The City of Calgary proudly joins municipalities across Canada in recognizing the critical work of 9-1-1 emergency communications professionals during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW), April 12–18.

As the first point of contact in an emergency, Emergency Communications Officers (ECOs) play a vital role in keeping both the public and first responders safe. Before emergency crews arrive at the scene, it’s the Calgary 9-1-1 ECO who is there, gathering critical information, reassuring the caller, providing life‑saving instructions, coordinating complex multi‑unit responses, and relaying critical information to help emergency crews respond quickly and safely.

In addition to supporting the Calgary Police Service, Calgary Fire Department, and Community Safety Peace Officers, Calgary 9‑1‑1 serves as the fire dispatch centre for 11 regional fire departments.

As Calgary continues to grow, demand for 9‑1‑1 services is increasing, with more than one million emergency and non‑emergency calls answered by Calgary 9-1-1 each year.

In 2025, Calgary 9‑1‑1 saw a four per cent increase in overall call volume compared to the previous year, accompanied by growth in events created and supported across multiple public safety partners. Calgary Police Service and Calgary Fire Department events each increased by five per cent in 2025, while regional fire events rose by 14 per cent.

Calgary 9‑1‑1 also supported more than 18,000 Community Peace Officer events and redirected more than 2,000 calls to 2‑1‑1, helping ensure callers were connected to the most appropriate services while reducing pressure on emergency response resources.

Beyond higher call volumes, the complexity of calls has also increased. Over the past two years, the time spent on each call has risen by 10 per cent.

Contributing factors include a growing number of calls requiring language services, which typically take three times longer to process and add significant complexity to emergency response. Between 2024 and 2025, calls requiring language support increased by 10 per cent.

At the same time, dispatchers may manage up to 2,000 radio transmissions in a single shift, while maintaining constant awareness of responder safety and providing critical scene support.

Requests from public safety partners for dispatch support at large public events and demonstrations have also increased, rising by approximately five per cent annually over the past five years. Dispatchers assigned to these events require additional, specialized training to manage heightened public safety risks. One of the largest examples is the Calgary Stampede, which continues to grow in both size and attendance, resulting in additional incident command posts and expanded monitoring needs across the city. As a result, requested dispatch support has increased from three dispatchers per day in 2023 to five per day in 2025.

“Year after year, our Emergency Communications Officers and Dispatchers are handling more calls and increasingly complex situations – all while continuing to do their work with professionalism and compassion,” says Lori Bailey, Chief of Calgary 9‑1‑1. “Their work is often unseen, but its impact is felt across our community every day. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is an opportunity to recognize these dedicated professionals and the vital difference they make in our community every day.”

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