The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Steve Kent, Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs:

Enhancing Public Safety at the Core of Implementing Province-wide Basic 911

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight our government’s ongoing work towards activating a province-wide 911 system throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Just last week, I joined hundreds of municipal officials and others at the 2013 Annual Convention and Trade Show of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador. There I delivered a presentation about our government’s plan for province-wide 911, which showed the tremendous progress that is being made by our new project implementation team.

Mr. Speaker, by December 2014, the province will have a fully functional basic 911 service to support the dispatch of first responders throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. This will alleviate the need for residents to remember multiple telephone numbers to reach the first responders they require when an emergency occurs.

Mr. Speaker, over the coming weeks and months as this project proceeds, the implementation team will engage in consultations with emergency response stakeholders and the municipal sector. Emergency response zones will be identified and an educational campaign for emergency responders and the general public will be developed. Finally, in advance of the December 2014 implementation date, operating guidelines, procedures and protocols for the new basic 911 system will be developed.

That will not be the end though, Mr. Speaker. Upon completing the basic 911 system, we will immediately proceed to complete the necessary work to bring Next Generation 911 online for the province. We are very much committed to this next step, which will include a resolution to civic numbering in communities throughout the province, and the bringing together of government computer systems that support next generation.

Mr. Speaker, the basic 911 service is currently available in three areas of the province. Residents can also currently access 911 from cellular telephones in areas where a signal is available. When the province-wide basic 911 is activated, all residents will have access on both landline and mobile telephones. This will be a great enhancement to public safety.

The implementation of province-wide basic 911, Mr. Speaker, is truly only the next step in our government’s plan to enhance public safety for all residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. We have already made tremendous investments in emergency response vehicles, new firefighting equipment, support for ground search and rescue, enhancements to ambulance services or other health and community service investments. We are proud of the impact each initiative will have on our residents. When it comes to public safety, our commitment is strong.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2013 11 19                                     1:45 p.m.