Winnipeg, MB – The City of Winnipeg is celebrating the important work of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers and supervisors during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 14-20, 2024. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week recognizes all emergency telecommunications personnel for the imperative role they play in keeping residents and first responders safe.
“Citizens call 9-1-1 when in crisis and in need of emergency help. This is often the worst time in people’s lives,” said Winnipeg Police Chief, Danny Smyth. We are fortunate to have a team of empathetic professionals who are able to connect citizens with the emergency services they require.”
“Our community counts on our 9-1-1 call takers to be there in their time of need,” said Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief, Christian Schmidt. “The work they do as FIRST, first responders is so important – from coaching someone through CPR, to helping deliver a baby over the phone, or dispatching the nearest paramedic or firefighter unit to ensure help gets there as quickly as possible. They save lives and keep our residents and first responders safe every day.”
In times of intense personal crises and emergencies within the community, WPS and WFPS 9-1-1 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 approximately 174 WPS and WFPS 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers. In 2023, the City’s emergency telecommunications team answered over one million calls from residents.
In Winnipeg, all incoming 9-1-1 calls are received by a WPS 9-1-1 call taker who will request the location and the nature of the emergency. If the caller requires help from police, the 9-1-1 Call Taker will take the call. If it’s a medical or fire emergency, the call gets triaged to the WFPS Communications Centre.
How you can help when contacting 9-1-1
The WPS and WFPS telecommunicators remind the public of a few tips when making 9-1-1 emergency calls:
- Know the location of the emergency. This is the most important piece of information needed when someone calls 9-1-1. 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 9-1-1 call taker, including your phone number. This allows the 9-1-1 call taker to call you back should the call become disconnected.
- On very rare occasions, you may get a recorded message when dialing the 9-1-1. Do not hang up. Your call will be answered as soon as a 9-1-1 call taker is available.
- Always remain on the line until the 9-1-1 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 9-1-1, 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 9-1-1 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 9-1-1 and be used to generate false or prank calls.
It is very important citizens only call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Examples of when to call 9-1-1 include:
- 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, fire 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
- For fire or paramedic-related non-emergency calls: 204-986-6336
For additional information visit Winnipeg Police Service – Reporting Emergencies.