Strathmore begins consideration for new 911 fire dispatch system

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has mandated the current 911 networks in Alberta be entirely decommissioned by Mar. 31, 2027. (File)

The Town of Strathmore, Wheatland County, and Siksika Nation will be collaborating to decide how to proceed with 911 fire dispatch calls.

The review, which was brought before Strathmore’s town council, April 15, was guided by the need to upgrade into NextGen 911 compliance.

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NextGen 911 aims to provide emergency dispatch centers with significantly more information than its 30-year-old predecessor, including video, photo, voice; and text messages.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has mandated the current 911 networks in Alberta be entirely decommissioned by Mar. 31, 2027.

“The purpose of the review is to compare available providers and assess which model offers the strongest overall fit for the community in terms of firefighter safety, service reliability, operational readiness, resilience, interoperability, and long-term affordability,” said Fire Chief, Dave Sturgeon. “This review looked at four providers using the population basis of 14,339 according to our census. It should be noted that with the federal census already mailed out, this will be changing in years to come.”

Sturgeon suggested the sooner the town and by extension, neighbouring municipalities, lock into an agreement with a service provider, they will be able to do so before the population data updates into a larger bracket.

In the report provided to council, Sturgeon outlined four potential service providers, being: Red Deer 911, Foothills, Calgary 911, and Wheatland (WADEMSA).

Annual costs between the suggested providers ranged from $43,000 to upwards of $172,000, with WADEMSA being more than twice the cost of its nearest competitor. Sturgeon briefly outlined the pros and cons of each service provider during his presentation before council.

“Foothills is the lowest and Wheatland is the highest. Red Deer and Calgary have the fullest readiness profiles … Foothills is the strongest on cost … Wheatland has a records management integration, but it does not show the service standard agreement, quality assurance program, NextGen 911 compliance, backup center, or dispatch benchmarks.”

He added Foothills is the standout for its affordability, Calgary and Red Deer appeal for their overall readiness, while WADEMSA carries the clearest service continuity.

“At its core, it is about making emergency communications remain dependable for residents, firefighters, and partner agencies when service is needed most.”

Strathmore currently receives fire dispatch and 911 calls through WADEMSA. The current debate is to find a new provider which maintains current service quality, readiness, risk management, costs altogether, and supports the future growth of the municipality.

Council was presented with three proposals for moving forward to a new service provider. The first being to meet with Wheatland County administration to review services and return before council with a report recommending a new provider.

Alternatively, administration could be directed to cease participation with WADEMSA and secure an agreement with Calgary 911.

Finally, council may review an options report during the May 13 Committee of the Whole meeting fur further review.

John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Strathmore Times