What is driving up the cost to the public, and what are we really paying for?
Starting in January next year, your phone bill is getting a little more expensive – but it’s for your safety. The NWT government is raising the 9-1-1 fee to ensure emergency services remain reliable and cost-neutral.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) announced that effective January 1, 2025, the 9-1-1 cost recovery fee for all telephone service subscribers in the NWT will increase by $1.30, bringing the total monthly fee to $3.00.
This marks the first fee adjustment since the service launched in November 2019. The increase is intended to cover the rising costs of maintaining and operating the 9-1-1 service, ensuring it remains cost-neutral for the GNWT.
The 2019 Report on the Review of Bill 31 acknowledged both the life-saving benefits of 9-1-1 and the challenges in implementing it across the NWT. Concerns about inconsistent cell service, the adequacy of local infrastructure, and the financial impact on municipalities, like Yellowknife, were raised. Some smaller communities questioned the necessity of 9-1-1 due to limited resources. Yellowknife emphasized the need for detailed consultations and financial support from the GNWT for additional costs incurred during the system’s transition, such as dispatch and network upgrades. These insights shaped ongoing discussions about balancing the service’s benefits and challenges in a remote region.
While the increase is positioned as necessary, it’s the cost-neutral operation of 9-1-1 services in the territory that has me scratching my head. What costs, exactly, are we looking to neutralize? Don’t get me wrong, it’s equally important to consider that the NWT serves a population of less than 50,000, making it a unique case for such a high fee. In contrast, other larger Canadian jurisdictions often subsidize 9-1-1 services or have lower recovery fees due to economies of scale.
Across Canada, the user fee for 9-1-1 services covers the cost of maintaining and operating the emergency call system on each subscriber’s phone. This includes call routing, operator training, network upgrades, and ensuring the system can reliably handle emergency situations. Fees also fund systems that allow emergency responders to receive accurate location data, ensuring a quicker and more efficient response in critical situations. The CRTC mandates that the fee helps provide these essential services, ensuring every subscriber has access to emergency response when needed.
According to the Annual Report, in the 2023-24 fiscal year, of the 17,238 inbound calls, 29 per cent of calls to 9-1-1 were non-emergent, including hang-ups. This calls to concern about the system’s capacity and the effectiveness of the emergency services. Given the already strained resources and rising fees, it may be worth exploring strategies to reduce non-urgent call volumes alongside fee increases to ensure the system remains sustainable and responsive. Addressing this could help balance service delivery with cost recovery.
The GNWT says the increase in the NWT fee reflects the high operational costs associated with maintaining and improving emergency services in remote, vast regions. But for NWT residents, this hike will likely prompt questions about the cost-effectiveness of the territory’s approach, especially given the relatively small population base.
We then have to ask our politicians why, in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, was the total compensation of $1,380,970 paid out solely for salaries? This lends to the ongoing “less bang for your buck” issue that, in my mind, is rooted in the over-administration of government departments and the long-term costs that are passed on to taxpayers.
The (assumed) estimated breakdown of annual salaries is as follows: Manager: $414,291; System Specialist: $276,194; and each Dispatcher: $138,097. This allocation assumes that the Manager receives the highest compensation, followed by the System Specialist, with the remaining salary distributed evenly among the five Dispatchers. It would appear, from the annual reports, that NWT’ers are paying for salaries over services.
While it’s crucial to have emergency services, this fee shifts the responsibility of funding 9-1-1 infrastructure onto individuals, raising concerns about fairness and accessibility. The growing reliance on this fee prompts further questions about the GNWT’s approach to covering public service costs, especially in remote communities where the need for such a service may be minimal or non-existent.
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