Faster fire response times to come with new 911 system in Mississauga, Brampton

A new 911 call system that went online early Wednesday morning will potentially get firefighters to emergency calls faster in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.

Next Generation 911, or NG-911, was put into service at 3 a.m., replacing the older 911 infrastructure in order “to meet the changing needs of emergency communications and service delivery,” Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services officials said, noting they’re (along with their counterparts in Brampton and Caledon) the third municipal fire service in Ontario to go live with the updated system.

More specifically, the system serving Peel’s three municipalities now in place at the Joint Fire Communications Centre in Brampton replaces older analog technology and “will allow for better communications between callers and 911 dispatchers” including shorter wait times for callers.

NG-911, which Peel Regional Police began using in February 2024, will eventually be used in all emergency dispatch centres — for police, fire and ambulance — across the province and Canada.

Mississauga fire officials said the new system offers several significant improvements, including:

• 911 dispatchers/operators can receive more accurate data to help determine the caller’s location and phone number
• reduced wait times for callers
• increased reliability
• response to calls will be easier and more efficient
• improved backup capabilities in the event of a system failure
• in future phases, texts, videos and photos from the public will be shared with the 911 communication centre

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has mandated that NG-911 be implemented in municipalities across Canada by March 31, 2027.

Mississauga fire officials told city councillors at Wednesday morning’s general committee meeting that puts Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon “well ahead of the curve on this technology.”

NG-911 is funded, in part, by a transfer payment program from the Ontario government, with $208 million being provided province-wide over three years to support emergency services dispatch centres, city officials said.

The province provided $5.2 million for NG-911 implementation for Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon fire services.

(Cover photo: City of Mississauga)