Blog | 911 Emergency Dispatcher | 911 Emergency Dispatch

Vancouver, B.C.— Recognizing the dedication of 9-1-1 call-takers, dispatchers, technology specialists and support personnel, the Province of British Columbia has declared April 13-19 as Emergency Service Dispatchers’ and 9-1-1 Awareness Week. As part of the week’s recognition, E-Comm—the emergency communications centre for southwest British Columbia—is reminding the public of the proper use of 9-1-1 and ways in which callers can support the efforts of call-takers who are here to help 24/7.

“Those who answer emergency calls and dispatch first responders during times of crisis are often the unsung heroes working behind the scenes to help those in need,” explained E-Comm CEO David Guscott. “Our staff are highly trained, dedicated professionals and we want to take this opportunity to recognize their important contributions to public safety.”

E-Comm has answered more than 13 million 9-1-1 calls since 1999, and while the vast majority of people use the system responsibly, there are many ways the public can help ensure important lifelines are not misused.

E-Comm 9-1-1 call-takers’ top five tips:

• Know when to make the call. 9-1-1 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress. Use local non-emergency numbers for police matters that don’t require immediate response. You can find non-emergency numbers at ecomm911.ca.
• Know your location. Cellphones provide general information but they don’t pinpoint an exact location for 9-1-1 call-takers. Callers are always the best source of information, especially during an emergency when time is of the essence. Always know your location including what city you are in, building or home addresses, cross streets or any other landmark information that will help emergency personnel find you.
• Be prepared to answer questions. It’s the job of 9-1-1 call-takers to get you the emergency response you need. To do that, call-takers are trained to ask specific questions in a priority sequence, relaying information via computer to dispatchers and first responders. Listen carefully, speak clearly and try to remain calm.
• Lock and store your phone carefully. Each day E-Comm receives hundreds of accidental 9-1-1 calls – from pocket dials to hang-ups – all of which tie-up emergency resources. Never pre-program 9-1-1 and don’t let kids play with your cellphone. Keep cellphones locked, stored safely and preferably in a case.
• If you accidentally dial 9-1-1 stay on the line. Do not hang up. If you do, the system will record your call as “abandoned” and call-takers are required to call you back further tying up emergency lines. In instances where your location is known police may be sent to confirm you are safe.
  

Got questions for a 9-1-1 call-taker? On April 17 starting at 4pm E-Comm will be ‘live’ tweeting #911Awareness.

E-Comm answers close to 900,000 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Whistler, Squamish and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (South) and provides dispatch service to more than 30 police and fire departments.

For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information visit www.ecomm911.ca or follow @EComm911_info.

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Media Contact
Jasmine Bradley
E-Comm Corporate Communications
604-215-5023
604-640-1342 (pager)

Vancouver, B.C.— E-Comm—the 9-1-1 answer point serving Metro Vancouver and other parts of southwest British Columbia—today launched Canada’s first Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) service for members of the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Speech Impaired (DHHSI) community, in conjunction with its emergency-service partners.

The specialized text messaging system means any DHHSI person in E-Comm’s service area who has pre-registered their cellphone for the service will be able to communicate with police, fire and ambulance call-takers in case of emergency.

“This is an important day for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and those with Speech Impairments,” said Janice Lyons, Head of Interpreting Services for the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. “To be able to reach this lifeline through a cellphone is a major improvement over current technology we are using.”

In order to access the service, DHHSI callers must:

• Pre-register their cellphones with their wireless carrier
• Dial 9-1-1 like any other caller in order to establish a voice network connection
• Call from a community within E-Comm’s service area*

When E-Comm receives a 9-1-1 call from a DHHSI person who has pre-registered with their wireless carrier and is located in E-Comm’s service area, an alert will trigger at the 9-1-1 centre to indicate there is a DHHSI caller on the line. The 9-1-1 call-taker will then launch the special messaging system, allowing them to communicate with the caller through a special text session. This will ensure they get the emergency service they need.

“E-Comm is proud to have played a part in the development of T9-1-1 and congratulates everyone involved in creating a uniquely Canadian solution,” says Doug Watson, E-Comm’s vice-president of Operations. “As the primary 9-1-1 answer point we have been working diligently to test the technology developed by our partners at TELUS, and to train our staff in using it. We are very pleased that it’s now in service and know that other 9-1-1 centres across the country are following suit.”

