The conference theme is “Emerging Horizons” and organizers hope the two days of presentations, workshops and networking possibilities will provide delegates with an opportunity to share information, participate in educational sessions and develop solutions to common challenges.

The field of Public Safety has grown rapidly over the past few years and it is more important than ever that the various agencies responsible for public safety work in concert with each other. Preparing and learning for the unknown or for a disaster has been pushed to the forefront, and emergency personnel are responding to the availability of new and changing information. Each day Islanders are at work providing emergency ambulance, police, and fire services, and meeting the day to day safety needs of the public.

“We are pleased to host the Atlantic 911 Conference this year. Those involved with 911 public safety systems and services will be able to network with their counterparts in other jurisdictions, and to train and learn together so they are always ready to respond to the needs of Islanders in an emergency,” said Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen. “As Islanders, we recall that September day in 2003 when Hurricane Juan passed through our province and the destruction it brought with it. We also remember how quickly and efficiently 911 and the various response teams handled the situations we faced. We rely on all those who play a role in public safety and appreciate their commitment to making our communities safer places to live.”

Annual 911 conferences for the region have been held in alternating Atlantic provinces since 2001. PEI first hosted the Atlantic 911 Conference in Charlottetown in 2002 with more than 100 participants. The Government of Prince Edward Island, Aliant Telecom, Island EMS, and the City of Summerside are just a few of the sponsors for this event.

The two-day event will offer workshops and presentations covering topics such as: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the role of Red Cross in disaster services, pandemic flu, conflict resolution, police, paramedic, fire training, and extreme weather incidence. The conference is open to members of all emergency service organizations within the Atlantic provinces.

To make the event more accessible to local public safety agencies, the organizing committee is offering registrations for either one day or both days of the conference. To register, visit www.gov.pe.ca/911 and follow the 2006 conference link.