Blog | 911 Emergency Dispatcher | 911 Emergency Dispatch

New Westminster, B.C. — Today the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) announced that it will be relocating its dispatch operations to E-Comm, the regional emergency communications centre for southwest British Columbia. The transition of NWPD’s call-taking and dispatch services has been endorsed by the New Westminster Police Board and is scheduled for June 4, 2013. As Police Chief Dave Jones explains, this move will better position NWPD to continue to provide its community with quality police service while lowering potential risks and offering increased operational benefits and efficiencies.

“Operationally the decision to move to E-Comm makes absolute sense for us, and will offer NWPD several key advantages,” says Jones. “This includes enhanced cross-communication between agencies in different municipalities, a larger workforce for better staff coverage during major and extended emergency events and access to top-tier technology.  This will all help to advance our overall service delivery.”

NWPD’s decision was made following a rigorous evaluation of the department’s ability to sustain dispatch over the long run. The review concluded that maintaining the status quo is not sustainable. As NWPD moves into the future, and in order to ensure the risk to public and officer safety is addressed, this is the best and most effective service-delivery model. The analysis determined by joining E-Comm there would be major gains to be made in terms of risk mitigation, sustainability, and cost savings. Consolidation of many different police services, including dispatch, to gain operational and financial efficiencies is becoming more common within the policing community. One of the benefits of the E-Comm partnership model is that it allows for the cost of technology, training and infrastructure to be shared among police agencies.

“We have committed through our strategic plan to ensure that all sections of NWPD are sustainable and provide the best service delivery possible,” adds Jones. “The move to E-Comm will provide improved safety for both our officers and the public, greatly enhancing 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. 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.

“E-Comm is focused on helping to create safer communities in B.C. through excellence in public-safety communication, and we believe that unified dispatch operations are a key element in achieving that vision,” says David Guscott, E-Comm president and CEO. “Our goal with this transition is to provide New Westminster police and the residents they serve, with the same high level of service and expertise that our current 30 police and fire department dispatch partners have come to expect.”

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E-Comm 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 and provides dispatch services to 30 police and fire departments.  E-Comm also owns and operates the regional shared radio system used by police, fire and ambulance personnel in municipalities in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

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.

Media contacts:

Sgt Diana McDaniel
New Westminster Police Department
P604-529-2423
[email protected]

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

Vancouver, B.C. —The Office of the Governor General of Canada has awarded E-Comm’s vice-president of Technology Services, Michael Webb, P. Eng., with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal—a special recognition that acknowledges an elite group of citizens for their contributions and achievements in Canada.

Webb, a resident of Surrey, was honoured for his long-standing dedication and leadership in advancing public-safety practices in British Columbia and across the country. Having transitioned to E-Comm from Emergency Management BC, Webb is now spearheading projects geared towards evolving public-safety services and enhancing the technology used by police, fire and ambulance partners across the Lower Mainland, province and country.

“Much of my career has been dedicated to public safety and I take great pride in knowing what I do contributes to the well-being of citizens in my community and throughout the Lower Mainland and the rest of B.C.,” says Webb. “For my work to be recognized by the Office of the Governor General of Canada is very gratifying.”

Under Webb’s guidance, E-Comm is putting progressive plans in place to develop our region’s Next Generation Radio Network—a significant advancement for public safety. Although still several years away, the current consolidated radio system used by police, fire and ambulance partners in the Lower Mainland will evolve to offer advanced interoperability and collaboration among public-safety agencies. It is one component of a set of initiatives underway in B.C. and across the country to equip first responders with improved communications tools and services using a variety of different types of media: voice, text, data, image and video.

“The role of technology in society is always changing and it’s important that partners in public safety continue to band together and evolve along with it,” says Webb. “I feel privileged to have been nominated as a Diamond Jubilee Award recipient by my colleagues in public safety alongside so many other esteemed recipients from the advanced technology sector. I would particularly like to thank the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA), as a Diamond Jubilee Medal partner organization, for their support of the first responder community in Canada.”

All award recipients from the high-tech sector were recognized at an award ceremony dinner at the i-CANADA Summit Conference in Montreal on October 21.

