NB 911 Transition Program

Right now, when you call 911, you are connected to one of six primary Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) based on your location.

Primary PSAPs:

• Bathurst
• Fredericton
• Codiac
• Miramichi
• Edmundston
• Saint John  

Depending on the emergency, these primary PSAPs may also connect you with one of three secondary PSAPs to have emergency responders dispatched. 

Secondary PSAPs:

• Medical Communications Management Centre (MCMC) for ambulance
• J Division Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)  for RCMP
• Provincial Mobile Communications Centre (PMCC) for provincial support like enforcement officers

Much has changed since the 911 system was originally built. Emergency calls have more than doubled over the last 10 years, increasing work for telecommunicators and first responders. Better ways to measure the NB 911 Service will increase understanding of how well it's working and improve service for New Brunswickers. 

Emergency medical, fire and police services operate independently to provide emergency services. While these services share a common goal to help, their dispatch protocols, response guidelines, governance, guiding legislation and training remain separate.

Setting performance metrics and clear service benchmarks in a system that’s better connected will help provide 911 services that New Brunswickers can trust in an emergency.

Today’s 911 technology is over thirty years old and doesn’t support current communications needs like cellular, data and smart technologies well. While some location information is available with mobile phones, it’s limited. Modernizing New Brunswick’s 911 technologies will give people more ways to reach 911, improve the means of sharing important information during an emergency and provide better location details. 

In 2020, the provincial government approved changes to the delivery of the NB 911 service. These changes include creating a connected network of PSAPs that will function together. Call taking and dispatch services across the network will form one virtual PSAP. This network will work as a province-wide system for reporting emergencies to service providers and coordinating responses.

In practice, this means: 

• connecting nine physical PSAPs to operate as one unified virtual PSAP
• calls and data will be transmitted securely over an IP network 
• new technology for improved communication between emergency service providers and the public
• improved collaboration among emergency service providers
• 911 service starting when the call is received and ending when all emergency responders arrive
• improved location details for callers to help get emergency services to them as quickly as possible 
• aligned service delivery processes and standards

On top of better collaboration between PSAPs and emergency service providers, New Brunswickers will also benefit from the transition to Next-generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1). With this technology, cell phone callers will be able to send information by text and video in real time and their location will be pinpointed more accurately.   

These changes will benefit not only New Brunswickers in need of emergency help, but PSAP operators and emergency service providers as well.

Benefits include:

• real-time collaboration between PSAPs and emergency service providers when managing calls and coordinating a response
• planning together for our most complex emergencies 
• the ability to share data securely 
• improved tools and technology (faster and more reliable systems)
• a single point of contact for technology support
• increased safety for emergency responders 
• measurement of system performance against response plans and goals

We are now working to improve emergency response services for New Brunswickers. The latest information about the progress being made will be shared as changes come into place.

A new provincial 911 call handling solution is being implemented in PSAPs. We expect to launch the first pilot site in Bathurst in June 2025. 

We are currently testing the new technology and updating training and policy documents to support the pilot site launch. The remaining provincial PSAPs will follow the Bathurst pilot. 

After the new 911 call handling system is in place in all PSAPs, more technologies used to deliver the 911 service will be launched, including a provincial dispatch system that directly connects PSAPs with emergency service providers.

New features will also be launched to improve the ways people can request help from 911, including through real-time text and video.