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6TuesdayJune32014CongratulationsNorthernGradsof2012GNWTinvestigatesterritory-wide911serviceByNATHALIEHEIBERG-HARRISONTheterritorialgovernmentistakingitsrststepstowardpotentiallyimplementinganNWT-wide911service.TogetherwiththeRCMPNorthwestelandtheNWTAssociationofCommunitiesNWTACtheGNWTiscar-ryingouta911Implementa-tionStudytoexploreitsop-tionsandgaugetheterritoryscurrentstateofreadinessac-cordingtoKevinBrezinskidirectorofpublicsafety.Theresalotofworktodotogettothepointwherekeydecisionscanbemadehesaid.Wewanttoknowwhatpeoplethinkofthis.Theinitiativegotunderwaywithasurveyofcommunityleadersandseniorcommu-nitygovernmentofcialsattheNWTACannualgeneralmeetinginMaysaidTomWilliamsdeputyministerofMACA.WewanttobuildacaseWilliamssaid.Wereoneofthefewjurisdictionsthatdoesnthave911servicebutthenwehavetheinfrastruc-tureneedsherethatotherju-risdictionsdonthave.LarryBaranseniorad-ministrativeofcerinWhatiwasoneofthemanyNWTACdelegatestotakepartinthesurvey.HesaidhesupportsMACAsefforts.Evenifitmeansmovingonecommunityatatimeitwillbeprogresshesaid.Iamastrongbelieverintheimportanceoftheimplemen-tationbecausea911servicesaveslives.Duringhiscareerasamu-nicipaladministratorBaranoversawtheimplementationof911serviceintwoAlbertacommunitiesDelburneandFoxCreek.FoxCreekwasthesecond-to-lastcommunityinAlbertatomaketheswitchto911ser-viceandBaransaidtheconver-siontookmorethantwoyears.Itisnteasyandthereisoftenpush-backhesaid.Therewasagreatdealofworknegotiationsandset-upbeforeitwentlive.LikeinmanyNWTcom-munitiesFoxCreekdidnthaveastandardizedaddress-ingsystemandittooktimetoattachofcialcivicaddressestoeachhouseandlandline.AnaddedhurdleintheNWTisthatmanycommuni-tiesdonthavegroundambu-lanceservicesandotherrstrespondersavailable.Itwasntasimplepro-cessBaransaid.Butitwasworththeeffort.Anotherhurdleistheincreas-ingprevalenceofcellphoneusage.LikeinFoxCreekBaransaidtheNWTdoesnthavesufcienttowerstotri-angulatethelocationofacellphone.Thesolutiontheycameupwiththerehesaidwastocreateastickerwithrelevantaddressesandcontactinfor-mationthateachresidentcouldplaceneartheirphone.EverybodyknewtolookforthatBaransaid.CostwouldbeinmillionsInthesurveycirculatedattheNWTACannualgen-eralmeetingdelegateswereaskedhow911serviceifim-plementedshouldbefunded.TheiroptionstheGNWTcommunitygovernmentsamonthlychargeperphonelinebetween1and1.50orthroughothermeans.IfIwerespeakingastheSAOIwouldsaytheGNWTshouldabsorballthecostsBaransaidbutinrealityinAlbertathecostsweresharedbyresidentsthecommunityandtheprovincialgovern-ment.Thatisthelogicalwayofdealingwithit.The911ImplementationStudyisbeingcarriedoutbyPOMAXConsultingInc.thesamecompanythatcompleteda911feasibilitystudyforNewfoundlandandLabrador.Thestudyreleasedin2012foundthataninitialcapitalin-vestmentof1.5millionandannualinvestmentsof2.3millionwouldbeneeded.Atthetime40percentoftheprovincewascoveredby911services.BrezinskiandWilliamssaiditsimpossibletosaywhatkindofcostsmightbeinvolvedintheNWTorwhatkindoftimeline911implementationwouldfol-lowbuta2008feasibilitystudycompletedforthecityofYellowknifeputthecostinthemillions.Brezinskinotedthatinaperiodofbelttighteningfull911serviceisalong-termgoalandonethatwillinvolvemuchconsultation.WilliamssaidtheyarentrulingoutanyoptionslikeplacingacallcentreabroadinplaceslikeRomaniathatcouldhelpthebottomline.Wellconsideranypro-posalhesaid.911reducesdelayssaveslivesThestudyinNewfoundlandandLabradornotedthathav-ingtodialseven-digitnumbersforpolicereandambulancewasasourceofconfusionanddelaysespeciallyconsideringthatYellowknifeandthelargercommunitieshaveahighpro-portionoftransientresidentsfrompartsofCanadawith911servicealreadyavailable.Baransaidthefactthat911istheuniversallyrecognizedemergencynumberinmostpartsofNorthAmericaisreasonenoughtomakethechange.Thereareamazingstorieswhereeventoddlershavebeenknowntocall911becausetheirparenthasbecomeincapaci-tatedandthetoddlerknowsthatyouaresupposedtocall911inanemergencyhesaid.Theproblemyouhaveiswhenyouhavetodialasevenor10digitnumber.Itstooeasytomakeamistake.Whenyouredealingwiththreedigitsyoucouldal-mostbehavingastrokeanddialthenumber.PhotoBillBradenHealthWellness911ThatstudycarriedoutbyPlanetworksConsultingCorp.recommendedimple-mentingserviceinYellow-knifeInuvikHayRiverFortSimpsonFortSmithNormanWellsandBehchoko.ThisoptionwhichwouldfollowimplementationinYel-lowknifeandprecedecover-ageacrosstheNWTwases-timatedtocostjustover1millionininitialcostsand1.29millionannually.Thiswouldcovermorethan77percentoftheterri-torialpopulationthestudysaid.Providingservicetotheremaining25smallestcommunitiesistechnicallypossiblebutwouldrequiremajortelecommunicationsnetworkupgradesandtakeseveralyearstocomplete.Unlikewith-1111and-2222emergencycallsifa911callcomesinandthereisnore-sponseontheotherendrstresponderswillautomaticallybedispatchedtothecorre-spondingaddress.Ifthecallerischokingharmedorindangerandun-abletospeaktheywillstillreceiveemergencyservices.ToemphasizethispointBarantoldthestoryofawomaninFoxCreekwhocalled911afterthecommu-nitymadetheswitchfromasevendigitemergencynumber.Shewasbeingassaultedbyherhusbandandwasonlyabletodial911beforedrop-pingthephone.TheRCMPrespondedimmediately.ShedidnthavetosayathingBaransaid.Theproblemyouhaveiswhenyouhavetodialasevenor10digitnumber.Itstooeasytomakeamistake.LarryBaranWhatiCommunityGovernmentTheterritorialgovernmentislookingintocreatinga911emergencyphoneservicefortheentireNorthwestTerritories.