The union representing 911 operators in B.C. is welcoming the provincial review of the governance and operations of E-Comm, the corporation which provides emergency communication services across B.C.
CUPE 8911 president Donald Grant suggested there is a critical underfunding and understaffing of the 911 dispatch system, citing times he says the stystem was overwhelmed with calls including the heat dome of 2021 and flooding.
He said, “and part of that was because of a lack of stable funding mechanism, a lack of standards in B.C., as well as a very piece-meal created governance system, which is the result of the 911 system largely being put together by regional districts over the last 25 years.”
This comes after several local mayors raised their concerns about the province deciding to stop funding E-Comm services their RCMP-policed communities.
The minister responsible for public safety launched an independent of the governance, funding and operational efficiency of E-Comm in December. This week marked the launch of the request for proposals process as part of that review.
“At the end of the day what we’re looking at is a system that does not have mandatory standards,” Grant said, adding that access to a core emergency service should be made available across the province, including in regions which still rely on a ten-digit number.
Grant also noted the funding for 911 historically often came from a service fee on landline telephone bills, but not cell phone bills. When Sooke Mayor Maja Tait spoke about 911 service costs on CFAX 1070 in January, she also suggested there is a need for new funding mechanisms with the decline of popularity of landlines.
Grant spoke with Ryan Price on CFAX 1070 this morning: