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E-Comm urges parents to make 9-1-1 education part of back-to-school preparations

Vancouver, B.C. — Today marks the first day of a new school year and as children head back to the classroom, E-Comm, the regional emergency communications centre, is reminding parents and caregivers about the importance of teaching children how and when to use 9-1-1.

“It’s so important for kids to know what to do during an emergency,” says Cameron MacPherson, E-Comm fire call-taker. “Kids can save lives; they just need the right tools and knowledge to be able to get the help they need during an emergency. Dialing 9-1-1 can seem pretty scary when you’re young and feeling frightened. We want children to know that we’re here to help.”

Take a few minutes to go over the following tips with your children or those in your care. Regardless of age, knowing how and when to use 9-1-1 saves lives.

9-1-1 tips for kids:

• A 9-1-1 emergency means that you need the police, ambulance or fire department right away.
• You should call 9-1-1 straightaway if you feel scared or are in danger.
• Always call 9-1-1 if:
  • you or someone else is really sick or hurt,
  • you smell or see smoke or fire,
  • someone is stealing or doing something very bad like hurting someone.
• When you call 9-1-1 the operator will ask where you are and what is happening. Try to stay calm, speak clearly and do your best to answer their questions. Help is on the way.
• Always do what the 9-1-1 operator tells you and stay on the phone until you are told it is okay to hang up.

9-1-1 tips for parents/caregivers:

• Ensure children know where your phone is located – keep cordless phones fully charged and located in the same place at all times that is easily within reach for your child. You don’t want them to have to search for a phone in an emergency or be unable to reach it.
• Teach children your address and keep that information close to all phones. Remember that landlines provide exact location information (addresses) to 9-1-1 but cellphones provide general location information only and never include unit numbers in the case of high-rises or condominiums.
• Remind older children that you can’t text or tweet 9-1-1. The only way to reach 9-1-1 in Canada is through dialing a phone.
• Remind your children that they should only call 9-1-1 if there is a true emergency.
• It is important for parents to know that in the event of accidental/prank calls 9-1-1 operators will call back and in many cases will send police when location is known.
• Role-playing what to do in emergency situations helps kids understand what to do and when to call. You can find examples of the kinds of questions 9-1-1 staff will ask on our website.
• If you would like to practise dialing 9-1-1 with your children always unplug landline phones or turn off cellphones prior to letting them dial to avoid making an accidental call.

If English is a second language:

• Teach your children the English word for the language they do speak (e.g., learn to say “Cantonese”).
• Teach your children to say the words “police,” “fire” and “ambulance” in English.
• Teach your kids how to say their address in English.
• Remind children that even if they speak a little English that is often all an operator needs to collect information and send help.
• E-Comm has a 24-hour interpretation service available in more than 170 languages.

E-Comm has a variety of free 9-1-1 educational materials available for order for parents, caregivers, teachers and children of all ages living in Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Squamish or the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. Visit ecomm911.ca to place your order. E-Comm’s 9-1-1 educational materials are also available to download online at ecomm911.ca.

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E-Comm 9-1-1answers almost one million 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Squamish and the southern portion of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, provides dispatch services to more than 30 police and fire departments, and operates the wide-area radio network used throughout Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley by police, fire and ambulance personnel.

In order for parents/caregivers to help teach children the proper use of 9-1-1 and what to expect if they need to call for help, audio of a simulated 9-1-1 call is available along with a photo of two young children with an E-Comm fire dispatcher.

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

Resources:
Demonstration audio:  Sample of child calling 9-1-1 to report a fire

Vancouver, B.C. —E-Comm, southwest British Columbia’s emergency communications centre, is pleased to announce its 2013-2014 board of directors. The board was appointed by shareholders at E-Comm’s Annual General Meeting today.

E-Comm’s board is comprised of 18 directors and includes elected officials, representatives of emergency services and the provincial government, along with municipal staff and local community and business leaders from across Metro Vancouver.

“Each member of our board brings distinct experience, extensive knowledge and a shared vision that aligns with our organization. I am confident this multi-talented group will bring us further in our success as we move into the second year of our strategic plan, Vision 2020,” says David Guscott, E-Comm president and CEO. “Representing governments and public-safety agencies, the board will support us as we help create safer communities through excellence in public-safety communication.”

