Blog | 911 Emergency Dispatcher | 911 Emergency Dispatch

City of Langley News Release

Langley City, British Columbia – Langley City Fire Rescue and Bylaw Enforcement have completed the transition to the new E-Comm 700 Mhz wide area radio network.

“The E-Comm radio network provides first responders with significant safety improvements through increased area coverage and audio quality,” said Fire Chief, Rory Thompson. “Prior to the changeover, City fire and bylaw staff used a single repeater on top of Cascades Casino. There were areas in the City where first responders had limited radio coverage. Often, crews had to exit a building in order to reach our dispatch. The new radio system has solid coverage across the whole city. Apartment block parkades and elevator shafts no longer limit our radio coverage.”

The E-Comm operates the largest multi-agency public safety radio network in British Columbia. The radio system consists of seismically reinforced radio sites across Greater Vancouver and has portable trailers for emergency use. The system serves 19 municipalities in Greater Vancouver including the RCMP and BC Ambulance Service.

Mayor Ted Schaffer is excited about the new radio system. “For the first time, police, fire and ambulance responders can talk to each other about the same incident. This will enhance the City’s ability to cohesively respond to any emergency including a large scale disaster.”

For more information on Langley City’s transition to the E-Comm wide area radio system, contact Fire Chief Rory Thompson at 604.514.2880.

Media Inquiries:

Samantha Paulson
Communications Officer
Langley City
604.514.2823
[email protected]

Canadian telecommunications companies have started to send emergency alerts to compatible cellphones and wireless devices. This is in addition to existing TV and radio alerting.  B.C.’s wireless test took place on May 9, 2018.  Additional details are available here.  B.C.’s next emergency alert test on TV and radio is scheduled for June 20, 2018.

In the event of a real public alert, people need to follow instructions of the official authority (such as Emergency Management B.C., local government agencies or police). Only dial 9-1-1, if you have a life-threatening emergency. We need to keep emergency lines free for those needing immediate assistance from first responders.

Do not dial 9-1-1 for information or to ask general questions. use radio, television and online resources such as official government social media feeds and websites for instructions and up-to-date information. Our call takers cannot answer questions or provide information about alerts.  The 9-1-1 lines must be kept free for people who need immediate help from police, fire or ambulance services.

Find out more at Alert Ready and Emergency Info BC or your service provider.

Read the Winter 2018 issue of e-communiqué, E-Comm’s quarterly stakeholder newsletter.

Port Coquitlam, B.C.— Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services is now communicating on the E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network. The move means all three fire departments in the Tri-Cities are operating on the same radio system for the first time, allowing them to communicate more effectively.

“There are 61,000 residents of Port Coquitlam who rely on firefighters to keep them safe and to protect their property,” said Mayor Greg Moore. “Our residents can take comfort in knowing that their firefighters have the right technology at their sides.”

“From battling blazes to responding to hazardous goods incidents or motor vehicle crashes, firefighters work in all sorts of dangerous and complex conditions in which communication is paramount,” said Oliver Grüter-Andrew, E-Comm President and CEO. “We are committed to providing firefighters in Port Coquitlam with the clear, reliable and broad radio coverage they need to do their jobs in challenging situations and environments.”

In addition to improving communication amongst Tri-Cities fire departments, this transition means Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services can also communicate seamlessly with local police and the ambulance service, which are also using the
E-Comm system.

“Efficient radio communication is a lifeline, and joining with other local first responders under the E-Comm system enhances our emergency response capabilities for the safety of our residents and firefighters,” said Councillor Mike Forrest, Chair of the City’s Community Safety Committee.

Last year, agencies using E-Comm’s radio system began moving to a new state-of-the-art network in a planned upgrade to next generation technology. Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services is now one of more than 30 agencies operating on this new network that provides first responders with enhanced audio clarity, increased coverage and better security.

“By joining the wide-area radio network, we are increasing interoperability between all emergency-service agencies which ultimately means a safer working environment for first responders,” added Port Coquitlam Fire Chief Nick Delmonico.

The E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network is the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in British Columbia and is used by police, fire and ambulance personnel within Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. Currently,
BC Emergency Health Services within Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford, all police agencies in Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford and 13 fire departments in Metro Vancouver – including Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody – use the radio network to communicate with each other. In 2017, firefighters, police officers and paramedics broadcasted approximately 130 million times.

-30-

About E-Comm
E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C. In 2017, it handled approximately 1.45 million emergency calls for 26 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 36 police agencies and fire departments in southwest B.C. and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province. 

Contacts:

Chief Nick Delmonico
Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services
604-927-5466
[email protected] 

Sam Corea
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4877
[email protected]

Vancouver, B.C.— Calling 9-1-1 to complain that a nail salon won’t change your nail polish colour is a call that doesn’t belong on 9-1-1, says E-Comm as it releases its top 10 nuisance calls list for 2017.

E-Comm call-taker Christie Duncan fielded the call and says it’s just one example of the types of calls call-takers receive every day that can tie up the 9-1-1 lines. “Spending time on calls like these takes me away from being available to help someone who is a serious emergency situation,” says Duncan. “And believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve received a call about the colour of nail polish.”

Here is E-Comm’s 2017 list of top 10 reasons to not call 9-1-1:

1. Complaining a salon wouldn’t change nail polish colour
2. Car refusing to move forward at a gas station pump
3. To report food was inedible and restaurant refusing to provide refund
4. Complaining tenant moved without returning keys
5. Calling because someone parked in their parking spot
6. Wondering if a washroom closed sign at a popular beach was legitimate
7. Complaining gas station wouldn’t accept coins for payment
8. Calling to ask if raccoons are dangerous animals
9. Asking if there’s a law preventing washing clothes at 6 a.m.
10. Calling to check the time following the fall time change

“As you can see by our 2017 list, some people believe 9-1-1 can be used as a customer complaint or general information service,” says Jody Robertson, executive director of corporate communications. “While these calls are absurd, they’re more common than you might think. The fact is – every time a 9-1-1 call taker handles one of these calls, we waste valuable resources. We’re asking the public to help us help.”

Robertson reminds the public that 9-1-1 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is needed and calling non-emergency lines for calls like this is also not appropriate. “Non-emergency lines are for important police matters. None of the items on our list is a police matter.”

E-Comm, B.C.’s largest emergency communications centre, receives approximately 1.36 million calls every year.

-30-

E-Comm is the largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C., handling approximately 1.36 million emergency calls per year for 26 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 36 police agencies and fire departments in southwest B.C. and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in the province. 

For additional information, please contact:

Sam Corea
E-Comm 9-1-1
604-215-4877
[email protected]