TorontoPolice Communications Centre

This Centre is recognizedinternationally as one of the most advanced Police Communications Centres in theworld.  We have had delegations fromRussia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Barbados, and United States and fromacross Canada visit our facility.

 This PSAP serves a population of 2.5 millionresidents within a 625 square kilometre area. Throughout the day workers fromthe suburban bedroom communities commute to their workplaces in Toronto and thenleave at the end of the day. It is estimated that the city’s normal populationof 2.5 million people can increase by another 1.5 million during a typicalbusiness day.

 In addition to receivingcalls for police service, the Centre is also responsible for answering all 9-1-1dialed calls in the City of Toronto. Emergency calls for ambulance or fireservice are transferred to their respective Centres.

 During 2002, the Centreanswered 1,920,198 telephone calls of which 1,036,355 were received via 9-1-1.To meet this demand, the Centre uses Nortel Meridian telephone equipment,Dictaphone Voice Logging, Map based Intergraph Public Safety CAD and a MotorolaRadio System. The operational area of the Communications Centre occupiesapproximately 12,000 Sq. ft.

  

TorontoEMS Communications

The Toronto EMSCommunications Centre processes about 425,700 calls per year and responds toapproximately 265,000 requests for service resulting in transport of about179,600 patients per year.

 The entire process of callreceiving, dispatching and fleet monitoring is accomplished through a computeraided dispatch system (CAD) developed by software engineers specifically for theuse of Toronto EMS.

 Other computer systemslinked to CAD provide the capabilities of call review, fleet summary, callvolume, response times and performance trends and are constantly monitored andmanaged.

 Other features of thecommunications system include:

·       Auto-dial telephone links to hospitals, ambulance stations, fireand police services

·       AVTEC communications system which provides computer generatedtelephone line switching and radio channel selection by means of touch sensitivecomputer screens at all call receiving and dispatch positions

·       Priority paging system for paramedic crews and management staff

·       Radio systems which include a sophisticated trunked UHF radiosystem, a VHF system for hand held portable radios and provincial disasterfrequencies

·       Cellular telephone links between paramedics in the field anddoctors in the hospital emergency departments

·       Automatic Vehicle Locating (AVL) which utilizes Global PositioningSatellites (GPS) to identify the location of the ambulances

·       Digital mapping displays at each dispatch position, upon which thelocation of the ambulances is plotted

·       A mobile telecommunications centre, as a constant back-up, shouldthe need arise to evacuate of the main Communications Centre

 

TorontoFire Services

 The new Toronto FireServices Communications Centre became operational on June 11, 2001,consolidating four of six former municipal fire service communication centres.The consolidation process was totally complete on November 30, 2001.

 The centre operates with16 fully functional workstations, including ten calltaker/dispatcherworkstations, two supervisory workstations, two tactical workstations that canbe staffed to support a major incident and two training workstations. Thiscentre currently operates with a minimum of 13 staff on duty; one DistrictChief, two Captains, five calltakers and five dispatchers.

 Highlights include:

·       Motorola Smartzone 800 Mhz Radio System, in partnership withToronto Police

·       15 radio tower sites

·       New 900 Mhz fire station alerting system

·       Map based Inter Public Safety CAD

·       Closest vehicle dispatch