2013-2014 Board of Directors:

• Jocelyn Kelley, Independent Director, also appointed Board Chair
• Penny Ballem – City manager, City of Vancouver (representing City of Vancouver)
• Alan Campbell – Councillor, White Rock (representing City of White Rock, Township of Langley, City of Surrey)
• Mike Clay – Mayor, City of Port Moody (representing independent police boards – West Vancouver, Port Moody, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Transit Police)
• Ernie Daykin – Mayor, District of Maple Ridge (representing District of Maple Ridge and City of Pitt Meadows)
• Diana Dilworth – Councillor, City of Port Moody (representing Village of Belcarra, City of Port Coquitlam, City of Coquitlam, City of New Westminster and City of Port Moody)
• Barry Forbes  – Independent Director
• Len Garis – Fire chief, City of Surrey (representing City of Surrey, Township of Langley, City of White Rock)
• Michael MacDougall – President, Emergency Health Services Commission and Executive Vice-President, Provincial Health Services Authority (representing Emergency Health Services Commission)
• W. Fraser MacRae – Assistant Commissioner, RCMP (retired); (representing Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
• Gayle Martin – Councillor, City of Langley (representing Metro Vancouver)
• Bill McNulty – Councillor, City of Richmond (representing City of Richmond)
• Darrell Mussatto – Mayor, City of North Vancouver (representing City of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, District of North Vancouver)
• Clayton Pecknold  – Assistant Deputy Minister, Policing and Community Safety Branch, Ministry of Justice (representing Ministry of Justice)
• Karl Preuss – Director of Finance, Corporation of Delta
• Bob Rolls – Deputy Chief, Vancouver Police Department (retired); (representing Vancouver Police Board)
• Sheldon Stoilen – Independent director
• Glenn Wong – Independent Director
  

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E-Comm 9-1-1 answers almost one million 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Squamish and the southern portion of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, provides dispatch services to 30 police and fire departments, and operates the wide-area radio network used throughout Metro Vancouver by police, fire and ambulance personnel.  

Media contact:

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

Seamless integration result of extensive planning

Vancouver, B.C. — New Westminster Police Department’s (NWPD) emergency call-taking and dispatch services successfully integrated into the E-Comm regional emergency communications centre today. The successful changeover was the result of months of extensive operational and technical planning by NWPD and E-Comm.

Veteran NWPD dispatcher Noella Hunter assumed command of the dispatch channels from her new workstation at E-Comm at 8:11 a.m. and immediately following, Chief Dave Jones took to the radio to address officers: “I just want to express my appreciation and thanks to all of our dispatchers and complaint-takers, past and present, who have served the City, our citizens and yourselves so very well.”

New Westminster announced in February that it would be moving its police call-taking and dispatch operations to E-Comm in order to continue providing its community with quality police service while lowering potential risks and offering increased operational benefits and efficiencies. E-Comm’s consolidated dispatch system provides enhanced cross-communication between agencies, a larger workforce for better coverage during major and extended emergency events and access to top-tier technology. New Westminster is the thirteenth police agency dispatched by E-Comm, which also dispatches for 19 fire departments (including New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services) throughout southwest B.C.

“We have committed through our strategic plan to ensure that all sections of NWPD are sustainable and provide the best service delivery possible,” added Jones. “Our partnership with E-Comm will provide many benefits, most important, enhanced public safety for the City of New Westminster.”

By partnering with E-Comm, NWPD will be able to work even more closely with many of the other police agencies dispatched by E-Comm, including neighbouring Richmond RCMP and beginning in October, Burnaby RCMP when that detachment also integrates with E-Comm. The size and scope of the E-Comm centre means that when there is a major event in one of the communities dispatched by the organization, E-Comm can draw from its large contingent of highly-trained staff and quickly re-deploy resources to help manage the increase in 9-1-1 calls. This provides an increased level of service an individual agency would be hard-pressed to achieve on its own.

Nineteen NWPD call-takers and dispatchers have moved to E-Comm where they will continue to perform the duties they were responsible for at NWPD. Extensive training sessions were arranged over the past few months to help transitioning staff familiarize themselves with their new communication centre, while E-Comm employees were busy with cross-training exercises to learn about New Westminster’s operations, community and geography.

“We are very proud to partner with New Westminster police and believe that integrating dispatch operations is a key element in helping create safer communities in B.C.,” said David Guscott, E-Comm president and CEO. “Our goal is to enhance and support our partners’ emergency response in order to meet the high standards expected from the critical role of emergency call-taking and dispatching.”

E-Comm has been a proud partner of New Westminster police since 2002 when they first joined the E-Comm radio system and with New Westminster Fire/Rescue Services, which also use the E-Comm radio system and for whom E-Comm has been dispatching for since 2005.

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E-Comm answers close to one-million 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Whistler, Squamish and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (south). For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information about E-Comm visit www.ecomm911.ca or follow E-Comm’s Twitter feed @ecomm911_info.

Media contacts:

Sgt Diana McDaniel

New Westminster Police Department

604-529-2423

[email protected]

Jody Robertson

E-Comm 9-1-1

604-215-4956 or 604-640-1342 (pager)
[email protected]

Richmond, B.C. — Richmond RCMP Sgt. Cam Kowalski and E-Comm Training Manager Corrie Okell were honoured with a Richmond Chamber of Commerce 9-1-1 award in the category of Community Safety Initiative, for their innovative aircraft laser attack policy that was developed as a means of responding to laser pointers aimed from the ground into cockpits of aircrafts in flight.

Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is a serious safety risk and completely incapacitates pilots. It is also a violation of several federal offences. Sgt. Kowalski along with Okell developed a standard operating procedure for E-Comm call-takers and dispatchers who support Richmond RCMP and Richmond Fire-Rescue. The new policy came into effect in May 2012, and allows E-Comm to field all reports of laser incidents in Metro Vancouver from the air traffic control or airport operations centre and notify local police. Under the previous policy air traffic control would report a laser incident internally within NAV CANADA but there would be a time delay in response.

“This policy gives first responders the opportunity to make significant breakthroughs in improving response times and helping to create safer communities,” says Okell. “Already we have seen a dramatic decline in the number of laser pointer incidents, which have fallen from 42 in 2011 to 13 in 2012 following the launch of the new policy.”

NAV CANADA is using the new laser policy as a basis for policies in airports across British Columbia, and cites it as a “best practice.” Sgt. Kowalski and Okell were recognized for their contributions to public safety at an award ceremony held in Richmond on May 7, 2013.

E-Comm answers close to one-million 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Whistler, Squamish and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (south). For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information about E-Comm visit www.ecomm911.ca or follow E-Comm’s Twitter feed @ecomm911_info.

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Media Contact:
Jasmine Bradley
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-5023 or 604-640-1342 (pager)
[email protected]

E-Comm 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers call on the public to “help us help”

Vancouver, B.C. — Up until the moment when you have reason to call 9-1-1, many people may take emergency service call-takers and dispatchers for granted. They are the unsung heroes who in that moment of reaching out for safety and help suddenly become the most important people in your world.

In order to recognize the dedicated work of emergency call-takers, dispatchers, technology specialists and support personnel, the Province of British Columbia has declared April 8 – 15 as Emergency Service Dispatchers’ and 9-1-1 Awareness Week. As part of the week’s celebrations, E-Comm – the regional emergency communications centre for southwest B.C. – is debunking its 9-1-1 call-takers’ top five myths to help better educate people about calling 9-1-1.

“We hope by exposing some of the most common 9-1-1 myths people will be better informed on how to use this important lifeline in the right way,” says Jody Robertson, E-Comm director of Corporate Communications. “It’s important for the public to remember that 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. Any misuse of the system diverts resources away from real emergencies.”

E-Comm’s Top Five 9-1-1 Myths

If you dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone the dispatch centre will know your exact location. 
FALSE: Unlike landline phones, cellular devices provide general location information only. The details we currently receive from wireless companies consist of basic latitudinal and longitudinal information which can be used to help determine the area from which the call originated. Although this is important information, it does not pinpoint a caller’s exact location. 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.

The best thing to do if you accidentally dial 9-1-1 is to hang up as quickly as possible.
FALSE: If you dial 9-1-1 accidentally, stay on the line and speak with the call-taker. Do not hang up. If you do, our system will record your call as “abandoned” and our call-takers are required to call you back further tying up emergency lines.  And in circumstances where your location is known police will be sent to check on you. This diverts resources away from real emergencies and ties up call-takers who could be handling other calls for help. If you dial accidentally, the best thing you can do is stay on the line.

You must speak English to receive help from 9-1-1.
FALSE: E-Comm has a 24-hour interpretation service that can be accessed in less than a minute, with interpretation available in more than 170 languages. Teach your non-English speaking family and friends to learn the English word for the language they speak in the event an interpreter is needed. This will help speed up the process. It is also a good idea to teach the words “police”, “fire” and “ambulance” in English.

If you pre-program 9-1-1 into your phone you’ll be able to get through faster in case of an emergency.
FALSE: Never program 9-1-1 into any phone. We receive hundreds of unintended 9-1-1 calls every day from pocket dials to hang-ups, tying up emergency resources. Programming 9-1-1 into your phone causes accidental calls. Please keep your cell phone in a safe position when not in use and use a case/holster to store properly. You’re not going to forget the number and dialing three digits does not take long.

It’s fine to let kids play with old cell phones after you have cancelled your service contract.
FALSE: Never provide old cell phones to children to use as toys. Many people don’t realize that even if your phone is de-commissioned it is still able to dial 9-1-1. It is important to teach children to use 9-1-1 properly and remind them the service is for emergencies only.  E-Comm provides many educational materials, free-of-charge through its web site (ecomm911.ca) to help parents and caregivers educate children around the proper use of 9-1-1.

 “Our 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers are highly trained, dedicated professionals who will get you the help you need,” explains Robertson. “All of these misconceptions have the potential to interfere with their life-saving efforts.”

E-Comm answers close to one-million 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Whistler, Squamish and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (south). For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information about E-Comm visit www.ecomm911.ca or follow E-Comm’s Twitter feed @ecomm911_info.

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Media contact:

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