public safety answering point

The province implemented the first Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with a new service in Atlantic Canada in late March, following modernization work.

Bathurst is the first city to gain access to the system. The new service will eventually connect all PSAPs on one network and will increase future functionality.

The department plans to implement a function that would allow the public to send pictures and videos to dispatchers in real time, which is useful both for callers and 911 operators.

Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin said the modernization project will strengthen public safety and improve co-ordination.

“We are thrilled to take this important step in the comprehensive digital transformation of the province’s 911 system, and we are grateful to the city of Bathurst for helping make this happen,” said Gauvin. “We are eager to continue rolling this out across the province in the coming months.”

Gauvin also said the initiative will ensure faster and more accurate coordination during emergencies and strengthen emergency response effectiveness.

The next PSAP to make a transition will be in Fredericton. At the time this article was written, communications representatives for the Department of Justice and Public Safety have not replied with an estimated date for implementation in Codiac or Saint John.

The work towards a transition to the new 911 system has been in progress since 2017.

For more information, refer to the release from the DOJPS.