As Canada rolls out the 9-8-8 suicide crisis helpline, effective coordination between 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 services is essential to ensuring the right response, at the right time, by the right service. This session shares the work of the Canadian NENA Working Group dedicated to developing a national standard for 9-1-1–9-8-8 interoperability—a first-of-its-kind effort to align processes for suicide-related calls and promote public, responder, and caller safety. Attendees will learn how this standard is being developed to support clear, accurate, and efficient interactions between the two systems—so that 9-1-1 can better support those in emotional crisis and 9-8-8 can effectively escalate calls involving immediate risk. The presentation will also highlight the unexpected benefits of this cross-sector collaboration, including increased mutual understanding, trust-building between systems, and shared problem-solving that respects the unique roles of each service. This is a behind-the-scenes look at a truly Canadian approach to system-level integration—one that prioritizes both technical interoperability and human-centred service.