Red Deer’s 9-1-1 system is moving to Next Generation 9-1-1, marking an important step in the modernization of emergency communications in Red Deer.
The transition to Next Generation 9-1-1, also known as NG9-1-1, took place on July 7 and 8. Moving forward, residents will not notice a change when calling 9-1-1, and should continue to call 9-1-1 for emergency police, fire or ambulance response.
“Next Generation 9-1-1 is a significant investment in the safety and resiliency of our community,” said Carol Lind, Assistant Deputy Chief with RDES. “While the public experience of calling 9-1-1 remains the same today, this transition strengthens the system behind the scenes and prepares Red Deer for future emergency communication tools as they become available.”
NG9-1-1 replaces aging emergency communications infrastructure with a more modern, secure and resilient digital network. The system is designed to improve reliability, strengthen cybersecurity and support greater backup capacity during outages, large-scale incidents or service disruptions.
The transition also lays the foundation for future 9-1-1 capabilities in Canada, such as real-time text messaging, photos, video and improved data sharing with emergency communicators. While these features are not available in Canada at this time, investing in the NG9-1-1 system today will allow Red Deer to quickly adopt new features as the national 9-1-1 system continues to evolve.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has directed all Public Safety Answering Points in Canada to transition emergency calls to the NG9-1-1 network before existing 9-1-1 networks are decommissioned on March 31, 2027.
“This work required extensive planning, testing and coordination to ensure 9-1-1 service continues without interruption,” said Assistant Deputy Chief Lind. “Our Emergency Communications team has been training for this transition and remains ready to connect residents with the emergency help they need, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Residents are reminded to stay on the line, even if the call is made in error. Hanging up on a 9-1-1 call will result in a dispatcher calling back to ensure you are safe.