New next-generation 911 call centre aims to modernize emergency responses in Mississauga and Brampton

Construction has begun on the new state-of-the-art 911 call centre and operations facility that police say will serve the growing populations of Mississauga and Brampton for decades to come and help modernize public and safety services in the region.

Crews broke ground on the new Peel Regional Police (PRP) Operational Support Facility in Brampton on Wednesday, which will be the future home of a next-generation 911 call centre handling all fire, police and medical calls for Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.

The approximately 200,000-square-foot facility will also be the home base for the PRP traffic and road safety team along with the police information technology, records and analytics bureaus among others when it opens its doors with an expected completion date in 2027.

PRP Chief Nishan Duraiappah said the new building will replace the PRP facility at 7750 Hurontario Street and serve as a “beacon of tech and innovation” as the service looks to be the “most inclusive, innovative and progressive” police agency in the country.

“We know this community deserves to have a modern approach to policing,” Duraiappah said at the groundbreaking ceremony, adding that some 80 per cent of 911 calls are related to community and social issues like food scarcity, vulnerable populations, seniors, children and mental health concerns.

Shovels are in the ground as work has begun on the new Peel Regional Police Operational Support Facility in Brampton on Oct. 4, 2023.

He said the technologies and innovations incorporated into the design of the Operational Support Facility will help police “meet those needs in a non-traditional way.”

Numbers from police show there were some 644,000 calls to 911 dispatched through the police call centre in 2022 – the most emergency calls the force has ever received in a single year. Police say the 911 numbers are on track for another record year in 2023, and the sheer volume of calls and people blatantly misusing 911 has created a “bottleneck” for dispatchers as police say more than 40 per cent of 911 calls are far from being classified as an emergency.

All 911 calls that come into the region are sent to Peel Regional Police to determine whether to send fire, EMS, police, or a combination of the three, and Duraiappah said the new facility will incorporate “next-generation 911” elements which will include digital and video media reporting.

Peel police say people should only call 911 for emergencies such as life-threatening situations or crimes that are in progress like an assault, gunshots, fire or medical emergency.

All other calls like noise complaints, crimes that have already happened with no suspect, and ongoing issue should go through the police non-emergency line at 905-453-3311.