MOTION No. 11 Exploring Options to Centralize the 911 Call Answer/Transfer Service Honourable Carolyn Bertram gives notice that tomorrow she will move, seconded by Robert Henderson, the following Motion: WHEREAS Government is taking steps to explore consolidating the 911 call answer/transfer service into one Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) answering all 911 calls for Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS); AND WHEREAS 911 call answer/transfer points are currently located at RCMP main headquarters in Charlottetown, Charlottetown Police Department and Summerside Police Services; AND WHEREAS calls received at these points are assessed then transferred to the appropriate police, fire or EMS agency for dispatch of emergency responders; AND WHEREAS a centralized system would divert all 911 calls into one call answer/transfer location (PSAP) where the call would then be transferred to the appropriate police, fire or EMS service; AND WHEREAS First Responder agencies have asked government to explore the possibilities to improve upon the current 911 call answer/transfer system; AND WHEREAS First Responder agencies have advised Government that the most efficient model would have all 911 calls answered and all emergency services dispatched for a single location; AND WHEREAS PEI Public Safety officials met with representatives from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to discuss union concerns that incorporating police, fire and EMS dispatch into a centralized system would violate the collective agreement which provides for dispatch services for police and volunteer fire services in the city of Summerside; AND WHEREAS 34 of 36 fire departments, two municipal police departments and Island EMS are dispatched separate from the CUPE sites; AND WHEREAS provincial jurisdiction applies only to answering and transferring 911 calls to the appropriate police, fire or EMS agency; AND WHEREAS in a recent Request for Information, government indicated that incorporating dispatch services into a centralized call answer/transfer system may be considered as an option, and asked that submissions explain how such a service could work; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this Assembly affirm support for the process currently underway to enhance the 911 call answer/transfer service in the province and enhance services and safety for Islanders through centralizing this important service; See Page two ... - 2 - THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Assembly support officials who, at the request of the emergency service community, are looking into all possible options to help improve emergency service delivery for all residents on PEI. . Signed by: Honourable Carolyn Bertram Signed by: Robert Henderson 12 November 2009 4:16 p.m.