Amendments to the Emergency 911 Act

Nova Scotians will now have access to more services during emergencies and severe weather events, thanks to recent changes made to the Emergency 911 Act. The changes, introduced on March 5th, will expand the mandate of he E911 Cost Recovery Fund to further complement the 911 service.

Other changes may include providing comfort centres with satellite phones or helping provide enhanced cell phone charging services for citizens during prolonged weather events or emergencies

“First and foremost, this fund will continue to support our 911 service and ensure the system responds to Nova Scotians during emergencies,” said Chuck Porter, Minister responsible for the Emergency Management Office which manages the fund. “In addition, we will work with our municipal partners to identify ways to strengthen emergency preparedness activities.”

Like most provinces in Canada, a small monthly fee is charged to telephone users in Nova Scotia to maintain and enhance 911 system. This began in 2001 with a 43 cent monthly fee to cover operational costs, and is disbursed directly through the E911 Cost Recovery Fund rather then the provincial government’s general revenues

In order to better meet the needs of Nova Scotians during emergencies and severe weather events, the Emergency Management Office will work with municipalities to identify opportunities and help increase the resiliency of communities during such events.