Blog | 911 Emergency Dispatcher | 911 Emergency Dispatch

VICTORIA – In an effort to enhance 9-1-1 call-answer and police dispatch services on Southern Vancouver Island, police agencies in Greater Victoria and the Capital Regional District (CRD) will join forces and operate out of a new shared state-of-the-art post-disaster facility.

Read full release here. 

Vancouver, B.C.—E-Comm’s 9-1-1 call-takers are reaching out to the public today with their top ten examples of calls they received in 2016 that unnecessarily tied-up emergency lines.

Call-takers Jim Beland and Chris Faris had the top two 9-1-1 nuisance calls of the year: a broken gym locker and someone enquiring about job opportunities with the police.

“I’d like to be able to say that calls such as the ones on our top ten list are rare, but unfortunately this isn’t the case,” says Jim. “As call-takers our job is to treat each call like an emergency until we can determine otherwise, and this takes time. We want our time reserved for people who need help because they have a legitimate emergency.”

Chris Faris agrees. “Unfortunately, we do get a lot of people who call 9-1-1 thinking it can be used as an information hotline. We get a lot of calls that start off with ‘this is not an emergency but…’ and that’s a concern when we know there are other people out there who need our help.”

E-Comm receives approximately 1.35 million calls every year to 9-1-1 and any time a 9-1-1 line is taken up for a reason that does not require immediate action from emergency services, lives could be at risk.

2016 top reasons to not call 9-1-1:
1. Requesting help opening a broken gym locker
2. Enquiring about job opportunities for a family member interested in police work
3. Because an electric shaver would not turn off
4. Requesting a ladder to get a soccer ball off the roof
5. How best to get a drone down from a tree
6. Tired of waiting in traffic
7. “There’s a big spider in the bathroom”
8. Complaining they couldn’t get into a nightclub
9. Because their teenager refused to do chores
10. “Can you tell me what time it is?”

To learn more about when to call 9-1-1 visit ecomm911.ca—resources include non-emergency numbers for police, fire and ambulance, and free education materials available for order.

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E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in British Columbia, handling approximately 1.35 million emergency calls per year for 25 regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George. E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 35 police and fire departments in southwest B.C.; and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province. For more information visit https://ecomm911.ca/.

Media Contact:

Jasmine Bradley
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-5023
[email protected]

Available multi-media

Photo of Jim Beland, quoted in news release.

Portion of call-taker audio from top 9-1-1- nuisance call for 2016.

Portion of call-taker audio from second top 9-1-1 nuisance call for 2016.

Vancouver, B.C.—As part of today’s Great British Columbia ShakeOut drill, E-Comm is reminding people that they should only call 9-1-1 during a natural disaster if it is a life-safety emergency.

“One of the most important ways people can support emergency services after an earthquake, large or small, is to help keep 9-1-1 lines free for life-safety emergencies—situations where immediate help from first responders is required,” says Jody Robertson, E-Comm’s director of corporate communications. “Call-takers are there to help people and lives are put at risk when 9-1-1 is treated like an information line.”

Following the 4.7-magnitude earthquake that was felt across much of southwestern B.C. on December 29, 2015, the emergency communication centre was flooded with 9-1-1 calls. In the 15-minute period following the quake, call-takers handled 318 emergency calls, an increase of 1500% compared to normal call volume for that time of day.

“I was working that night and the calls that I took were not emergencies,” says E-Comm 9-1-1 call-taker Megan Wong. “People were calling with questions or statements like: Was that an earthquake? My whole house just shook. Will there be more tremors?” Wong goes on to explain that “as a 9-1-1 call-taker my job is to help people with emergencies and that’s why it’s so important to me that we get the message out that when people call 9-1-1 for information or any other reason that is not an emergency, they’re tying up valuable resources.”

Robertson adds “while E-Comm understands that people may feel frightened or unsure what to do after an earthquake, the message we want to send is that 9-1-1 resources are finite and lines need to remain open to those with true emergencies. There are many great sources of information available that don’t involve calling 9-1-1, such as: PreparedBC, the Government of Canada, Emergency Info BC and other non-emergency resources including government websites and their social media feeds and local media.”

E-Comm also has information available on its website—ecomm911.ca—including tips for dialing 9-1-1 after an earthquake and the right channels to turn to for information and updates. The website also has information on how people should be prepared in the event of a natural disaster, such as the basics of an emergency kit and links to emergency preparedness websites.

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E-Comm operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province and is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in British Columbia, handling approximately 1.35 million emergency calls per year for Metro Vancouver and 24 other regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George. E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 35 police and fire departments in southwest B.C. For more information visit https://ecomm911.ca/.

Media Contact:

Jody Robertson
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4956
[email protected]

Available multi-media

Audio clips from 9-1-1  call-takers on Dec. 29, 2016.

Today, regional districts in BC’s central and southern interior announced the availability of a specialized text service that allows people who are Deaf/Deaf-Blind, Hard-of-Hearing or Speech Impaired (DHHSI) to communicate with 9-1-1 call-takers by text.

This service is called Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1) and is being delivered by E-Comm—the emergency communications centre responsible for answering 9-1-1 calls in the central and southern interior—in partnership with local emergency service agencies. The service is now available throughout the Central Okanagan, North Okanagan, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola, East Kootenay, Kootenay-Boundary and Squamish-Lillooet regional districts.

