Levy brings additional funding to WADEMSA

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

Last April the Government of Alberta initiated the Emergency 911 Act, which allows the government to collect a monthly levy from cell phone companies. The levy is then distributed to Alberta’s 911 call centres to help with operational costs such as staffing, hardware acquisitions and upgrades. The funds collected by the call centres can also be used for 911 system enhancements, next generation 911 capabilities -like text messaging- facility upgrades, 911 reliability and employee training.
WADEMSA director Rob Witty estimates that approximately $160,000 will be collected annually from the new levy.
Currently 60 to 70 per cent of the calls received in Alberta to 911 are from wireless phones, and up until the new Act was implemented 911 centres had not received any funding to deal with this. Witty estimates that less than 30 per cent of calls coming in each year are from landline phones.
“We (were) basically funded by landline because there’s been a 911 fee on there for some time, so we get those monies, but … the number of calls we get from landlines are far surpassed by cell phones nowadays,” said Witty.
Handling a cell phone call can be more of a challenge than calls from a landline.
Emergency responders may not receive accurate data on where the call is coming from, whereas when you call from a landline the address is supplied to the 911 centre.
“Based on where the system calculates you are it will give us a bearing where you are but the accuracy could be from 10 metres to 100km,” said Witty.
“There’s more work because the dispatcher has to determine where you are in order to get emergency resources there. So people, especially travelers that aren’t familiar with the area, may not know where they are, but when you’re calling from a landline we know exactly where you’re calling from because that data comes up.”
Since implementation last year, until February of this year, cell phone companies have collected more than $14.1 million from customers 911 levies.
“By the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year, the Government of Alberta expects to grant over $13.7 million to Alberta’s 911 centres after accounting for cell phone company and Alberta government program administration costs,” said John Muir, director of communications for Municipal Affairs.
“The monthly landline levy of $0.44 will continue so that landline and cellphone users contribute equally to support the 911 system. This landline levy continues to be administered by phone companies, not the Government of Alberta.”
Muir said it is the CRTC that mandates the location accuracy for 911 calls and that grant money from the 911 levy can be used by call centres to upgrade their location technology.