Gravenhurst Volunteer Fire Department

On December 17, 1997, 9-1-1 emergency phone service was switched on for the first time in Muskoka. Now all Muskoka residents, including residents of Gravenhurst, can access Police, Fire and Ambulance services through the internationally recognized number 9-1-1.

The Muskoka 9-1-1 service is a little different from what most people have become to expect from television and movies. Developed by Bell Canada, 9-1-1 service is known as 9-1-1 PERS (Public Emergency Reporting Service). It combines the benefits of one number dialing for emergency services with the capability of providing the dispatcher with location information about where the call is coming from.

The system works like this:

A caller with an emergency dials 9-1-1 from any phone in Muskoka. The call is answered by a call-taker at an one of the Ontario Provincial Police Communications Centers throughout Ontario, who will ask one question, "9-1-1 Emergency, do you require Police, Fire or Ambulance?" Within two seconds after answering the call, the operator's computer screen will display information about the phone where the call is coming from. This information includes the owner of the phone, the address and the emergency services who are responsible for that address. Based upon the answer to that question, the 9-1-1 operator will transfer the call to the appropriate agency responsible for the address. A dispatcher for the emergency agency contacted will then answer the call and will collect the information so that an emergency response can take place. As with the first operator, a few seconds after answering the call, the same screen information will appear on the dispatcher's console. Remember to use 9-1-1 to Save A Life, Report A Fire or Report A Crime. For other calls use the numbers listed for the emergency service in your phone directory.

It is important to remember that when the 9-1-1 operator asks which emergency service you need, that you ask for the emergency service that is needed most. If the other services will also be required, the dispatcher will connect you to them in turn. In this way the help that is needed first, will be called first, and will arrive first.

Getting the call through to the appropriate dispatcher is only part of the job. You need to know your correct municipal address so that it can be confirmed by the dispatcher and the help will be sent to the correct address. And the emergency responders need to be able to see your municipal address sign clearly from the road if they are going to be able to find your house quickly.