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

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal was created to mark the 2012 celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year as Monarch, with recipients ranging from mayors, community planners, first responders and others across the country. Recipients were recognized at an award ceremony dinner at the i-CANADA Summit Conference in Montreal on October 21. More on the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at: http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14019&lan=eng

About E-Comm 9-1-1

E-Comm 9-1-1 is the regional emergency communications centre for southwest British Columbia.
E-Comm 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 to 30 police and fire departments, and operates the wide-area radio system used throughout Metro Vancouver by police, fire and ambulance personnel. www.ecomm911.ca @EComm911_info

About CATA

The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) grows the revenues of its members by creating a collaborative edge — a chain of expanding value that ripples across Canada’s Innovators, Commercializers, Users, and Professionals. The largest high-tech association in Canada, CATA matches businesses with opportunities across almost every sector, so that we can all do business together. Reaching out from Canada, CATA members are connected with investment and partnership opportunities with the major global companies. As 80% are exporters, CATA’s members are the arrow-head for global growth. www.cata.ca@CATAAlliance

Vancouver, B.C. — E-Comm’s fire dispatch team is warning families to be extra mindful of their turkey cooking during Thanksgiving weekend, which also happens to be the start of national Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 7 to 13).

 “A turkey isn’t something you typically see on a list of household fire hazards, but we get 9-1-1 calls about ovens going up in flames all the time,” says Corey Kelso, E-Comm fire dispatcher and a volunteer firefighter with Pitt Meadows. “The result can be devastating if you’re not careful every time you have something cooking for an extended period of time.”

Fire Prevention Week is a national initiative to promote fire safety through education, and strives to bring awareness to the dangers of fire and how we can protect ourselves, including checking smoke alarms regularly and planning escape routes from your homes.

E-Comm has received some pretty odd calls to 9-1-1 before – including someone wanting to know how long to cook a turkey – but a turkey fire is no joke. In fact, it is a leading cause of spikes in 9-1-1 calls over the holidays.

 “A flame in your oven can start easily and escalate quickly,” says Kelso. “Oil drippings through a thin tinfoil turkey pan or bits of leftover food residue inside your oven are extremely flammable in a high temperature setting.”

To prevent a fire, ensure your oven is clean before cooking a turkey. In the event of an oven fire, turn the oven off, keep the oven door closed, dial 9-1-1 and follow the call-taker’s instructions.

Although the numbers continue to decrease, loss and injury from fire in Canada still remains high: Fire Prevention Canada reports that eight Canadians die from fire-related situations every week, with residential fires accounting for 73 per cent of these fatalities.

Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity for emergency service partners to band together and promote fire safety and emergency education for residents across the country under this year’s theme, Have Two Ways Out. E-Comm is reaching out to residents in local communities to increase emergency awareness starting from within our own homes: check your smoke alarms regularly, practise escape routes with family members and teach your children how to call 9-1-1 if they see or smell smoke. For more learning material on 9-1-1 and fire safety tips for the home, visit ecomm911.ca or Fire Prevention Canada’s website at fiprecan.ca.

E-Comm 9-1-1 provides dispatch to 18 fire departments in southwest B.C. and answers almost one million 9-1-1 calls each year for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton and the southern Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. For important news, info and tips from our emergency communications centre, follow us on Twitter: @EComm911_info.

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Media contact:
Patricia Hall
604-215-4877 or 604-640-1342 (pager)
[email protected]

West Vancouver, B.C. — Following five months of operational and technical planning, the West Vancouver Police Department (WVPD) moved its dispatch operations to the E-Comm regional emergency communications centre this morning.

Stationed at the new WVPD section of the E-Comm centre, Brian Jung – a five-year dispatcher for West Vancouver police – assumed command of the dispatch channels at 8:15 a.m., and Chief Peter Lepine took to the airwaves just after:

“I’m at E-Comm where our transition was successfully completed just moments ago,” said Chief Lepine. “Today is an important day for the West Vancouver Police Department and the community we serve.  I’m confident our new dispatch partnership with E-Comm will enhance the already outstanding service you provide to West Vancouver. Have a good shift everyone and stay safe.”

WVPD’s move to E-Comm will offer many operational benefits to the department, including the ability to increase staffing to handle sudden influxes of multiple 9-1-1 calls, and access to a back-up centre and robust operational and technical systems.

WVPD’s 10 call-taking and dispatching staff who are moving to E-Comm have been visiting the centre over the summer to meet their new colleagues and receive training. They will continue to perform the exact same call-taking and dispatch duties they did while employed by WVPD. E-Comm staff have also been immersed in training in West Vancouver to familiarize themselves with the community, its geography and WVPD operations.

