Toronto police say a new text-back feature for disconnected 911 calls could significantly reduce wait times for people in real emergencies — especially as accidental pocket dials accounted for nearly one-third of all calls last year.
In a news release issued Thursday, officials say the technology, dubbed “Next Generation 911 (NG9-1-1),” will “reduce wait times” and save operators “an estimated 30 hours per day.”
The feature, will automatically remove misdialed or dropped calls from a queue and send a text to the caller to confirm if they’re experiencing an real emergency. Previously, police say call-takers had to manually call back to confirm.
“Removing the hang-up calls from the 911 queue means that people on the line with a true emergency can get through to an operator faster,” police wrote in a statement, adding that about 27 per cent of calls in 2024 were due to pocket dials or misdials.
Response times down since 2023
The launch of the new feature comes following a sharp improvement in 911 response times across Toronto.
Just two years after police emergency response peaked at an average of 26.7 minutes, the city says that figure has now dropped to 12.6 minutes.
Mayor Olivia Chow, who took office in mid-2023, previously said she was “worried” when wait times reached nearly 30 minutes in October that year.
What else is new?
Among the new text-back feature, other upgrades include improved caller location accuracy, better cybersecurity, and more backup capability in case of technical failure.
In the future, officials say the system will also support real-time text and live emergency video calls.
“Next Generation 911 will enhance all aspects of public safety communications,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, calling the update a major modernization effort that addresses the city’s nearly two million emergency calls per year.
Since 2022, the Ontario government has spent $5 million to support TPS’ transition to NG9-1-1 as Solicitor General Michael Kerzne phrases the technology as a “game changer.”
While there is no immediate change for callers in general, police say the public should still call 911 as usual during emergencies.
Toronto Police Services Board Chair Shelley Carroll says, “This transformative upgrade will reduce the burden on call-takers, ultimately improving response times – a goal that’s important to all Torontonians in an emergency.”
