911 is an emergency number, for when people or property are at risk. It should be used:

• to report a crime in progress or about to occur;
• for a situation where serious injury can occur;
• for any suspicious activity;
• to report a fire; or
• when an ambulance is required.

911 should NOT be used to report an incident after the fact, or for information about road closures, school closings, directions, directory assistance, time checks, or just someone to talk to.

Text with 9-1-1

Text with 9-1-1 (or T9-1-1) is a service available to you if you are part of the deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or speech impaired community. For more information on how you can register your mobile phone to receive the service, visit textwith911.ca.

What to Expect When you Call 911

911 calls are answered "Police, Fire, Ambulance". Remain calm and identify which emergency service you require. Be prepared to provide information on what is happening, the location and your name, address and phone number. Your call may have to be transferred. Ambulance calls are transferred to the Central Ambulance Communications Centre. You may hear a click and the line may sound temporarily silent but remain on the line, you have not been put on hold. The phone will ring again and the call will be quickly answered by the agency responsible for dispatching the assistance you require.

Calling 911 in Error

If you call 911 accidentally, STAY ON THE LINE and let the call taker know that you dialed in error. We will call you back immediately if you hang up your phone. If you do not answer when we call you back after a hang up, we will dispatch police officers to your location to check on the well-being of all present.

​ Misuse of 911

The misuse of 911 is a waste of time and money and puts the safety of people who may need emergency assistance at risk. The deliberate misuse of 911 is a criminal offence that is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. All 911 calls are taped and the location where they originated from is readily identifiable. Persons caught making nuisance calls are reporting fake incidents are subject to prosecution.

​ Teach Your Children About 911

• Teach your children how and when to get help from 911
• Teach your children their address and telephone number as soon as they are able to learn
• Keep it posted by all phones in case they are unsure
• Tell your children to answer all of the 9-1-1 emergency call-taker's questions and stay on the phone until they are told to hang up
• Teach your children about the dangers of making prank 9-1-1 calls