KMTS – A Division of Bell Aliant

Safe Driving – Your First Priority

Ontario Bill 118 amended the Highway Traffic Act by making it illegal to operate a hand-held wireless communication device to talk, text, or e-mail while driving a motor vehicle. Protect yourself and your fellow motorists and pedestrians by:

• Always buckle up, keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
• Use a hands-free device to make it easier to keep both hands on the wheel.
• When dialing manually, dial only when stopped. Or, have a passenger dial for you. Pull over if you get really involved in a conversation or need to take notes.
• Program frequently called number into the speed dial feature of your phone.
• Let voice mail pick up your calls when it’s inconvenient, unsafe to answer the phone or driving conditions become hazardous.

Call 911 to report any crimes, life threatening emergencies, accidents, or drunk drivers. If you don’t have a hands-free unit, keep your cell phone where it can be reached quickly.

Please refrain from using your phone when asked to do so by airlines, hospitals, and in any other posted areas. Never use your cell phone near blasting caps or explosives. If you see warning signs that say TURN OFF TWO WAY RADIOS, turn off your phone immediately.

When you call 9-1-1 in Kenora from your KMTS Mobility phone, your call is answered by the 9-1-1 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Communications Centre in Thunder Bay. Please remember to indicate you are calling from Kenora.

The operator does not receive your cell number or your location, and will ask that, and other key information before transferring you to the appropriate emergency service. If you are driving, stop your vehicle if it is safe to do so and look for street signs, addresses or landmarks. If you are driving on a highway, try to provide the highway number, your direction of travel and look for signs and other landmarks. Only you can provide your precise location or the location of the emergency.

You are not billed airtime on 9-1-1 calls so please stay on the call long enough for the operator to get the necessary information about the emergency.

Please stay calm and be ready to provide the following information:

• Your name and area code + cell number.
• Explain what happened, where and when.
• Request the service required – Police, Fire, or Ambulance.
• Report any known injuries.
• Report suspect persons, and direction of travel.
• DO NOT HANG UP until told to do so by operator or emergency responder. After hanging up, leave your mobile phone turned on in case the operator must call you back.
• Do not pre-program the 9-1-1 number on your cell phone – it helps reduce the chance of unintended accidental calls to 9-1-1.