By Bird Bouchard
Citizens will soon be able to text and send images, videos as well as biomedical data to emergency service dispatchers.
As part of an initiative to modernize the way we contact 911, the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, announced on Monday the deployment of a “911 2.0”.
“We want emergency call centres to be able to respond optimally to all Quebecers, regardless of the means of communication. The feeling of security is priceless, whether we are talking about a citizen in a dangerous situation or a witness of an accident,” said Bonnardel.
Bonnardel announced Quebecers will be able to text 911 anywhere across the province by March 2025. However, they must make a call first.
Once this is done, they will be able to write, transmit images, videos and several other data types to the dispatcher, without the need for a third party application. The dispatcher will therefore be able to continue to hear everything that is happening in the emergency situation, while benefiting from the advantages of text messages and the transmission of images.
