B.C. gov’t to run review of 911 services

The B.C. government says it will conduct an independent review of the province’s model for 911 services.

Speaking at the Union of BC Municipalities annual convention in September, Premier David Eby announced his intention to initiate the review after the union and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police reportedly raised concerns about the financial transparency and performance of Emergency Communications for British Columbia Incorporated (E-Comm).

E-Comm is the non-profit organization that maintains the emergency radio system for police, fire, and ambulance services.

The province says the review will examine E-Comm’s financial, governance, and operational performance.

“You can never predict when you’ll need emergency help, but if it happens, we need to ensure a dependable, reliable, and accessible 911 system is there,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. 

“We are launching an independent review to understand the reasons behind ongoing cost increases and to ensure these services remain effective and sustainable for years to come.”

Donald Grand is president of the Emergency Communications Professionals of BC, the union representing dispatchers. Grant says he is in favour of the investigation, and says that while E-Comm has been receiving more funding, that funding needs to be reflected in front-line staffing.

“We need to see more dispatchers and see more call-takers and ultimately what I hope to see come out of this review is that the management of E-Comm is held accountable to the public,” he said.

“I can see us needing up to 100 people over the next year. I’m hoping through this that they’re going to be able to look into the service and analyze the call volumes, be able to implement mandatory service standards.”

In February, E-Comm announced it had seen improvements in call response after the first year of implementing a five-year plan to address funding, staffing, and capacity challenges.

E-Comm says it achieved its best result in five years in 2023, with quicker wait times for both emergency and non-emergency calls.

But Grant says E-Comm still needs to answer some questions.

“When you’re talking about emergency services, a little bit better to answer the question of why 911 operators are going without breaks, unable to go to the bathroom during their shifts, he said.

The province says its review will also include recommendations for new models of funding and operations for B.C.’s 911 and dispatch service delivery. 

911 services, the B.C. government says, will not be disrupted during the review.