“T9-1-1 is a vital connection to police, fire and ambulance and enables quick communication between a Deaf caller and emergency services,” remarked Gordon Rattray, Treasurer of the Okanagan Valley Association of the Deaf (OVAD). “In the past Deaf people were limited by communication barriers and would have to use phone relay or TTY which would take five or ten minutes longer. The OVAD is very excited to have T9-1-1 in the interior regional districts and we look forward to helping promote the availability of this service with the DHHSI community. We’re proud of this enhancement to emergency services that E-Comm provides.”

T9-1-1 allows any DHHSI person who has pre-registered their cellphone with their wireless carrier to communicate with police, fire and ambulance call-takers via text during an emergency. Callers must first place a voice call to 9-1-1 in order to establish a voice network connection and initiate the special messaging technology.

“This new enhanced level of service is something we’ve eagerly anticipated being able to provide for residents with hearing or speech impairments who need help from police, fire or ambulance services,” said Gail Given, Chair of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. “It is important for people in the Central Okanagan DHHSI community who have not yet registered for this service to do so now, and for them to learn more about how the service works and what to expect should they need to use T9-1-1 during an emergency.”

When E-Comm receives a 9-1-1 call from a DHHSI person who has pre-registered for the service, 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.

“Being able to communicate with 9-1-1 using this technology allows for greater access to important 9-1-1 lifelines in the event of an emergency,” added David Guscott, E-Comm President and CEO. “E-Comm is proud to be able to offer this enhanced level of service to our partners in the central and southern interior of B.C.”

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/Deaf-Blind, 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.

Members of the DHHSI community should visit www.TextWith911.ca to register their cellphone with their wireless service provider and to learn more about how the system works.

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E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in British Columbia and handles approximately 1.35 million emergency calls per year for Metro Vancouver and 24 other regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George. E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 35 police and fire departments and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province.

Contacts:

Regional Districts in the northern interior are now providing people who are Deaf/Deaf-Blind, Hard-of-Hearing or Speech Impaired (DHHSI) with the ability to contact 9-1-1 through a new specialized text service, called Text with 9-1-1 (T9-1-1). The service is available to residents living within the regional districts of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG), Cariboo, Kitimat-Stikine and Bulkley-Nechako who pre-register with their wireless providers. The service is provided by E-Comm— the emergency communications centre responsible for answering 9-1-1 calls in the northern interior.

“Text With 911 brings our children and families the ability to communicate in the same way that anyone else can in emergency situations. It must be noted, that this service is also a game changer for first responders to Deaf and Hard of Hearing people – now our children and families can communicate the enhanced information that can save lives in emergencies. This service will make a real and significant difference in the lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and families – it will save lives,” says Andrea Palmer, Vice President of the Northern BC Family Hearing Society.

T9-1-1 allows any DHHSI person who has pre-registered their cellphone with their wireless carrier to communicate with police, fire and ambulance call-takers via text during an emergency. Callers must first place a voice call to 9-1-1 in order to establish a voice network connection and initiate the special messaging technology.

“We are pleased our DHHSI communities now have an improved way of communicating with local police, fire and ambulance services,” says Art Kaehn, RDFFG Board Chair. “I encourage people not to delay in registering for this service and to learn how to use it.”

“We are very proud to be able to offer Text with 9-1-1 services to our Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Speech Impaired residents. We appreciate all of the efforts that have made this service possible,” says Bill Miller, Chair of the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako.

“Bringing the Text with 9-1-1 service to the Northern Interior is a positive asset to our region. For DHHSI members to be able to reach this lifeline through a cellphone is a major improvement over outdated TTY (telephone typewriter) technology which is limited to landlines,” says Al Richmond, Chair of the Cariboo Regional District.

“We are excited to have this service available for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Speech Impaired residents in our region and their families. We hope those who are eligible register their phones with their mobile service provider so they can access the service if they need it,” says Stacey Tyers, Chair of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine.

When E-Comm receives a 9-1-1 call from a DHHSI person who has pre-registered for the service, 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.

The specialized technology was developed by Canada’s telecommunications services providers and is available in select parts of the country.

“E-Comm was pleased to be the first 9-1-1 centre in Canada to launch T9-1-1 and we are ready to provide this important service to DHHSI residents in the northern interior regional districts,” adds David Guscott, E-Comm President and CEO. “We are proud to have played a part in the development of this service which is a significant improvement over outdated TTY technology.”

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, Deaf-Blind, Hardof- 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.

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.

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E-Comm would like to encourage DHHSI persons to register for T9-1-1 and to learn how this service works and in the event of an emergency, how to use the service. A variety of public education materials are available online at ecomm911.ca. Materials include a special user guide, infographic with registration tips and step-by-step video in American Sign Language that shows you how to register, how to make a 9- 1-1 call and what will happen when you dial 9-1-1 using the Text with 9-1-1 service.

E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in British Columbia and handles approximately 1.35 million emergency calls per year for Metro Vancouver and 24 other regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George. E-Comm also provides call-taking and dispatch services to 35 police and fire departments and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province.

Contacts: