually support 911 operators with more precise location information, support real-time text and allow people to voluntarily share additional information, including medical details and potentially live video.
none of those features are available yet in ottawa.
the ottawa police service migrated to the new network in march, with ottawa fire services following in may.
eric janus is the operations manager of the ottawa police service communications centre and helps lead the canadian association of chiefs of police’s next generation 9-1-1 working group.
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postmedia
ottawa’s ambulance communications centre is tentatively scheduled to transition to next generation 9-1-1 in november, ahead of its original january 2027 target, lily barnes, a spokesperson for ontario’s minister of health, confirmed to the ottawa citizen. barnes said 11 of the province’s 22 central ambulance communication centres had already transitioned.
“this is not an ottawa story, it’s a canada story,” said eric janus, who is the operations manager of the ottawa police service communications centre and who helps lead the canadian association of chiefs of police’s next generation 9-1-1 working group.
“we are going from an older analog 911 system to a new voice-over-ip system, so we’re modernizing 911 for the future from something that was built in the ’80s.”
the canadian radio-television and telecommunications commission (crtc) has directed canada’s emergency communications system to move onto the new system before the old analog infrastructure is decommissioned on march 31, 2027, a deadline the agency extended by two years in early 2025.
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joel mcdonald, president of apco canada, which represents emergency communications professionals, said more than 60 per cent of canadians were already served by jurisdictions that had migrated to the new technology.
“it’s not a future concept anymore,” mcdonald said.
for callers, however, the immediate experience remains unchanged.
“you still call 911, somebody will answer, and that will be identical to the user experience people have today,” janus said.
while callers won’t notice a difference just yet, janus said the transition had already brought new computer systems and other technology into the communications centre as part of the national rebuild.
the more noticeable changes are expected to come in the coming years as governments, telecommunications providers and emergency services add new capabilities to the network.
one of the most significant could be more accurate cellphone location information.
under the legacy system, operators often relied on nearby cell towers, existing location tools and details provided by the caller to determine where an emergency was taking place. janus said next generation 9-1-1 could eventually provide device-level location data.
more precise location information could help emergency crews reach callers more quickly, particularly if they are unable to describe where they are or don’t know their exact location.
“if you look at google maps, the accuracy that you see is what we will see in the future,” he said. “we’ll be able to locate you a lot quicker if you’re in distress.”
mcdonald said the digital network could also eventually carry information that could not be sent through a conventional voice-only call, including data generated by vehicles after collisions and medical information that people choose to make available.
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live video could also become possible, although janus and mcdonald stressed that such features remained under development.
another anticipated capability is real-time text.
a separate text with 9-1-1 service is already available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing or have speech impairments, but it is distinct from the real-time text capabilities planned under next generation 9-1-1.
janus said it should not be confused with sending a regular sms message directly to 911.
“it will not be sms,” he said.
instead, a caller would first contact 911 by phone. an operator could then open a real-time text session, allowing the conversation to continue in writing when needed.
“you will still have to make a voice call to 911,” janus said. “if the 911 centre in your area is doing it, you’ll have the ability to open up a text window and at that point be able to text with the 911 centre.”
mcdonald said voice calls would remain the preferred option because operators could hear each caller’s tone, surroundings and responses, but texting in the future could provide another way to communicate when speaking was difficult or unsafe.
“call when you can. text if you can’t,” mcdonald said.
a member of the ottawa police service works at the ops communications centre on friday, july 24, 2026.
spencer colby
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postmedia
ottawa resident mike wood said that capability could be useful during intimate partner violence incidents, home invasions or other emergencies in which someone could not speak safely.
wood has advocated for changes to emergency communications since he tried to get help for his brother during a mental-health crisis in toronto in 2022. at the time, an ottawa 911 operator could not transfer wood’s call directly to toronto’s emergency service.
ottawa now has technology that allows operators to transfer emergency calls to other jurisdictions. city officials have said it is used dozens of times each month.
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wood sees next generation 9-1-1 as another opportunity to close gaps in the system.
“i think we have to get it done,” he said. “the faster we can get it done, the better.”
some benefits of the new network are already in place behind the scenes.
janus said the digital system included stronger requirements for backup communications centres.
“in the past, there was no obligation for any 911 centre in canada to have multiple backups,” he said. “the new technology requires full redundant capabilities.”
how quickly the more visible features arrive will depend on funding, telecommunications providers and training across the country, mcdonald said.
janus estimated it could take another two to three years before many of the capabilities, such as text communication, were place here in ottawa, if they were adopted, while stressing that was his opinion, rather than an official implementation timeline.
“i think we’re looking at probably two to three years before everything is finally settled,” he said. “it’s not five or 10 years. it is coming in the near future.”
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