Summary#
Bill 9 would update New Brunswick’s Emergency 911 Act and related rules. It would formally recognize primary and secondary 911 answering centres, give the minister more power to set operating standards, and establish rules for sharing information during 911 operations.
The bill appears intended to improve the coordination, security, reliability, and oversight of the province-wide 911 service.
- It defines primary 911 centres as the first place most emergency calls are received.
- It defines secondary 911 centres as centres that receive calls transferred by primary centres and send them to emergency service providers.
- It names the Medical Communications Management Centre operated by EM/ANB Inc. and the Provincial Mobile Communications Centre as secondary 911 centres for all areas of New Brunswick.
- It allows the minister to set procedures, policies, standards, technology requirements, and other operating rules if no regulation already covers the matter.
- It allows emergency service providers and 911 centres to share information, including personal information, when needed to operate the 911 service or perform related duties.
- It requires an annual public report on the performance of the 911 service and creates an offence for unauthorized use or disclosure of information.
The source material contains the bill as introduced at first reading. It does not establish that any proposed amendment was adopted.
What it means for you#
- People calling 911: The bill does not change how the public contacts 911. It could create clearer rules for transferring calls and coordinating police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency services.
- People needing medical or transportation-related emergency help: Calls may be transferred to the newly identified secondary centres when appropriate. The bill does not describe any change to response times or eligibility for emergency services.
- Emergency service providers and 911 staff: They may have to follow new standards for operations, equipment, technology, security, service continuity, and reporting.
- Personal information: Information connected directly to a 911 call may be shared between emergency service providers and 911 centres when the bill’s conditions are met. This could include personal information.
- Government and 911 administrators: The minister could create operating rules without using the usual process under the Regulations Act, unless regulations already address the matter.
- Public: The minister must make an annual report about the performance of the 911 service available. The bill does not specify exactly what the report must contain.
Expenses#
No publicly available information.
- The bill does not include a cost estimate or fiscal note in the supplied material.
- New equipment, technology, security measures, reporting systems, or continuity plans could create costs for the province, 911 centres, or emergency service providers.
- The bill could also create administrative work for emergency service providers and 911 centres.
- No new fee, tax, or specific fine amount is identified.
- A violation of the rule against unauthorized use or disclosure of information would be a category F provincial offence. The supplied material does not state the possible penalty.
Proponents' View#
No specific public statements from proponents were supplied. Based on the bill’s text, possible arguments in favour include:
- The bill could make responsibility for receiving, transferring, and dispatching 911 calls clearer.
- Naming two secondary 911 centres could provide a more formal structure for coordinating emergency calls across the province.
- Allowing necessary information sharing could help emergency service providers receive information needed to respond to an incident.
- Standards for security, backup systems, recovery, and incident reporting could improve the reliability of the 911 service.
- Annual public reporting could improve information about how the service is performing.
- The minister’s ability to set standards directly could allow the service to respond more quickly to technical or operational needs when no regulation exists.
Opponents' View#
No specific public statements from opponents were supplied. Possible concerns based on the bill’s design include:
- The bill allows the minister to establish a wide range of rules, including policies, directives, procedures, and technology requirements, without applying the usual Regulations Act process. This may raise questions about public notice, consultation, and oversight.
- The bill permits sharing personal information between emergency service providers and 911 centres. Although the sharing must be necessary for the service or related duties, the bill does not explain all safeguards, limits, or retention rules.
- The annual report may provide limited public information because the minister decides what information it contains and how it is released.
- New security, technology, reporting, and continuity requirements could increase costs for government agencies and emergency service providers. The bill does not provide an estimate.
- The bill does not clearly explain how the newly identified secondary centres will operate together, how performance will be measured, or whether the changes will improve response times.
- The bill creates an offence for unauthorized use or disclosure of information, but the supplied material does not explain the penalty or how enforcement would work.