Blog | 911 Emergency Dispatcher | 911 Emergency Dispatch

Karen Hay, VPD Communications Centre

Last week, staff gathered to celebrate Karen Hay, who has dedicated more than 45 years to emergency communications. This marks an incredible milestone not only for E-Comm, but for 9-1-1 in Vancouver.

Karen began her journey before 9-1-1 even existed. She was hired by Staff Sergeant Bill Marten of the Vancouver Police Department in 1977 to survey citizens using the phone book on whether a new 3-digit emergency number should be adopted in Vancouver.

Later that year, Karen joined the Vancouver Police Department as a civilian call taker, where operations looked a little different than they do today. When Karen first started in 1977, call takers had to hand-write physical cards and send them up conveyer belts to reach the dispatchers. Karen later went on to assist with the transition to the first Computer Aided Dispatch system, which is one of many ways 9-1-1 would evolve over the following four decades.

Karen was first seconded to E-Comm as a project training coordinator in 1996, where she helped to get the organization off the ground. When E-Comm opened its doors on June 8, 1999, Karen took one of the very first calls, becoming the first Civilian Central Dispatcher for the Vancouver Police Department.

Karen’s deep roots in 9-1-1 extend far beyond dispatch. Over the course of Karen’s career, she served as President for the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), assisted in  emergency communications at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and designed training courses for the Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME BC). Karen has supported teams across the entire organization including Voice Records, where she currently serves today.

Inspector Derksen presents Karen Hay with plaque from the Vancouver Police Department

Beyond her extensive experience, historical knowledge and technical expertise, what sets Karen apart is her genuine passion for helping people, which she demonstrates in everything that she pursues.

Karen never fails to put a smile on the faces of her colleagues and it is clear that even after 45+ years, she continues to find joy and fulfilment in her work.

Thank you to Karen Hay for the tremendous contribution you have made to the development of 9-1-1, the role of E-Comm and the enhancement of public safety through emergency communications. Your dedication to public safety has benefited communities across British Columbia.

B.C.’s largest emergency communications centre issues reminder on what constitutes an emergency call amidst record breaking year for calls to 9-1-1

Whether you’re waiting on a traffic light, demanding directions home from the Drake concert, or concerned about your lost nose ring, general questions and complaints do not belong on 9-1-1.

E-Comm, which handles 99 per cent of B.C.’s 9-1-1 call volume, has released its tenth annual list of nuisance calls. And with an increase of 13 per cent in call volume to 9-1-1 in 2023, the reminder to keep lines clear for emergency situations only has never been more critical.

“No matter how absurd a call might be on the surface, we have to treat every 9-1-1 call as an emergency, until we can confidently determine otherwise,” explains Alaina Milicevic, police call taker at E-Comm. “Every second we spend fielding questions about AirBnB reservations or complaints about UberEats orders, is time that could otherwise be dedicated to helping someone in a life-threatening emergency situation. We can’t help you with consumer complaints on 9-1-1, but reaching out to an appropriate customer service agent, or filing a report with the Better Business Bureau might help resolve your issue.”

Nuisance calls are a preventable problem and E-Comm is encouraging British Columbians to do their part by keeping 9-1-1 lines free for emergencies where immediate response is required from police, fire or ambulance.

Top 10 nuisance calls of 2023

1. To ask for directions home from the Drake concert
2. The traffic light was taking too long to turn green
3. They lost a nose ring down the shower drain
4. Their AirBnB host cancelled their reservation
5. Their UberEats order was taking too long
6. A burger joint wouldn’t let them in before opening
7. They couldn’t find their cell phone
8. To complain about a pothole
9. Their McDonalds order was taking too long
10. The barber gave them a bad haircut

Tips on proper use of 9-1-1

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.

• Know your location at all times
• Don’t program 9‑1‑1 into any phone
• If you call 9‑1‑1 accidentally, stay on the line and let us know
• Lock and store your cellphone carefully to prevent accidental 9-1-1 calls
• Do not text or tweet 9-1-1
• Call takers cannot transfer your non-emergency call from 9-1-1, visit nonemergency.ca for a list of alternate resources for reporting non-emergency matters

E-Comm has handled more than 2.1 million 9-1-1 calls so far in 2023. Learn more at ecomm911.ca

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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 Friday December 29 from 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. for interview opportunities with a police call taker who can speak to their experience responding to nuisance 9-1-1 calls and the importance of protecting critical emergency resources.

Interviews must be confirmed in advance at [email protected]

Media contact
Kelly Furey
Media Relations Specialist
604-215-6248
[email protected]

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 across the province. 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.

A dedicated non-emergency team is one of several improvements implemented by E-Comm in 2023

This week, E-Comm welcomed an additional twelve call takers to its dedicated non-emergency team. The group represents the third cohort of employees to join the newly-formed team in 2023, and is one of several initiatives introduced by E-Comm this year to improve non-emergency call-taking on behalf of our Lower Mainland police agency partners.

In a break from the traditional service-delivery model, rather than having to switch back and forth between emergency and non-emergency calls, the call takers focus exclusively on handling non-emergency calls and any resulting reports.

Improvements to non-emergency service

Having dedicated positions for non-emergency calls not only helps to relieve pressure from the 9-1-1 operators and police emergency call takers during core hours, but is also demonstrating positive impacts on service levels.

For example, the average answer speed for non-emergency calls for police agencies served by E-Comm in the Lower Mainland, reduced from over 12 minutes in 2022 to approximately 4 minutes year-to-date in 2023 (with 62% of non-emergency calls answered in under 3 minutes compared to 41% in 2022). Additional improvements include:

• A digital agent pilot project is underway with the Vancouver Police Department, which helps triage, and when appropriate, re-direct calls to alternative resources such as 3-1-1, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, or police online crime reporting.
• A new non-emergency contact centre technology platform is in development, launching in early 2024. This system will enable key features to improve caller experience, including call-back functionality and wait-time estimates for non-emergency reports.
• The standardization of various procedures and policies for handling non-emergency calls has helped streamline procedures for call-taking staff. E-Comm has worked with policing partners on this initiative, and is also assisting with improvements to online crime reporting options.

“While E-Comm is consistently hitting all targets for police emergency 9-1-1 calls, we know there have been ongoing challenges with service levels and wait times on police non-emergency lines, which has been a priority for us in 2023,” explains Oliver Grüter-Andrew, E-Comm’s president and CEO. “We fully recognize the importance of reporting non-emergency crimes in a timely and efficient way, and will continue to work with our valued policing partners on these improvements, building on the positive momentum we’ve seen so far this year.”

Seasonal tips from the new team

E-Comm’s non-emergency team compiled a list of some common calls they receive during the holiday season, and offer their advice on what is a non-emergency call vs. 9-1-1.

“If a crime is in progress such as someone stealing a package from a porch right in front of you – that is a call to 9-1-1,” explains E-Comm call taker Sadie. “If you notice your package is stolen after the fact, that’s when you call your local police non-emergency line, or file a report online.”

• Holiday decorations: If you notice your inflatable Grinch has gone missing from your lawn, file a police report online, or call the non-emergency line.
• Charity scams: If you are a victim of a charity scam where money has been lost, file a police non-emergency report. If no money has been lost, file a report with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
• Missing vehicles: If you return to the parking lot after last minute holiday shopping and notice your car has gone missing, please check with your local towing company before calling the non-emergency line.
• Noisy parties: Report noise complaints to your local city services during business hours. Outside of business hours, call your local non-emergency line.
• Inclement road conditions: Practice extra caution while driving in heavy rain and snow. For updates on road closures, visit drivebc.ca or call 5-1-1.

Visit nonemergency.ca for more information.

E-Comm welcomes twelve new call takers to its dedicated non-emergency team. 

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 across the province. 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.

Media contact
E-Comm
604-215-6248
[email protected]

A team of call takers and dispatchers from E-Comm’s Vancouver Island Emergency Communication Centre (ECVI) have been recognized by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) for outstanding contributions and coordination efforts during a 2022 mass casualty shooting in Saanich, B.C.

Sixteen E-Comm employees were nominated for the 2023 Teamwork award for their professionalism and heroic actions during the critical incident; in addition to the team nomination, Matthew Spaans, who was the primary dispatcher on shift, won the “Telecommunicator of the Year” award, recognizing his exceptional service and professionalism.

On June 28, 2022, E-Comm’s “Team Three” staff arrived for their 12-hour dayshift at E-Comm’s office located in the Municipality of Saanich on Vancouver Island. Little did they know that in just a few hours, and only six kilometers away, there would be a major shooting and hostage situation at a local bank, that would leave two suspects dead and six police officers wounded.

From the time the first 9-1-1 call came in, to the conclusion of the incident that day, the team worked together tirelessly to ensure a coordinated multi-agency emergency response, all while responding to the flurry of 9-1-1 calls that came in fast and furious from witnesses.

By virtue of working in the same location, listening to the event unfold in real-time, and serving as a second ear for one another, E-Comm call takers and dispatchers had the ability to quickly engage multiple agencies and exchange information across different municipalities, all while supporting one another during and after the incident.

Operations staff at E-Comm’s Vancouver location were also able to step in to absorb call volumes from the Island, highlighting one of the benefits of a multi-agency communications centre. This allowed ECVI staff to prioritize the critical incident at hand without impact to other communities.

“I’m exceptionally proud of our employees for their coordinated response during a very intense, dangerous and volatile situation,” says E-Comm Vice President of Operations, Stephen Thatcher. “They remained the calm, reassuring and professional voices on the line throughout the critical incident, supporting the public, first responders, and each other.”

“This is well-deserved recognition for the Vancouver Island E-Comm team, who provided invaluable support to all the officers on the ground that day,” says Chief Constable Dean Duthie of the Saanich Police Department. “When a critical incident of this nature is unfolding, our officers rely on timely updates to guide their response. The actions of the E-Comm call takers and dispatchers on that day was truly exceptional.”

E-Comm dispatcher and APCO Award recipient, Matthew Spaans, recently shared some of his perspectives on dispatching during the Saanich shooting on Victoria Police’s “True Blue” podcast – listen here.

Matthew Spaans received the “Telecommunicator of the Year” award during a presentation at the APCO Canada 2023 Conference and Trade Show in Calgary, Alberta on November 22.

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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 across the province. 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.

Media contact
E-Comm
604-215-6248

E-Comm urges British Columbians to help keep 9-1-1 lines free for emergencies this Halloween

Emergency service providers are preparing for a busy weekend with Halloween on the horizon and E-Comm is asking the public to help keep 9-1-1 lines free for emergencies only.

In 2022, E-Comm received over 17,000 9-1-1 calls the weekend leading up to Halloween, an increase of 10% more than an average weekend in October that year—and an even busier Halloween is expected ahead, with the emergency communications centre reporting an overall 17 per cent increase in 9-1-1 calls in 2023 year-to-date over the same period last year.

Although Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, increased demand for 9-1-1 is expected from October 27 to 29 and on October 31. Extra resources are in place with additional staff scheduled to help respond to the increased call volumes, however E-Comm is appealing to the public to help ensure the appropriate use of emergency resources by following these five tips:

1. Prevent pocket dials to 9-1-1 by storing your phone carefully. If you do call 9-1-1 by accident, stay on the line so that our call takers can ensure you are safe.
2. Whether you are out trick-or-treating with your children or celebrating with friends, be aware of your location in case you need to call 9-1-1. An exact address is always best, but cross streets and major landmarks will also help us find you.
3. E-Comm receives an increase of noise and fireworks-related calls each year. Noise and fireworks complaints should be directed to your local city bylaws service, or police non-emergency line. In Vancouver, call 3-1-1.
4. Use 9-1-1 responsibly for police, fire or medical emergencies where someone’s health, safety or property is in imminent danger. 9-1-1 call takers cannot transfer callers to the non-emergency phone number.
5. With many callers reporting noise complaints, higher call volumes are also expected on the non-emergency lines. Please consider creating a police report online if possible. Learn more at ca

“Our call takers and dispatchers will be working around the clock this Halloween weekend, connecting the public with emergency services across the province, whether it be police, ambulance or fire services,” says Carly Paice, E-Comm Communications Manager. “With the anticipated high call volume, public assistance plays a key role in keeping 9-1-1 lines clear for emergency situations only, and directing other non-emergency concerns through the proper channels or online reporting systems.”

Want to learn more? Follow @ecomm911_info on Twitter for live-updates from 9:00pm-11:00pm on Friday, Oct. 27. Stay safe and have a happy Halloween. Stay safe and have a happy Halloween.

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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 across the province. 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.

Media contact
E-Comm
604-215-6248
[email protected]