Wireless 911 enhancements
| A recent service enhancement (Phase 1 Wireless E911) was made to the SaskTel wireless 911 service that you access from your SaskTel cell phone. Phase 1 Wireless E911 (completed October 2008) Phase 1 enhancements allow your callback number to be displayed to 911 call takers, along with the location of the cell tower from which the 911 call was placed. While this information can be used to help narrow down the location of the caller and route the call to the most appropriate emergency response centre, it does not provide an exact location. Phase 2 Wireless E911 (effective February 2010) In February 2010, Phase 2 enhancements will provide 911 call takers with a set of latitude and longitude coordinates for your cell phone at the time you make a 911 call. The call taker will also receive a statistical confidence level that will indicate the accuracy of the coordinates supplied. When this phase is complete, your SaskTel cellular phone will have 911 functionality that is approximately equivalent to that available on a landline. Wireless 911 limitations Wireless Enhanced 911 is not available on analog cellular phones. SaskTel cellular customers can access 911 from just about anywhere they have cellular coverage. The exceptions are towers in the northern parts of the province, where Sask911 has been unable to assign Emergency Response Agencies. The affected communities are Cigar Lake, Collins Bay, Key Lake, McArthur River, McLean Lake, and Wollaston Lake. It is important to note that if you dial 911 from an unregistered cell phone the PSAP operator will not receive the callback information. An unregistered cell phone is one that is not active or a phone that has just been turned on and has not made a call on the SaskTel network. The effectiveness of the enhanced wireless 911 service remains dependent on your coverage area, your signal strength, and the availability of the enhanced wireless 911 emergency service from the location the call is originated. If the enhanced wireless 911 service is unavailable in your location, your call will be completed without a callback number or location being sent to the emergency operator. . Cost SaskTel's wireless 9-1-1 fee is applied as a monthly fee per access: $0.21 Telecommunications Fee Contributes to the cost of recovery of 9-1-1 service. $0.62 Sask911 Call Taking Cost The Sask911 call taking cost is a provincial government fee that helps pay for provincial government administration and 9-1-1 center operations costs. 9-1-1 tips - Do not program 911 into your speed dial to reduce the likelihood of accidental calls. - When calling 911, always give the operator your name, mobile phone number (including the area code), and your location, in case you are in an area that doesn't have enhanced wireless 911 service. - Stay on the phone with the 911 operator as long as required. Remember that SaskTel Wireless customers can call 911 for free, even if you are out of airtime minutes or prepaid minutes. - Leave your cell phone turned on after hanging up in case the operator needs to call you back. |