It is important to emphasize that this service is only available to the DHHSI community. Voice calling remains the only way to communicate with 9-1-1 services for a person who is not Deaf, Deafened, Hard- of-Hearing or Speech Impaired. Text messages sent directly to the digits “9-1-1” do not reach emergency services anywhere in Canada. Text with 9-1-1 for the public-at-large is anticipated in the future as the nationwide 9-1-1 infrastructure evolves.

“TELUS worked closely with E-Comm to help them implement this technically challenging and sophisticated solution, together creating an effective way for the DHHSI community to connect with emergency services when they need help,” said Chris Langdon, vice-president, TELUS Consumer Products and Services . “This new service has the potential to save lives and we commend E-Comm for their great work ensuring DHHSI residents of communities where E-Comm provides service are the first people in Canada to benefit from Text with 9-1-1.”

The T9-1-1 service is a joint effort of Canada’s telecommunications services providers, representatives of emergency services from across the country, and leaders in the DHHSI community, who worked together as part of a special CRTC committee.

T9-1-1 will be available at different times across the country as each public service answer point (PSAP) will implement the service separately.

Members of the DHHSI community should visit www.TextWith911.ca to register their cellphones with their wireless service provider and to learn more about how the system works. For more information on E-Comm visit www.ecomm911.ca.

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Locations where T9-1-1 will be available to the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard-of-Hearing and Speech Impaired:

Metro Vancouver – Anmore, Belcarra, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Electoral Area A (University of BC, University Endowment Lands, Barnston Island), Howe Sound Communities (Ocean Point, Strachan Point, Montizambert Wynd, Bowyer Island and Passage Island), Indian Arm/Pitt Lake Communities (Boulder Island, Carraholly Point, Northern Portion of Indian Arm and West side of Pitt Lake), Langley (City and Township),  Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver (District and City), Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver and White Rock.

Squamish Lillooet Regional District South – Electoral Area C (Pemberton Meadows, Mt. Currie, D’Arcy Corridor, Whistler-Pemberton Corridor), Electoral Area D (Furry Creek, Brittania, Porteau, Upper Squamish, Upper Cheakamus, Ring Creek, Pinecrest/Black Tusk Village), Pemberton, Squamish and Whistler.

Sunshine Coast Regional District – Egmont, Elphinstone, Gibsons, Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, West Howe Sound.

Media Contacts:
For 9-1-1 related questions contact:
Jody Robertson
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4956
[email protected]

For questions related to the technology contact:
Liz Sauvé
TELUS Media Relations
604-719-6715
[email protected]

For questions related to the DHHSI community contact:
Janice Lyons
Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
604-614-7458 text or sms ONLY
[email protected]

For questions about registration and public education:
Ashlee Smith
Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association
613-233-4888 ext. 227
[email protected]

9-1-1 call answer services will have a new provider in the Fraser-Fort George, Cariboo, Bulkley-Nechako and Kitimat-Stikine Regional Districts. Beginning this fall, 9-1-1 calls from these areas will be answered through E-Comm, the emergency communication centre located in southwest British Columbia.  Read more in this news release.

Vancouver, B.C.—Accidental calls to 9-1-1 are taking up to 10 hours a day for staff to handle, consuming resources that could otherwise be available to help people with real emergencies, according to estimates by E-Comm, the emergency communications centre located in southwest B.C.

E-Comm estimates it handles about 200 accidental calls every day, most of them “pocket dials” from cellphones. Pocket dials, hang-ups and children playing with cellphones are all considered accidental calls.

To help bring the public’s attention to the issue, E-Comm is launching an awareness campaign on pocket dials that includes a social/online media component and targeted promotion in restaurants, bars and local theatres.

“Every accidental call must be treated as a legitimate call until the call-taker can determine otherwise,” says Doug Watson, E-Comm’s vice-president of operations.

“Some pocket dials are obvious – our staff hear music playing, party sounds, sporting events and so on when they take the call. However, our staff still have to take time to listen, make call backs and if they have any cause for concern, take action to try to locate the caller and dispatch police,” adds Watson. “The time spent in managing these calls is a huge resource drain on 9-1-1 systems everywhere.”

E-Comm advises that if anyone calls 9-1-1 by accident and is aware they have done so, to stay on the line and tell the call-taker it was an accidental call. Hanging up compounds the issue.

