An Emergency Response System which it is said, will contribute greatly to the safety and security of citizens, has been officially launched in Dominica.
The Emergency 911 (E911), as it is called, is an initiative of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) and is an integrated 911 system for emergency calls to the police, fire and ambulance services.
The emergency 911 centre will be housed at the Police Headquarters in Roseau and the system will also be installed at the Princess Margaret Hospital. It employs eight persons to fully operate it and costs $1.8-million.
“This emergency response system will contribute greatly to the safety and security of citizens and visitors alike,” Minister for Information, Science, Telecommunications and Technology, Kelver Darroux said while addressing the launching ceremony at the Fort Young Hotel on Friday.
He noted that the response center will serve as a central hall to respond to all emergencies and the initial goal is to significantly reduce the time it takes to respond to an emergency.
Darroux said further that the 911 Emergency Response Centre is equipped with the latest E911 System.
“There are five stations manned with a 911 response operator,” he explained. “All police and fire stations are also equipped with the E911 system. This is to allow staff at those stations to have visibility and information on all emergencies regardless of the location of that emergency.”
He said the system has “selective call transfer” which allows the E911 operator to transfer the call to an ambulance.
Additionally, Darroux noted that ambulances have been upgraded to include mobile devices with the latest GPS technology.
He said that at all times, the E911 operator is able to know the location of any ambulance or police vehicle in order to know which ambulance or vehicle is closest to the emergency.
Automatic location identification is another feature of the sytem.
“This provides the E911 operator with an automatic display of the caller’s location from both wireless and fixed networks,” Darroux explained.
He noted that if the caller is unable to respond to the E911 operator, that operator can trace the caller or the incident and send the nearest available ambulance or emergency service responder.
“The E911 system has the capability to support over 500 calls on a daily basis,” Darroux noted. “The system is also installed at the Princess Margaret Hospital and whenever a call is dispatched to the ambulance, the staff on duty at the Princess Margaret hospital will know that the ambulance is on its way, as well as having the information and condition of the emergency ahead of time.”
Darroux urged the public to refrain from making “prank calls” to the 911 number.
Working side-by-side with the NTRC on this project is the Ministry of Justice, Immigration, and National Security.
The E911 service is a Universal Service Fund (USF) Project, in collaboration with the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Reverend Hill, I had much to state and did not reply to your comment about this article.
Lucky for her she was able to get up quickly.
They promptly respond. If she is a visitor, this is the reason why she called the police. It took 3 hours!
What a shock she woke up to that thing on the bed near her and her baby. How, in goodness name, did it get there? If I were her I would have passed out clean, as we say.
Yes, in Toronto/Canada, the first one that would be called is always the police, if it is not an illness or injury; otherwise it is 911.
Our police are called for nearly everything possible.
From what I read of your comment as occurred when the lady called the police and received the non-caring response, not even giving her a telephone number to call, he should have been reprimanded or even demoted, if not fired. He did not exercise his duty to a citizen/visitor as he should. Shame on him. He should be re-trained.
The thought crossed my mind. Every one in Canada of all who has telephone/internet service is charged a mandatory fee of some cents for 911 on their phone and/or internet billing.
That day will come sooner or later, be it for the younger generations.
You Dominicans should also be charged a few cents which is for the upkeep of the service.
See! Up here we pay for everything; nothing is free.
Imagine millions of people paying monthly, be it 0.25 or 0.50 cents each. It adds up to a lot of money which will help to defray the cost for the 911 service. It is not much for an important service as this.
Costs escalate annually. Whenever it will be increased to $1.00, I expect we will also pay 0.15 cents tax on it.
In the middle of the night a woman in bed with a baby beside her finds a huge snake brushing against her hand. She calls 911. The operator told her it was not an emergency. They said to call some animal control organization. Three hours later “help” arrives and remove her and the snake from the house. The snake was said to be a potentially deadly species.
I cannot imagine anybody either calling 911, supporting, or even working for this organization, until an apology is made, an acceptable explanation is given why the operator was not fired, and the public is informed what has been done to assure something like this will not happen again.
We have 911 in Canada. Their staff know they are dealing with life and death situations and respond accordingly
And YES, our police have been known – again and again – to go into dwellings and remove
snakes. The last case I heard of it was a snake that escaped from a pet shop.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
Only in Dominica you say? I saw the headline. I wanted to read the article but did not access it. I hate those things.
I am wondering how did this happen? Was the door or window opened? She is lucky that it did not wrap itself around her and also the baby and kill them both.
