CALLING 9-1-1
Best Practices for the Deaf, Deafened and Hard of
Hearing Community
The Halton Regional Police Service is committed to providing efficient and effective service.
In order to provide the best response, it is recommended that where a communication
barrier may exist, residents use their TTY as the primary form of communication when
calling 9-1-1 and a landline as a secondary option when a TTY is not available to them.
Using a TTY (Teletypewriter) is the most effective way for a resident of Halton with a hearing
loss to gain access to emergency services. The use of a TTY:
Automatically provides information to the call-taker which includes the caller’s address,
name, and home phone number as registered with their service provider.
Enables two-way communication between the call-taker and caller. This allows the calltaker to assign the most appropriate emergency service(s) (police, fire or ambulance)
and assign a priority level to the call ensuring an appropriate response time. The caller
must stay on the TTY line in order to communicate their emergency to the call-taker.
Using a Landline to Dial 9-1-1 is the second most effective way for a resident of Halton with a
hearing loss to gain access to emergency services. The use of a landline:
Automatically provides information to the call-taker which includes the caller’s address,
name, and home phone number as registered with their service provider.
BARRIER: Since two-way communication cannot be established only police will respond
to the address to check on the well-being of the residents. This may significantly delay
the response for a person needing Ambulance or Fire services.
BARRIERS WITH OTHER METHODS
Using a Cellular Phone to Dial 9-1-1: By dialing 9-1-1 from a cellular phone, the call-taker is
unable to identify that a call was made by a person with a hearing loss. Without an indication
that a person was in distress, such as background noises (screaming, fighting), police will not
respond. A 9-1-1 cell phone does not provide a name or address so a call-taker is unable to
ascertain the caller’s exact location. In the event that this is the only option to call 9-1-1, try to
locate someone nearby who may be able to communicate your emergency to the call-taker.
Texting 911: This method is being developed and evaluated by the CRTC (Canadian RadioTelevision and Telecommunications Commission). It WILL NOT be in use until properly tested.
VCO (Voice Carryover): The call-taker will receive information including the caller’s address,
name, and home phone number. Using a VCO does NOT allow 2 way communications to
9-1-1. Only police will respond to the address to check on the well-being of the residents. This
may significantly delay the response for a person needing Ambulance or Fire services.
Halton Regional Police Service - Communications Bureau
Non-Emergency TTY Line: 1-800-990-8199