Of the almost 900,000 calls to 9-1-1 in 2013, 65 per cent came from cellphones. The problem of pocket dials from cellphones – the single largest unnecessary drain on valuable 9-1-1 resources – is prompting E-Comm to seek the public’s help in avoiding these calls.

“We’re reaching out to the public in a number of ways including a short animated video that we hope illustrates a serious problem in a whimsical and engaging way,” says Jody Robertson, E-Comm’s director of corporate communications.

“Most pocket dials are caused when a cellphone has been activated in a purse, backpack or pocket,” adds Robertson. “And as the video illustrates, your phone doesn’t stand a chance without you when it comes to dialing 9-1-1 accidentally. We hope the public will help us help by locking and storing their cellphones carefully.”

More information on how to avoid accidental calls can be found at ecomm911.ca

Tips to avoid accidental calls:
– Lock and store your cellphone carefully. Using a case or holster can help avoid unintentional dialing.
– Don’t program 9-1-1 into any telephone.
– If you dial 9-1-1 accidentally, stay on the line and tell the call-taker. Don’t hang up.

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Examples of real pocket dial audio from Vancouver and Richmond 9-1-1 calls:

E-Comm answers almost 900,000 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Whistler, Squamish and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (South) and provides dispatch service to 32 police and fire departments.

For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information visit www.ecomm911.ca or follow @EComm911_info.

Media Contact
Jody Robertson
E-Comm Corporate Communications
604-215-4956
604-640-1342 (pager)

Vancouver, B.C.—In an effort to draw attention to the ongoing issue of 9-1-1 nuisance calls, E-Comm—the regional emergency communication centre for southwest B.C.—has released a list of 2013’s most absurd reasons to call the emergency line.

Throughout the year 9-1-1 call-takers submitted examples of calls they received that do not meet the test of an emergency call: A police, fire or medical emergency that requires immediate action because someone’s health, safety, or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress.

Although the vast majority of people use 9-1-1 responsibly, there are countless jaw-dropping examples of when it’s “not okay” to call 9-1-1.

“More than 2,500 9-1-1 calls flow through E-Comm every day,” says spokesperson Jody Robertson. “Our teams are dedicated to helping to save lives and protect property. For them, having someone call 9-1-1 to ask for ‘the time of day’ is exasperating.”

E-Comm 9-1-1 call-taker Matthew Collins knows first-hand what it’s like to receive calls like the ones on the top-ten list as he was the recipient of the top 9-1-1-nuisance call of 2013: A request to rent a fire truck for a street party.

“What people don’t realize is that when they call 9-1-1 for information or any other reason that is not an emergency, they’re tying up valuable resources that are meant to be at-the-ready for people who are in serious need of help,” said Collins.

E-Comm’s top-ten 9-1-1 nuisance calls for 2013:

1. “I’d like to speak to someone about renting a fire truck to block off a street for a party
2. A caller phoned 9-1-1 to get their date’s contact information so they could confirm details of their plans.
3. A caller phoned 9-1-1 to report a missed newspaper delivery.
4. Caller asks 9-1-1 if they can get the ‘OK’ to drive in the HOV lane because “traffic is backed up and they are late for an important meeting.”
5. Caller dials 9-1-1 to activate voicemail on his cellphone.
6. “I threw my phone into the garbage can and can’t get it out.”
7. Caller dials 9-1-1 to ask for a morning wake-up call.
8. Caller dials 9-1-1 to ask how to call the operator.
9. “Can an officer come over to tell my kids to go to bed?”
10. “My son won’t give me the remote control.”

“Sadly, it was hard to narrow down our list of absurd reasons to call 9-1-1 to just ten,” added Robertson. “We’re reaching out today to remind the public that 9-1-1 is not an information line, it’s a life-line. 9-1-1 call-takers cannot answers questions about power outages, when the clocks turn back or local or international events. Please use both 9-1-1 and the non-emergency lines responsibly.”

E-Comm tweets its “9-1-1 head scratchers” every Friday and the top-ten list was compiled based on Twitter response from followers and input from staff.

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E-Comm answers close to one-million 9-1-1 calls each year for MetroVancouver, theSunshine Coast Regional District, Whistler, Squamish and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (south and provides dispatch service to 32 police and fire departments. For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information about E-Comm visit www.ecomm911.caor follow @EComm911_info.

More examples of 9-1-1 head scratchers handled by E-Comm staff can be found at #911EmergOnly

Media Contact:

Jody Robertson
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4956 or 604-640-1342 (pager)
[email protected]