I am wondering if it was not an evil person who disguised as one. This has happened you know.
Someone once told me that a D/can man in Portsmouth read “a black book.” He turned into one. When his wife came in that afternoon, he (it) hid under the bed. She was not aware of that. She soon found out. They had to pray a lot to release him from this trap. This occurred years ago..
You should know why we Catholics have the Holy Water to bless our surroundings, ourselves and family. I can tell you it works. I can inform you of proof of that.
As a child, my mother would pin a blest miraculous medal on our inner vests/upper petticoats (daughters and sons). This was for protection. All our articles are blest just as the Rosary which is based on the Incarnation, Life, Passion, Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We do not use these articles without having them blest by the Priest.
She ensured that we prayed as soon as we woke up and prior to going to bed.
We also make the Sign of the Cross – In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! It is a prayer which should be done many times a day. This wards off the enemy. We also must call on the Most Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who think and preach the Catholic Church is not Christo-Centered are totally wrong/highly mistaken.
The first devotion is The Holy Mass. Our Lord said, “Take, eat and drink all of you. . . . Do this in memory of Me.” We are a Eucharistic Church.
Let me share a dream I had in November: I refer to it as significant.
I was fast asleep and dreamed I saw a man near where I was lying on the bed. He was closer to the foot of the bed, on the floor. Only the part of his upper body was visible. I thought the rest was under the bed.
Someone was either striking him or placing something on him (I thought, the Holy Water). He shielded his face with his hands and grimaced.
Lying there, quietly, I viewed the scene. It was so real. When I opened my eyes I was not scared one bit. I thought, it was either The Mother of God, St. Michael the Archangel, my Guardian Angel or some Saint was protecting me from the evil one and driving him out.
The vision of the man looked like the devil (not scary, thanks be to God), of the one with the statue of St. Michael with his sword, piercing the devil who was lying down, sending him into Hell. It was some dream. I informed some people about it and said, someone is protecting me.
Then we are gonna have E311 like NYC. If your toilet have a blockage and cannot flush it; Could you call E911? Maybe E311 will do.
Toronto also has 311 for municipal concerns as street and snow cleaning, falling trees, garbage, potholes, relevant complaints and much more which are the responsibility of the City. The Mayor is in charge of the City operations. Of course, each Province has the same..
If you own and reside in your house and there is a personal toilet blockage, you get your own maintenance to clear it. If you live in an apartment, it is the responsibility of the building maintenance. It has nothing to do with the City.
311 is for public concerns as previously mentioned. Do not be sarcastic.
911 is for emergency as accidents with injuries; illness, pregnant women whose babies feel it is time to enter the world suddenly and also prematurely.
I am very much surprise that Dominica is only now getting an emergency hot line system, another thing, why eight people to operate it and why so much money, most countries it is located at the police station or phq, and seeing that the police has a control room there are officers present 24hrs, its just to answer a phone and take information and then dispatched it, why 8 people to operate that simple phone.
You never know when there will be some emergencies and this number of people may be enough or not enough. I would not question it. They will have other obligations to fulfill.
Ignorant, we had the 999 number that wasn’t properly used…. BTW 999 is the oldest emergency number in the history of telephones. Lack of education can mess a thing up, and that’s the way 911 will go if we do not get educated about it, and those manning the lines are not educated either…. Fingers crossed that this new system will work better
Great. We needed that.
This is a very good initiative, much needed. Now that being said, there is still room for improvement, 7 ambulances to serve the entire country is inadequate, even with all the latest technology there won’t be much change in response to emergencies unless you increase the fleet of ambulances in operation. At one emergency you could have multiple ambulances in attendance, what happens when there is another emergency elsewhere? So I hope that this will be the beginning of better things to come.
I hope I will not see the 911 vehicle by the river picking up their woman with basin of clothes or dropping woman and children in school.
This is not likely to happen.
Once abuse becomes known the public will begin to lose confidence in the system. People must be warned that there will be a penalty for abuse. Especially the kind abuse that makes a joke of the program. It is a wonderful provision when it is used properly.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
so we have 999 and 911
which one do i call when a big snake in my bed.
This sounds just like another Parry Bellot hare-brained scheme
Not at all
In places where it has been implemented and done right it is doing a lot for the country. People who work in their centers must be professionally trained, not people who can’t get a job anywhere else. The public should be warned that abuse will not be tolerated.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
As far as I can see the government is really trying it’s best.Its up to the people to take care of it.
Very good .
My advice to all those who will use de “E911.” When you call, don’t forget to yell, SOOH-KHOO!!!!!!!
