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911 and Emergency Services

chatr customers that require emergency assistance can dial 9-1-1 any time, free of charge on the chatr network.

Depending on your location, calls are connected to the 9-1-1 service provided by the municipality or province or a local emergency service provider suited to handle the situation (e.g. a local police department).

About 9-1-1

Just like your regular calls, if you're underground or too far from a cell tower, your 9-1-1 call might not work well, or you might not get a connection. When the municipality or province provides the service, local public safety officials answer your 9-1-1 call. Otherwise, a local authority takes the call.

9-1-1 charges

All calls to 9-1-1 are free of charge. You won't be charged a monthly fee for 9-1-1 emergency service on your chatr account.

Tips for making effective 9-1-1 calls

  • Always provide your name, phone number and location.
  • For mobile 9-1-1 calls, the emergency operator doesn't know your precise location until you provide it.
  • Speak clearly and stay on the line as needed.
  • Keep your handset turned on after you end the call, as the operator may need to call you back.
  • Be aware of limitations. If you're underground or too far from a cell tower, your 9-1-1 call quality may be affected, or you might not get a connection.
  • Mobile phones in Canada are set up to use any available mobile network for 9-1-1 calls. If your mobile device has power and is in range of any network, it can make a 9-1-1 call if there's a working cell antenna nearby.
  • Regularly update your device's software.
  • Accidental and unnecessary 9-1-1 calls take up valuable emergency resources.

 

Avoid these calls by:

  • Make sure children using a mobile device know that they should only dial 9-1-1 for critical emergencies.
  • Lock or sleep your phone before putting it away.
  • Don't include 9-1-1 in your speed dial or contacts.
  • Refrain from making test calls to 9-1-1.

 

Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1)

E9-1-1 is the primary system in Canada for connecting callers to emergency call centres. When you make a mobile E9-1-1 call, the operator receives your mobile phone number and the location of the cell tower handling your call. This information helps emergency services respond quickly and send the right help to your area.

Moments late, the operator receives more accurate location information, including your phone number and geographic coordinates associated with your rough location. This is made possible by special technology in the chatr network and the GPS capabilities of your mobile device.

It's important to understand that not all areas in Canada have E9-1-1 service. In locations without it, chatr will redirect your call to local 10-digit emergency numbers if available.

Using 9-1-1 during a network outage

During a network outage, it may still be possible to make a mobile 9-1-1 voice call or contact emergency services, depending on the type of service interruption.

Steps to follow if you need to call 9-1-1 during a network outage:

  • If your call doesn't connect right away, wait on the line.
  • If your call fails (your mobile shows "call failed"), hang up and wait for 10 seconds before redialing. Don’t immediately redial.
  • Try making the call from a different mobile device or a landline phone.
  • If calling from a mobile device, try restarting it.
  • If you're still unable to finish your emergency call, take out your SIM card or deactivate the eSIM in your device's settings. Then, try dialling 9-1-1 again.

 

Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) for deaf, deafened, hard of-hearing or speech-impaired (DHHSI) customers won’t work without a SIM card.

Using CAT B15, Doro 620 or Doro 626 for 9-1-1 calls

GPS data won't be available for 9-1-1 calls made on CAT B15, Doro 620, or Doro 626 devices after the GPS Rollover update. This update, known as the GPS Week Number Rollover, occurred on April 6, 2019, affecting older GPS technology. These phones will use cell phone towers for location determination instead.

Who’s affected?

Customers of CAT B15, Doro 620 or Doro 626 phones will be impacted by this change. If your device wasn't purchased from chatr, contact the manufacturer for information about the GPS Week Number Rollover's effects.

Impact on 9-1-1 calls

You can still make 9-1-1 calls, but your location will be determined by cell phone towers (triangulation) instead of the GPS on your phone. Provide an address or as much location information as possible when calling 9-1-1. Avoid testing your location accuracy. Use 9-1-1 only for critical emergencies.

Updating your phone

A software update will be offered for the Doro 626 phone to fix the GPS issue. For Doro 626 customers, we'll help with the update. No information is available yet regarding updates for CAT B15 and Doro 620 phones, but we'll provide updates when available.

9-8-8 – Suicide Crisis Helpline

Call or text 9-8-8 (toll-free, 24/7) if you’re thinking about suicide or if you’re worried about someone you know. You’ll be connected to a responder to get help without judgement. Learn more about 9-8-8. Note: calls or texts made to 9-8-8 won't show up on your bill.

 

Alert Ready

Alert Ready is a service designed to send important and potentially life-saving emergency messages to Canadians.

Beginning April 6, 2018, mobile service providers could send emergency alerts to WPA-compatible mobile devices through Cell Broadcast distribution. They conduct annual tests for this service.

Mobile service providers only send messages related to life-threatening situations. You cannot choose to opt out of receiving these emergency alerts.

As of April 6, 2019, all devices sold by chatr are WPA-compatible. For devices sold before that date, see the list of compatible devices below:

  • Alcatel: Go Flip, Alcatel 1B, Go Flip 3
  • Apple: iPhone 5s/SE/6/6+/6s/6s+/7/7+/8/8+/X/XS/XS Max/XR
  • BlackBerry: DTEK50, Priv, KEYone, KEY2, KEY2 LE
  • Google: Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3XL
  • Huawei: P10, P10 Plus, P10 Lite, P20, P20 Pro, P20 Lite, Mate20 Pro, Nova Plus, GR5
  • LG: G5, G6, G7, G7 One, Q6, V20, V30, X Power 2, Q Stylo+
  • Motorola: Moto E5 Play, Moto G6 Play, Moto G Pure
  • Nokia: 2.1
  • Samsung: S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, Note 5, S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S9, S9+, S10e, S10, S10+, Note 8, Note 9, A5 (2017), A8, Xcover 4, J3 Prime, J3 2018, A03
  • Sonim: XP8, XP5S
  • Sony: Xperia X Performance
  • ZTE: Z557, Blade A7P, Cymbal 2

 

For more information, please visit alertready.ca. To confirm that your device is enabled, contact your device manufacturer.