Peel Region 911 wait times down [Video]

911 call wait times in Peel Region are down nearly 80 per cent this year, with callers waiting an average of 14 seconds before connecting with a dispatcher, officials say.

Peel Regional Police released the data at a news conference on Tuesday, crediting public education about 911 misuse, new technology, and staffing increases as the reasons why 911 calls are being answered faster.

Since the start of the year, police said there has also been a 92 per cent increase in calls being answered within 15 seconds.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown was in attendance at Tuesday’s news conference and said the challenge of reducing 911 call times in Peel Region was “heartbreaking.”

“I remember getting calls from residents talking about wait times, and I remember being flabbergasted at the fact that a country as prosperous as Canada had wait times as long as they were,” he said.

Greater Toronto Area …