“We are thrilled to welcome the West Vancouver police dispatch staff to our communications centre and are proud to be providing dispatch services to the police members serving West Vancouver,” said E-Comm President & CEO David Guscott. “Our goal is to enhance and support emergency response in every community we are a part of and to ensure we meet the high standards of service our partners expect from the critical role of 9-1-1 call-taking and dispatch.”

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E-Comm 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 and provides dispatch services to 30 police and fire departments.  For tips on using 9-1-1 and more information about E-Comm, visit www.ecomm911.ca or follow us on Twitter @EComm911_info.

Cst. Lisa Schmidtke
West Vancouver Police Department
604-925-7429

[email protected]

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

West Vancouver, B.C. — West Vancouver Fire & Rescue is excited to announce that it has joined the E-Comm Wide-Area Radio System, effective immediately. By joining E-Comm, West Vancouver Fire & Rescue is now able to communicate far more effectively with both the City and District of North Vancouver Fire Departments, who already use E-Comm and with whom West Vancouver Fire & Rescue provides shared services on the North Shore.

“This is an important step in our ongoing commitment to shared services,” said District of West Vancouver Mayor, Michael Smith. “E-Comm provides a highly efficient communications system that closes the gap between West Vancouver firefighters and other North Shore emergency responders.”

In addition to improving communication with partners on the North Shore, West Vancouver Fire & Rescue can now communicate seamlessly with the 10 other fire agencies in the Lower Mainland already using E-Comm’s radio system, as well as with the 18 regional police departments on the system, the BC Ambulance Service and the Coast Guard.

“Our communications capabilities have been significantly enhanced,” said West Vancouver Fire & Rescue Chief, Jim Cook. “The transition to E-Comm achieves our longstanding goal of interoperability with other public safety agencies on the North Shore, including our neighbouring fire departments. We are providing a safer working environment for our firefighters and enhanced disaster response capabilities for the community.”

The old VHF radio system, which was nearing the end of its lifecycle, did not allow West Vancouver fire crews to communicate with other emergency services directly. Other safety issues with the old system included inaudible transmissions and a growing number of dead reception zones both in and outside of West Vancouver.  The E-Comm radio network provides better coverage, greater clarity and improved reliability through an earthquake-resistant infrastructure. E-Comm radio has been tested throughout West Vancouver, including the dead zones with the old system, with good coverage in all areas.

“Effective communication is critical in our ability to respond to emergencies across the North Shore,” said District of North Vancouver Fire Chief, Vic Penman. “Sharing the E-Comm Radio System strengthens our multi-jurisdictional response time and effectiveness.”

“This is a positive initiative that will provide enhanced public safety service to residents and businesses in each of our communities,” said City of North Vancouver Acting Fire Chief, Dan Pistilli.  “The North Vancouver City Fire Department is pleased with the addition of West Vancouver to the E-Comm network, a move that will make communication between all three North Shore fire departments even more efficient.”

The new radio user equipment includes 46 new portable radios, 10 mobile units and four base stations. All West Vancouver Fire & Rescue staff will receive training on the new system, the infrastructure costs of which are shared among the other municipalities on E-Comm’s radio network.

“Firefighters in West Vancouver are dedicated to public safety, and E-Comm is committed to providing them with the clear, reliable and broad radio coverage they need to do their jobs,” said E-Comm President and CEO, David Guscott. “We’re proud to be partnering with West Vancouver Fire & Rescue to create a safer community, which is the vision we have for every area we serve.”

For more information on the E-Comm Wide-Area Radio System, please visit ecomm911.ca or give West Vancouver Fire & Rescue a call at 604-925-7370.

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About the E-Comm Radio system
E-Comm 9-1-1 is the regional emergency communications centre for southwest British Columbia. The E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network is a shared communications system used throughout Metro Vancouver by police, fire and ambulance personnel. The E-Comm radio network provides better coverage, greater clarity and improved reliability through an earthquake-resistant infrastructure and enhanced voice security.

About the District of West Vancouver
The District of West Vancouver is the local government led by Mayor Michael Smith and Council. Home to more than 44,000 residents, West Vancouver is a local government which strives to “inspire excellence and lead by example”. Our Vision and Mission guide us to pursue our treasured quality of life and will be the measure of our success as a community. West Vancouver is a community built on innovation, a strong spirit of personal civic commitment and a deep value for relationships.

Media Contacts
Donna Powers Acting Director of Communications
c: 604-219-4806 | d: 604-925-7168 | e: [email protected]

Jody Robertson
Director of Corporate Communications, E-Comm
p: 604-640-1342 | d: 604-215-4956 | e: [email protected]