Saskatchewan centralizes 911 dispatch services under new Crown; raises fees

PRINCE ALBERT The Saskatchewan government is creating a new Crown corporation to transform the way 911 emergency services are delivered.

And the 911 emergency service fees, which are applied to cellphone and landlines in Saskatchewan, will also be raised.

Government Relations Minister Larry Doke says a new facility located near Prince Albert will serve as the provincial emergency communications centre for all areas except Regina and Saskatoon.

Those cities will keep their emergency dispatching centres and report to government through the new Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

Doke says the new structure will streamline operations and put the province in a better position to meet future needs and expand emergency services.

The fee will rise to 94 cents from 62 cents starting in January.