Thank you, Mr. Speaker. NWT 911 has answered almost 14,000 emergency calls. These calls come from every one of our NWT communities, even the smallest and most remote, such as Jean Marie River, Whati, and Ulukhaktok. What is more, NWT 911 has dispatched emergency services not just to NWT communities, but also to other jurisdictions such as Vancouver and Edmonton, even as far away as the Baltic States.

Mr. Speaker, we have all heard about two babies in Yellowknife and the one baby in Inuvik who 911 personnel helped to deliver, but due to the various privacy laws in the NWT, the public never really hears about the lives 911 helps to save, the real impact of emergency medical and fire services dispatched through 911.

I can tell you one story of a community member who would have died slowly and alone without 911. One foggy day, the person had a serious car crash on a low-traffic road about 30 kilometres from the nearest community. The driver was so badly injured that they had to be medevac'd to Edmonton. The driver had happened to connect their cell phone to the car for hands-free calling and to listen to a favourite playlist. This action saved the driver's life, because automotive telematics do not call 111 or 2222, and cars are programmed to call 911 in the event of a bad crash. In this case, the car called 911. Let me say that again. The crash was so bad and the driver was in such poor condition that the car called 911. I can tell you that 911 was able to send help and talk with the driver, who was in a state of shock, for several minutes before the driver lost consciousness. The 911 dispatcher stayed on the call for 12 minutes longer before losing connection. Had 911 not been an option, that driver most certainly would have perished in that crash.

Mr. Speaker, imagine being a 911 dispatcher answering calls from people in distress, the worst calls possible, for 12-hour shifts. Most of the time, the dispatchers do not know what happens to the patient once the first responders arrive. The call is done, 911 hangs up, and the dispatcher goes on to the next emergency call. Imagine not knowing what happened to that stabbing victim you told how to stop the bleeding, that parent you taught how to administer life-saving drugs to their overdosing teen. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted