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Vancouver, B.C. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) of Canada has named E-Comm training specialist Colin Brittain as the country’s 2019 Trainer of the Year. Brittain was recognized at a special ceremony in Halifax, where emergency communication professionals from across Canada were gathered for the annual APCO professional development conference.

In receiving the award, Brittain was heralded as the perfect embodiment of an individual who has been “vital to the excellence and success of a training program within a Public Safety Communications Agency.”

Since joining E-Comm in 2003, Brittain has worked as a police Call Taker, Dispatcher, Training Specialist, and Supervisor and currently holds the position of Policy, Support and Implementation Manager.

“Our training department is instrumental in the success of 9-1-1 service and our team’s ability to meet the demands of the job to ensure the public receives the help they need and first responders are supported in the critical work they do,” says Oliver Grüter-Andrew, President and CEO of E-Comm. “This award is a well-deserved recognition of Colin’s ongoing commitment to public safety, and a testament to the calibre of all our trainers.”

Brittain was honoured for his leadership in creating the training program for the opening of a new 9-1-1/Police Dispatch Centre to serve the Greater Victoria area. He was part of the team that determined the required training curriculum for the staff who would be supporting this centre and was instrumental in supporting the training of these 60 staff members over a five-week period.

“When opening a new centre, there is a certain amount of additional pressure that gets put on the training team to make sure staff are appropriately prepared to take those first calls. Colin absolutely rose to this challenge with a positive, calming demeanour that was contagious to all,” adds Grüter-Andrew. “His willingness to assist others and his commitment to supporting E-Comm employees for the betterment of public safety in British Columbia is unequaled.”

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About E-Comm

E-Comm is the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers in 25 regional districts in British Columbia and provides dispatch services for more than 70 police agencies and fire departments. E‐Comm also owns and operates the largest multi‐jurisdictional, tri‐service wide‐area radio network in the province used by police, fire and ambulance personnel throughout Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. As of October 31, E-Comm has handled over 1.5 million 9-1-1 calls in B.C. so far in 2019.

Media contact

Kaila Butler
Senior Communications Specialist

Media Resources
Photo of Colin Brittain (centre) accepting the APCO Canada Trainer of the Year award.

Vancouver, B.C.—E-Comm and CUPE Local 873, the Union that represents E-Comm’s 533 Bargaining Unit employees, have mutually agreed to proceed to interest arbitration to settle their Collective Agreement, which expired December 31, 2018.

The parties have been engaged in collective bargaining and mediation at the Labour Relations Board (LRB) since March 2019. Due to the critical nature of the public safety services E-Comm and its employees provide, the LRB has also been involved in negotiating essential services levels to limit any impacts in the event of labour disruption.   Given the process of interest arbitration will result in a binding Collective Agreement, any labour disruption at E-Comm has been avoided and essential services negotiations are concluded.

The parties have agreed on a process to select an arbitrator who will conduct an interest arbitration on an expedited basis.

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About E-Comm
E-Comm is the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers in 25 regional districts in British Columbia and provides dispatch services for more than 70 police agencies and fire departments. E‐Comm also owns and operates the largest multi‐jurisdictional, tri‐service wide‐area radio network in the province used by police, fire and ambulance personnel throughout Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. As of October 31, E-Comm has handled over 1.5 million 9-1-1 calls in B.C. so far in 2019.

Media Contacts
Jasmine Bradley
E-Comm Corporate Communications

Matthew J. Bordewick
Chairperson
CUPE Local 873-02
Emergency Dispatchers of BC

Vancouver, B.C.—Today CUPE 873-02 announced that talks between E-Comm and the Union that represents its bargaining unit employees had broken down. However, E-Comm can confirm that Mediator Trevor Sones has not booked out and we are still in mediation at the Labour Relations Board (LRB). Further, E-Comm has expressed a desire to continue bargaining and will certainly make itself available once the Union indicates it is available to come to the table.

E-Comm’s goal is to reach an agreement that is fair and reasonable and hopes that CUPE 873-02 will agree to keep talking with the assistance of the LRB.

Due to the critical nature of the services we provide, E-Comm will be designated an “essential service” employer. As such, and as a precautionary measure, E-Comm will work with the LRB to ensure that essential bargaining unit work continues to be performed to limit any impact on public safety services should CUPE 873-02 choose to take a strike vote and subsequent job action.

“The Union’s statements regarding the employer are meant to pressure us to bargain in public,’” said E-Comm CEO Oliver Grüter-Andrew. “We’d rather talk at the table and work together to address our staffing challenges and the many opportunities to advance public safety collaboratively.”

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NOTE for media: We invite the media to review our contracted 9-1-1 service level results that are posted monthly on www.ecomm911.ca. Information on non-emergency wait times is also available on our website.  

About E-Comm
E-Comm is the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers in 25 regional districts in British Columbia and provides dispatch services for more than 70 police agencies and fire departments. E‐Comm also owns and operates the largest multi‐jurisdictional, tri‐service wide‐area radio network in the province used by police, fire and ambulance personnel throughout Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. In 2018, E-Comm handled nearly 1.6 million 9-1-1 calls in B.C.

Media contact:
Jasmine Bradley
E-Comm Media Relations
604-215-5023

Knowing how to properly call for help in an emergency could be the difference between life and death. That’s why E-Comm is urging parents to take some time during this back-to-school season to teach children about dialing 9-1-1.

To help spread this awareness, we have created a series of videos with our call takers and their children highlighting the top five tips for teaching kids 9-1-1 best practices. These videos will be shared across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram every Tuesday throughout the month of September.

A selection of free education materials can be found on our website that can help make teaching kids about 9-1-1 easier. They are available in nine different languages.

E-Comm has also issued a news release detailing these tips, which you can read here.

With children back to school, B.C.’s largest 9-1-1 centre wants to make sure they are properly prepared to call 9-1-1 in an emergency

Vancouver, B.C. – Children as young as four years old are being given personal mobile devices, potentially leaving many parents with a false sense of security in the capabilities of these phones in young hands. Because kids navigate apps and screens independently and with so much ease, it’s easy to overlook teaching 9-1-1 basics, which are essential to make cellphones an effective tool in an emergency situation.

E-Comm is urging parents to take some time during back-to-school preparations to also teach children about dialing 9-1-1 from their phones – it’s a lesson that could save lives.

“As a 9-1-1 call taker and a mom, it really scares me to think that parents might be relying on their kids’ cellphones to keep them safe instead of talking to them about how to dial for help in an emergency,” says E-Comm call taker and mother of two, Heather Andrews. “A couple of years ago, I spoke with my son’s grade one class and, honestly, a lot of them understood the basics better than most adults. It’s all about keeping things simple and relatable.”

Andrews adds that most parents assume that providing a cellphone to their child will pinpoint their location information but “unlike landlines, a cellphone won’t provide anyone’s exact location to 9-1-1 call takers and it can slow down the process of getting a caller help if they can’t tell where they are.”

To help parents and caretakers teach kids about 9-1-1, E-Comm has the following tips:

1. Explain to kids when to call 9-1-1 in simple words that are easy to understand.
   • If they or someone else are “really sick or hurt”
   • If they “smell / see smoke or fire”
   • If they feel in danger or “see someone doing something very bad like stealing or hurting someone”
2. Teach kids their address (including apartment numbers and building entry codes) and keep that information close to all phones. Practise looking for street signs and having them be able to identify their location when they aren’t at home.
3. Show kids how to dial 9-1-1 from all landlines and cellphones they might have access to as dialing can be different depending on the device.
4. Explain that the 9-1-1 call taker will ask questions about where they are located / what’s happening and they should listen carefully and answer as best as they can.
5. Try role-playing a mock emergency situation. This helps kids understand what to do and when to call when faced with a real life situation. It’s important to note that even cellphones with no service can still dial 9-1-1, so it’s best to role play without the use of a physical phone.

“Calling 9-1-1 can be stressful as an adult let alone as a child – and it’s even scarier if you don’t know what to expect. It is so important to regularly talk to your child about the process of dialing 9-1-1 so that if an emergency does happen we can get them the help they need quickly,” says Corporate Communications Manager Jasmine Bradley. “A strong understanding of emergency preparedness and the 9-1-1 system can be vitally important for life and death situations. That’s why we focus heavily on offering tools for parents and educators to help make that learning process easier.”

Over the month of September, E-Comm 9-1-1 call takers are sharing tips for speaking to kids about 9-1-1 in short videos across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Parents, caregivers, teachers and children of all ages can also visit ecomm911.ca to download free 9-1-1 education materials, available in nine languages.

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Photo/Interview Opportunity 
E-Comm invites the media to its Lower Mainland Emergency Communications Centre at 3301 East Pender Street on Monday, September 9 for interview opportunities with E-Comm call taker Heather Andrews and Jasmine Bradley, manager of Corporate Communications.

Please confirm your attendance in advance by emailing [email protected].  

Note: Photo identification is required to enter the E-Comm building. Photos and video in the Emergency Communications Centre is permitted under specific conditions.

About E-Comm
E-Comm is the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers in 25 regional districts in British Columbia and provides dispatch services for more than 70 police agencies and fire departments. E‐Comm also owns and operates the largest multi‐jurisdictional, tri‐service wide‐area radio network in the province used by police, fire and ambulance personnel throughout Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. In 2018, E-Comm handled nearly 1.6 million 9-1-1 calls in B.C.

Media contact:
Kaila Butler
Communications Coordinator
[email protected]