Ottawa Fire Services now migrated to Next Generation 9-1-1

Ottawa Fire Services has officially migrated to Next Generation 9-1-1, following Ottawa Police Service’s successful migration in March.

Next Generation 9-1-1, also known as NG9-1-1, is a behind-the-scenes upgrade to the core infrastructure of Canada’s 9-1-1 network. NG9-1-1 replaces the current, aging analog infrastructure with a modern digital network that is more reliable, secure and better able to support enhanced location and data in the future.

With this upgrade, Ottawa’s 9-1-1 network joins jurisdictions across the country in improving how emergency calls can be routed, managed, and shared between services over time. NG9-1-1 also lays the groundwork for future features, such as real-time text and multimedia, which are not available yet.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the federal regulator on this upgrade, has directed the decommissioning of the current analog network by March 31, 2027.

The Ontario government has provided over $3.3 million since 2022 to support Ottawa Fire Services’ transition to NG9-1-1.

In an emergency, continue to call 9-1-1. There is no change to how residents call 9-1-1 or how calls are handled. For more information, visit the City’s When to call 9-1-1 and what to say page.

Further details about NG9-1-1 are available on the CRTC’s Next Generation 9-1-1 page.