By: Surjit Singh Flora
(Asian independent) Brampton: A new and first-ever provincewide campaign launched today to continue the battle against 9-1-1 misuse. The provincial Emergency Services Steering Committee (ESSC) launched the campaign called “When Every Second Counts.” The campaign aims to reduce non-emergency 9-1-1 calls by educating the public on proper 9-1-1 usage, promoting awareness of alternative non-emergency numbers, and highlighting the consequences of misuse.
“9-1-1 is designated for life-threatening or health-related emergencies; however, throughout the province, residents continue to misuse this service for trivial matters ranging from boredom to issues with restaurant orders or malfunctioning televisions,” stated Nancy Polsinelli, a member of the ESSC Steering Committee and Commissioner of Health Services at the Region of Peel. “In various cases, reports are generated for non-emergency vehicle accidents, medical concerns, and bylaw violations—situations where alternative contacts and resources exist, yet the public may lack awareness of them.” The potential consequences of such misuse can be critical, as it may prevent individuals from reaching 9-1-1 in emergencies due to a busy line.
9-1-1 operators across Ontario are under enormous strain to manage ever-growing call volumes. Many police services across Ontario report 9-1-1 call demand is increasing rapidly and that about half of all 9-1-1 calls are non-emergency calls: pocket-dials, hang-ups, and many that are frivolous or even vexatious.
“Despite some improvement, 9-1-1 misuse and a lack of understanding of what number to call for what type of situation continue to be a challenge,” said Hon. Michael S. Kerzner, Ontario Solicitor General. “This campaign gives the public the knowledge and resources to know who to call and when, so they can get the right support. We know the vast majority of Ontarians want to do the right thing and keep the lines clear for all of us so they’re available when we need them.”
While Charmaine Williams, MPP for Brampton Centre and Minister for Women’s Social and Economic Opportunities, said a new emergency response initiative called ‘When Every Second Counts’ at the Region of Peel.
Williams highlighted that the Promise of Ontario has invested $4 million in the 911 next-generation system, which has successfully reduced emergency response wait times.
The minister emphasized that the initiative’s main goal is to educate the community about proper emergency response protocols, specifically focusing on who to contact and when to make emergency calls.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown expressed his excitement for this campaign. It’s been something that has tested us in the Peel region. I am sure that every emergency service has been tested, but the demand in Peel is particularly high. If you’ve ever had a chance to visit our 911 Operations Centre like I have, you’ll be shocked by how busy it is.
When they say every second counts, there’s probably no better example of that than right here. At times, there can be three or four simultaneous calls, all concerning critical issues. And so, if there are misuse calls, it takes those desperate times to respond away.
And so, I look at our Deputy Chief, Anthony Odoardi, who’s been a leader in Canada on changing 911. At one point, I know that 40% of our calls were classified as misuse calls. And you see on the screen; you talk about people calling about the pizza. That’s happened more often than we like to know. But here are other examples. I think we have calls from people complaining about a cricket game being noisy. That’s not the right reason to call 911. Don’t take police or first responders away from a critical response.
And that’s why I wholeheartedly support this campaign. I aim to ensure that we don’t waste any seconds. We don’t lose precious time in responding to emergencies in our community. And I know we’ve made tremendous progress, Mayor Brown added. I think it’s almost over; now it’s down to 10 seconds. It was incredible, but we can do better. And for a region that is tested like we are, we need to do better. And so excited that this campaign will amplify the great efforts already made by the Peel Police.
