CRTC recognized for its innovative work on behalf of hearing and speech-impaired Canadians

May 26, 2015 – Ottawa-Gatineau – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
At a ceremony held yesterday, employees of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) were presented with the Innovative Team Award from the Association of Professional Executive of the Public Service of Canada for their work on the Text with 9-1-1 service.
Text with 9-1-1 enables hearing and speech-impaired Canadians to access emergency services more directly and efficiently. Through this service, call centre operators are able to communicate with registered users via text messages. Canada’s Text with 9-1-1 service is also unique in that along with the initial call, the operator receives the caller’s approximate location, which can be of great assistance if the caller is unable to identify their location. A text messaging session is then initiated by the operator in order to exchange information regarding the emergency.