Winnipeg, MB – The City of Winnipeg is celebrating the important work of our Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) 911 call takers and dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 12-18, 2020.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is an opportunity to recognize all emergency telecommunications personnel for their front line service to our community. Throughout the current pandemic their contributions have been critical in keeping residents and first responders safe.
“Our 911 operators are a critical part of Winnipeg’s emergency services team, especially now, during the COVID-19 response,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “Our Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service emergency telecommunications members are there for us around the clock, 365 days a year, to listen and respond during some of the most difficult moments in our lives. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is a perfect time to recognize and thank all of them for their dedication and commitment to help keep us safe and respond in times of need.”
"I can’t say enough about the work done by Winnipeg's 911 Communication Centre members, who continually go above and beyond for Winnipeggers – often under very trying and stressful circumstances," said Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth. "They are a trusted lifeline for citizens, ensuring we can get help to those in need when they most need it. They also play a pivotal role in keep our emergency responders safe and informed."
"Our telecommunicators are the FIRST of our first responders. They serve as the lifeline between the community and the help they need during emergencies of all types," said Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief John Lane. "Our frontline first responders are assisted by telecommunicators on every call as 911 call takers and dispatchers provide advance information about the emergency event that is occurring. This information assists responders in the developing a safe plan of action for the public and emergency crews."
In times of intense personal crises, emergencies within the community, and global pandemics, WPS and WFPS 911 call takers and dispatchers are the public’s first point of contact for reaching all levels of emergency assistance, including police, fire, and ambulance. The City employs 165 WPS and WFPS 911 call takers and dispatchers. In 2019, the City’s emergency telecommunications team answered over 600,000 calls from residents.
Since 2014, the City’s emergency telecommunicators have been using “Text with 911” to communicate with members of the deaf, hard of hearing, and speech impaired community who have subscribed to this service using wireless text messaging (SMS).
Prior to the end of 2023, we will see significant advances in the 9-1-1 industry with the implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1. When this new technology comes into effect, it will bring improved communication tools for the public when contacting 9-1-1 including the ability to send real-time-texts and improved location accuracy, as well as the potential to send video and images.
In Winnipeg, all incoming 911 calls are received by a WPS 911 call taker who will request the location and the nature of the emergency. The call taker will then triage the call to either the WPS or WFPS communications centre depending on the information received from the caller.
How You Can Help When Contacting 911
The WPS and WFPS telecommunicators remind the public of a few tips when making 911 emergency calls:
- Know the location of the emergency. This is the most important piece of information needed when someone calls 911. Locations come in many forms including a proper street address, an intersection, a landmark, or a commonplace name (such as a store, school, or arena).
- Remain calm and answer all questions asked by the 911 call taker, including your phone number. This allows the 911 call taker to call you back should the call become disconnected.
- On very rare occasions, you may get a recorded message when dialing the 911. Do not hang up. Your call will be answered as soon as a 911 call taker is available.
- Always remain on the line until the 911 operator tells you to disconnect. This will ensure the proper resources are sent and will allow them to provide you with pre-arrival instructions.
- If you accidentally dial 911, do not hang up. If you hang up, a ring-back will occur and this ties up emergency services. Stay on the line to advise the 911 call taker that you have dialed by accident, and answer any questions they may have.
- Do not allow children to have access to deactivated cell phones because although deactivated, these phones can still dial 911 and be used to generate false or prank calls.
It is very important citizens only call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
- For a life-threatening emergency (e.g. someone cannot breathe, has severe bleeding, chest pain, a change of consciousness, or someone was seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision).
- You see a fire, even if the fire is on a stove or outside.
- A smoke detector, carbon-monoxide detector, or fire alarm is sounding, or you smell smoke or gas.
- You see a crime in progress, or were just a victim of a crime such as a robbery, assault, domestic-violence situation, or break-in to a residence or business.
- You are concerned for someone’s safety or wellbeing.
- When in doubt whether emergency assistance is needed, make the call to 9-1-1 and a Call Taker will assess the situation.
Should you require non-urgent police or paramedic assistance, the following phone numbers may be helpful alternatives to calling 9-1-1:
- For police-related non-emergency calls: 204-986-6222 (Winnipeg Police Service)
- For non-emergency transports to and from a medical facility: 204-986-6336 (Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service)
Who to call for COVID-19 information:
Residents should contact Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257 (toll-free) if they're experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
For additional information, visit: Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service - 911 Information or Winnipeg Police Service – Reporting Emergencies.