VANCOUVER — Emergency Communications Professionals of BC, the union that represents over seven hundred 9-1-1 operators, dispatchers, and support staff at E-Comm 9-1-1, welcomes the announcement of a governance and financial review by the provincial government.
“We’ve consistently raised the alarm about the systemic issues that have been plaguing B.C.’s 9-1-1 emergency response system and we’re pleased that the government has taken those concerns seriously and ordered this review,” said CUPE 8911 President Donald Grant.
For several years the union has publicly shared their concerns around chronic underfunding and understaffing of the current 9-1-1 system and questioned whether the current governance and operations model can keep up with rising demand.
Local governments throughout B.C. have also raised concerns about the sustainability of the current 9-1-1 system through the Union of BC Municipalities.
“Our members provide this critical service every day, answering over two million calls a year. Too often we see our members working short-staffed with emergency calls waiting on hold. We hope this review will help establish a sustainable 9-1-1 system moving forward that both better supports the workers providing this service and ensures that British Columbians can rely on this service when they need it the most,” adds Grant.
About Emergency Communications Professionals of BC:
Emergency Communications Professionals of BC represents more than seven hundred 9-1-1 operators, call takers, dispatchers, IT, and support professionals employed by E-Comm Emergency Communications for BC Inc. With worksites in Vancouver, Burnaby, and Saanich, members provide 99% of the initial 9-1-1 call answer for the province and answer, triage, dispatch, and update the calls in order of priority for 34 police agencies and 40 fire departments in B.C.
