Winnipeg, MB – The City of Winnipeg celebrates 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 13-19, 2025.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week recognizes all emergency telecommunications professionals for the key role they play in keeping residents and first responders safe.
“Whether it’s a community member who calls 9-1-1 in an emergency or a police officer who radios the Communication Centre in need of assistance, our emergency call takers and dispatchers are there to provide critical support,” said WPS Deputy Chief Scot Halley. “Despite the demands of the job, every day the team demonstrates exceptional dedication to the citizens of Winnipeg and our emergency services personnel. They are the unsung heroes working behind the scenes, and we are grateful for their service.”
When Winnipeggers need help in an emergency, they count on our talented and compassionate public safety telecommunicators,” said Christian Schmidt, Fire and Paramedic Chief, WFPS. “As soon as you connect with our 9-1-1 professionals, they can give you lifesaving instructions and send the right crews to you for help. That’s why they’re considered the first first responders.”
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 getting emergency help, including police, fire, and ambulance.
The City employs 170 WPS and WFPS 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers. In 2024, the City’s emergency telecommunications team answered more than one million calls from residents.
In Winnipeg, all incoming 9-1-1 calls are received by a WPS 9-1-1 call taker who requests the location and the nature of the emergency. If the caller needs police, the call will stay with WPS 911. If it’s a medical or fire emergency, the call gets triaged to the WFPS Communications Centre.
While the dispatcher is sending emergency crews to you, the call taker will also provide potentially lifesaving instructions like how to give CPR or how to care for a person in labour, and where to go and how to stay safe.
You can help the call-taker and dispatcher by following these tips:
- Know the location of the emergency. This is the most important piece of information we need when you call 9-1-1. Locations can include a street address, an intersection, a landmark, or a commonplace name (such as a store, school, or arena).
- Be aware of your surroundings. You never know when you’ll need emergency help for you or someone else nearby. Know where you are at all times.
- Stay calm and answer all questions the 9-1-1 call taker asks and provide your phone number. This allows the 9-1-1 call taker to call you back if you get disconnected.
- On very rare occasions, you may get a recorded message when calling 9-1-1. Do not hang up. Your call will be answered as soon as a 9-1-1 call taker is available.
- Always stay on the call until the 9-1-1 call-taker tells you to disconnect. This will ensure we can send the right emergency services and give you potentially life-saving instructions.
- If you accidentally call 9-1-1, do not hang up. If you disconnect, we will call you back and this ties up emergency services. Stay on the line to advise the 9-1-1 call taker that you have called by accident, and answer any questions they have.
- Supervise children if they have access to deactivated cell phones because although deactivated, these phones can still call 9-1-1 and can be used for false or prank calls.
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 alarm, carbon-monoxide alarm, 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, call 9-1-1 and a call taker will assess the situation.
For police-related non-emergency incidents, call 204-986-6222.
For more information, visit Winnipeg Police Service – Reporting Emergencies.