You should state, speak clearly and loud enough and try to be calm so that the operator could understand them, that time is not wasted for the operator to keep asking, “What did you say?” and “I cannot hear you” and it does not waste precious time.
Yow yow! Check de camera boy (Blackmore)!!!! Self-serving.
Dominica is NOT America why cant you all use Emergency 767 in stead of 911 ,lord have mercy
911 is international. stop being a thorn!!!!its easier for visitors and nationals alike.
In the United States if someone calls 911 just joking around or for non-emergency like not having their pizza delivered on time being drunk they get into trouble with the authorities and can be jailed of fined, are they going to do that in Dominica. You know some idiot will call 911 for no emergency reason. There have been people who have tied up the 911 line for B/S while real emergencies do not get through. This is JMHO. 911 is a great system and people who have had to use it can attest to that. Dominica has come a long way.
This is great news!
Appreciate 911 for the intended purpose. Make good use of it when necessary. It could save lives.
Dominica is moving on.
Now 911. You are not behind at all. 
Good for Dominica!
Be careful not to touch these digits by mistake. You know, it could occur when cleaning the telephone. Someone told me it occurred to her. She was not aware of it. Next thing, they were at her door.
Once 911 is dialed be it accidentally, if no response, the ambulance is immediately dispatched to the area where the call originated. 911 also has all addresses. They do not waste time for someone could be in distress.
If anyone willfully dials 911 as a prank, they will be charged. Their calling uselessly could tie up the line. Therefore, please take note everyone. Children could also dial the number as a joke. Discipline your children accordingly.
911 is important. It came at the right time. Sadly, all of us know what recently occurred to Misley Rolle, RIP. If she were alert during the descent of the vehicle and telephoned 911, she could have been saved.
Warning..Do not call 911 if you caught your partner cheating.
Grate need another ambulance in portsmouth
“Great”
Brilliant if it works. We need this!
Too late for GON and his wife aye! They’s people are hypocrites!
too late for a lot of our family and friends but not too late for others.be grateful toneh!
so while the fireman is driving the ambulance to transport the patient to PMH who will be communicating with PMH on the status of the patient? Will the ambulances be equipped to administer critical care by Emergency Medical Technicians( EMT)? The goal is to save lives and the first few minutes are critical. Good start but not complete. Hope there are budgeted funds to sustain it.
This is a great development. I hope folks, esp. elderly, will still be able to use the old 999 emergency number during a limited transition period. Nonetheless, whether you’re DFP, DLP or UWP… a good move for all the people.
Govt should emblazon this number on all emergency vehicles. It’s a good thing because foreigners, esp from US and Canada, will be able to use the same 911 as they do back home for emergencies.
Next project: A comprehensive street naming/addressing system as part of the GIS system now under development… I know the current system will be a challenge for Emergency personnel, even with GPS. So naming all streets and numbering homes and businesses would be a great investment in the infrastructure of the country.
E911 is Enhanced 911 not Emergency 911
I hope these folk really know what they are talking about because I listened to launch and I am yet to hear any of presenter say Enhanced 911.
Positive vibes..on the issue of snake in the house..The police should reassure the woman and transfer her to the appropriate authority..Having a snake in your house is a scary thing..don’t be insensitive and talk like we’re robots..people have to have the ability to assess situations and make the best decisions..not just say call another department and hang up..the woman must have been panicked out her mind!!
Im happy to hear that because I always thought 911 was global. I NEVER KNOW we had a different number to dial in Dominica. I would have been dialing 911 like an a** lolol
Well was about time lets see if it works
hahaha so it took a snake for our security personals to lunch a 911 emergency respond hotline,snakes seem to have always played a major role in women’s lives,,dating back to beginning of time…hahaha lord have mercy
the snake story was last week. idiot do you think that an initiative like that just got put into place in a couple of snake days?some of you people are real a**es!
DORIVAN, SORPOISE A workers party supporter or reptile comes to my house who should i call ?
It’s worrying how much nonsense is in this one article.
Stupes you are way too critical. Stop being negative Nancy.
It’s a nice start. There will be glitches we have to understand this the general populace because even well established systems have
E911 does not mean Emergency 911.
E911 (Enhanced 911) is support for wireless phone users who dial 911, the standard number for requesting help in an emergency. Since wireless users are often mobile, some sort of enhancement is needed to 911 service that allows the location of the user to be known to the call receiver.
In the United States, E911 (Enhanced 911) is support for wireless phone users who dial 911, the standard number for requesting help in an emergency. Since wireless users are often mobile, some sort of enhancement is needed to 911 service that allows the location of the user to be known to the call receiver.
