Blog | 911 Emergency Dispatcher | 911 Emergency Dispatch

Canadian telecommunications companies have started to send emergency alerts to compatible cellphones and wireless devices. This is in addition to existing TV and radio alerting.  B.C.’s wireless test took place on May 9, 2018.  Additional details are available here.  B.C.’s next emergency alert test on TV and radio is scheduled for June 20, 2018.

In the event of a real public alert, people need to follow instructions of the official authority (such as Emergency Management B.C., local government agencies or police). Only dial 9-1-1, if you have a life-threatening emergency. We need to keep emergency lines free for those needing immediate assistance from first responders.

Do not dial 9-1-1 for information or to ask general questions. use radio, television and online resources such as official government social media feeds and websites for instructions and up-to-date information. Our call takers cannot answer questions or provide information about alerts.  The 9-1-1 lines must be kept free for people who need immediate help from police, fire or ambulance services.

Find out more at Alert Ready and Emergency Info BC or your service provider.

Read the Winter 2018 issue of e-communiqué, E-Comm’s quarterly stakeholder newsletter.

Port Coquitlam, B.C.— Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services is now communicating on the E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network. The move means all three fire departments in the Tri-Cities are operating on the same radio system for the first time, allowing them to communicate more effectively.

“There are 61,000 residents of Port Coquitlam who rely on firefighters to keep them safe and to protect their property,” said Mayor Greg Moore. “Our residents can take comfort in knowing that their firefighters have the right technology at their sides.”

“From battling blazes to responding to hazardous goods incidents or motor vehicle crashes, firefighters work in all sorts of dangerous and complex conditions in which communication is paramount,” said Oliver Grüter-Andrew, E-Comm President and CEO. “We are committed to providing firefighters in Port Coquitlam with the clear, reliable and broad radio coverage they need to do their jobs in challenging situations and environments.”

In addition to improving communication amongst Tri-Cities fire departments, this transition means Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services can also communicate seamlessly with local police and the ambulance service, which are also using the
E-Comm system.

“Efficient radio communication is a lifeline, and joining with other local first responders under the E-Comm system enhances our emergency response capabilities for the safety of our residents and firefighters,” said Councillor Mike Forrest, Chair of the City’s Community Safety Committee.

Last year, agencies using E-Comm’s radio system began moving to a new state-of-the-art network in a planned upgrade to next generation technology. Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services is now one of more than 30 agencies operating on this new network that provides first responders with enhanced audio clarity, increased coverage and better security.

“By joining the wide-area radio network, we are increasing interoperability between all emergency-service agencies which ultimately means a safer working environment for first responders,” added Port Coquitlam Fire Chief Nick Delmonico.

The E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network is the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in British Columbia and is used by police, fire and ambulance personnel within Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. Currently,
BC Emergency Health Services within Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford, all police agencies in Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford and 13 fire departments in Metro Vancouver – including Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody – use the radio network to communicate with each other. In 2017, firefighters, police officers and paramedics broadcasted approximately 130 million times.

-30-

About E-Comm
E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C. In 2017, it handled approximately 1.45 million emergency calls for 26 regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George.
E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 36 police agencies and fire departments in southwest B.C. and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province. 

Contacts:

Chief Nick Delmonico
Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services
604-927-5466
[email protected] 

Sam Corea
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4877
[email protected]

Vancouver, B.C.— Calling 9-1-1 to complain that a nail salon won’t change your nail polish colour is a call that doesn’t belong on 9-1-1, says E-Comm as it releases its top 10 nuisance calls list for 2017.

E-Comm call-taker Christie Duncan fielded the call and says it’s just one example of the types of calls call-takers receive every day that can tie up the 9-1-1 lines. “Spending time on calls like these takes me away from being available to help someone who is a serious emergency situation,” says Duncan. “And believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve received a call about the colour of nail polish.”

Here is E-Comm’s 2017 list of top 10 reasons to not call 9-1-1:

1. Complaining a salon wouldn’t change nail polish colour
2. Car refusing to move forward at a gas station pump
3. To report food was inedible and restaurant refusing to provide refund
4. Complaining tenant moved without returning keys
5. Calling because someone parked in their parking spot
6. Wondering if a washroom closed sign at a popular beach was legitimate
7. Complaining gas station wouldn’t accept coins for payment
8. Calling to ask if raccoons are dangerous animals
9. Asking if there’s a law preventing washing clothes at 6 a.m.
10. Calling to check the time following the fall time change

“As you can see by our 2017 list, some people believe 9-1-1 can be used as a customer complaint or general information service,” says Jody Robertson, executive director of corporate communications. “While these calls are absurd, they’re more common than you might think. The fact is – every time a 9-1-1 call taker handles one of these calls, we waste valuable resources. We’re asking the public to help us help.”

Robertson reminds the public that 9-1-1 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is needed and calling non-emergency lines for calls like this is also not appropriate. “Non-emergency lines are for important police matters. None of the items on our list is a police matter.”

E-Comm, B.C.’s largest emergency communications centre, receives approximately 1.36 million calls every year.

-30-

E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C., handling approximately 1.36 million emergency calls per year for 26 regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George.

E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 36 police agencies and fire departments in southwest B.C. and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province. 

For additional information, please contact:

Sam Corea
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4877
[email protected]

Vancouver, B.C.—One in five 9-1-1 calls for police isn’t an emergency, according to estimates by E-Comm, B.C.’s largest emergency communications centre.

To help keep 9-1-1 lines free for emergencies that require immediate action from police, E-Comm is conducting a public awareness campaign focused on helping people better recognize when to call 9-1-1 and when to call the non-emergency line.

“9-1-1 is for those who need assistance right away – their health, safety or property is in immediate jeopardy, or a crime is in progress,” says Jasmine Bradley, E-Comm’s Manager of Corporate Communications.

Some recent examples of police matters that should have been reported on the non-emergency line, not 9-1-1:

• Vehicle break-in that happened three days earlier
• Motor vehicle crash with no injuries and the vehicle was driveable
• A break-in that occurred 90 minutes earlier, with no suspect on scene and no one at risk

In 2016, E-Comm managed more than 387,000 emergency calls for 17 police agencies in Metro Vancouver. It’s estimated that approximately 77,000 were non-emergencies.

“Before we ask a 9-1-1 caller to hang-up and call their local non-emergency number, we have to take time to assess whether the situation is an actual emergency,” explains E-Comm police call-taker Jefferey Ching, who received the call for the three-day-old vehicle break-in. “My caller certainly needed to report that break-in to police, but the non-emergency line is a better choice so that if someone calls 9-1-1 for a true emergency, they get through as soon as possible. ”

Bradley adds that if anyone is in doubt if their situation is an emergency, they should dial 9-1-1 first. “Generally speaking, if there is no immediate danger, there is a significant time delay and no suspect on scene, a 9-1-1 call-taker will refer the caller to the local non-emergency line so a report can be taken without tying up 9-1-1.”

“My caller was great and understood my reasons for needing to call non-emergency,” says Ching. “I hope people will help us by taking the opportunity to learn more about the differences and to keep their local non-emergency numbers on hand if need be.”

Non-emergency numbers within E-Comm’s service area are available at nonemergency.ca.

-30-

Resources

Radio ads and campaign materials.

E-Comm’s Jefferey Ching, police call-taker, quoted in the news release.

E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in Canada, handling approximately 1.36 million emergency calls per year for 26 regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George.

E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 36 police agencies and fire departments in southwest B.C. and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province. 

For additional information, please contact:

Sam Corea
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4877
[email protected]