Officers of the Midland Police Service are now being dispatched to calls by personnel of the communications centre at the Owen Sound Police Service.

Owen Sound Police Service Inspector Stephen MacKinnon stated, "This morning at 10:00 a.m. dispatchers from our emergency communications centre took over the responsibility of accepting and sending police officers of the Midland Police Service to calls in their community."

Providing professional, effective and efficient emergency communications services to other organizations is not new for the Owen Sound Police Service. The Police Service]has been the only Central Emergency Response Bureau (C.E.R.B.) in Grey and Bruce Counties since the introduction of 9-1-1 service into these areas, dating back to the 6th of June 1990.

In the spring of this year Owen Sound Police upgraded the communication equipment to allowtheir dispatchers to conduct Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1), for the deaf, deafened, hard-of hearing or speech impaired community (DHHSI) but only in areas where it is supported.

With the addition of Midland that brings the total to nine police services (including their own) for which Owen Sound Police provide emergency communications services. The others include Saugeen Shores, West Grey, Hanover, Wingham, Aylmer, Port Hope, and Dryden (in the Central Time zone).
For two areas, Midland and Aylmer, Owen Sound Police also receive down-streamed 9-1-1 calls that require a police response and dispatch the required Police Service. For all other areas they receive all 9-1-1 calls for emergency services (i.e. police, fire and ambulance) and either dispatch the police and fire departments or downstream the calls to other agencies. Owen Sound Police also dispatch for twenty-three fire departments.

Owen Sound Police is currently waiting for the Cobourg Police Service to have their Section 40 (Police Services Act) Hearing and it is expected in 2016 they (Cobourg) will become the tenth police service being dispatched out of Owen Sound.

"We have shown we have the proven abilities, both in human and technical resources, to provide this professional service," said MacKinnon.

source: media release, Owen Sound Police Services