Who are you kidding? The issue is not technology, but motivation, morals and ethics. You could have the latest Tesla and motorola equipment, as long as the dispiritedness as exhibited by many behind the uniform continues, it won’t change a thing.
Thumbs up to the Government and people of Dominica
Thumbs up to the NTRC!
When one calls the emergency line how many different departments shows up, in some countries when emergency lines are activated you get The Police ,Fire department , and the Ambulance services, is that what we will be getting when we call. And has the Public been educated on what types of emergencies would fall under this project so the lines wouldn’t be tied up when a real emergency is happening.
It’s a very good project which was long over due, it’s here and we should do everything in our power not to miss use the system or abuse the operators at the other end of the lines.
Which countries are you referring to? What I do know, the 911 calls go directly to where they are meant to go. An operator answers and questions the callers of the nature of their call prior to dispatching an ambulance.
More than once when I was out I telephoned 911, not for me but for a few people whom I did not know. They were not well and I called 911 for them. I had to introduce myself and state the reason why I telephoned. I was even asked their name and age. I replied, “I do not know them that, the people are not well and need an ambulance.” One man was lying on the sidewalk and could not walk. I told the operator to send an ambulance. I think the operators read from a Script. It was an experience for me calling 911.
When 911 is called if for accidents the police will be present including the fire truck, the latter, if it is especially a bad accident with injuries and death. Once 911 is called for that purpose they will be informed. This is in Toronto, Ontario for that matter and elsewhere in Canada.
Probably the 911 calls also go to the police stations and the fire department. I have never inquired about that. Based on the type of calls, their seriousness they will attend or not. No sense the police and fire department showing up otherwise. You know everything takes time and money. It costs money to send them out. Therefore, let us say, if it is only for a sick person, only the ambulance will be sent with paramedics.
But hold on a while….where I be there nah? We didn’t have a 911 emergency calling system already nah? So what number pple were calling all the time when there was an emergency? Because me self, is 911 I would have dialed eh, if I had to be in a situation where I needed emergency help….
hhmmm…In that case if we never had such a system and now we do, that’s awesome!!
Please educate me
999 is the emergency number for Dominica in the past. So you are right where ‘you be’…
I think they used 999
I see you wearing your badge of honor proudly. Pierro was right about Dominicans boy… u are one such example.
the number you would have to call was 999 which i think would be answered at headquarters
This is great. A very worthy investment.
So what number we should call when the prime sinister acting like a mad man ?
911
Lollllllllll
Hahahahahahah
We will do the same for you.
This is a step forward – trying hard not to criticize. But in 2016 Dominica did not have such a system in place?
A wise person would say, “Better late than never. The time is right. Nothing happens before its time.” Be thankful.
Fabulous Initiative. With something as ground breaking as this, it must be indeed commended. I hope we can move more significantly towards more effective training and having properly certified paramedics and appropriate life saving equipment with the ambulances and first responders.this should result in quicker response to emergencies but we have to move to a higher lever of care to indeed intervene and save lives as opposed to just providing just transportation to a hospital. nevertheless lets applaud this step.
LMAO
idiot police dont come tovremove snakes no where in the world. Animal workers equivalent RSPCA not the police . some family should have chopped the snake
i still wonder why someone did not chopup that snake having to wait till forestrry came ,a snake in your bed or ay where deserves to be killed
Very very good, now the masses needs to be educated as to how to use the system properly.
Another reason that shows Dominica Is doing their best
Nice, Hope it works and they show up on time.
Once the public, drivers or pedestrians hear the oncoming ambulance with its siren blaring, just as a fire truck, they must immediately stop or move aside to allow it to pass.
A few years ago I recall such an incident occurred in Dominica, probably in Goodwill as posted on DNO. The driver kept on driving in front of the ambulance.
They must comprehend that lives could be at stake. Everyone should know such a siren does not sound for nothing. Those who refuse to yield will be charged. It is so in Canada. However, people in these parts are fully aware not to hinder the ambulance and fire truck from passing.
Blackmoore you get your shirt from Macou man.
Warning: Don’t call the system if there is a snake in your house.
hahahahahaha so true
I am listening to the launching of 911 and my mind automatically came back to the response of the police officer. We cannot help you!! Blackmore is warning both the police and fire officers.
Yes you should
lol Booyacah!
Haha ou trop mauvais
Just a good example of the training required by the staff…hope this has been considered
Or if you cannot wait three hours
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.