9-1-1 Service
9-1-1 Service was implemented in the Capital Regional District in 1989. Since then, the municipalities have been unable to agree on the creation and operation of a consolidated 9-1-1 and dispatch centre for the region. The Capital Region Emergency Services Telecommunications (CREST) system was implemented in 2001, but only as a communications system infrastructure, without a centralized 9-1-1 dispatch and coordination centre. Misrouting of 9-1-1 calls was cited in the Verdict at Coroner's Inquest into the Chun/Park/Lee deaths in 2009. See also Disasters are regional and Disaster Response & Emergency Management Plans.
Metro Vancouver, on the other hand, created a communications infrastructure and added E-Comm, a centralized 9-1-1, police and fire dispatch centre. It serves over 30 agencies, including the Vancouver, West Vancouver and New Westminster Police Departments and Richmond, Burnaby and Ridge Meadows RCMP.
Despite the success of E-Comm in the more populous Metro Vancouver region, Greater Victoria municipalities have been unable to implement a similar facility which would better serve the region’s residents.
Below are two diagrams of the 9-1-1 system call flow of Greater Victoria. Compare those with the next diagram of Calgary, Alberta. Following that is information on the Metro Vancouver E-Comm system.
Metro Vancouver, on the other hand, created a communications infrastructure and added E-Comm, a centralized 9-1-1, police and fire dispatch centre. It serves over 30 agencies, including the Vancouver, West Vancouver and New Westminster Police Departments and Richmond, Burnaby and Ridge Meadows RCMP.
Despite the success of E-Comm in the more populous Metro Vancouver region, Greater Victoria municipalities have been unable to implement a similar facility which would better serve the region’s residents.
Below are two diagrams of the 9-1-1 system call flow of Greater Victoria. Compare those with the next diagram of Calgary, Alberta. Following that is information on the Metro Vancouver E-Comm system.
A further contrast to the CRD 9-1-1 Call Flow is the new BC Ambulance Service facility in Greater Victoria, which dispatches ambulance crews for Vancouver Island (and the Powell River region). It is one of three centres serving British Columbia, along with the Vancouver (Lower Mainland) and Kamloops (rest of the Province) facilities. Each of these centres is capable of providing ambulance dispatch services for the other two.
In the case of the Greater Victoria facility pictured below, 9-1-1 medical calls are received from the 9-1-1 answering centres operated by the police departments in Victoria, Saanich, West Shore RCMP, Nanaimo RCMP and Courtenay RCMP. The total population in the area of responsibility for this dispatch centre is approximately 850,000.
But in Greater Victoria there are three combined 9-1-1 answering points/police dispatch centres to serve just 360,000 population. The service could be provided more efficiently by one centre, similar to the BC Ambulance Service model.
In the case of the Greater Victoria facility pictured below, 9-1-1 medical calls are received from the 9-1-1 answering centres operated by the police departments in Victoria, Saanich, West Shore RCMP, Nanaimo RCMP and Courtenay RCMP. The total population in the area of responsibility for this dispatch centre is approximately 850,000.
But in Greater Victoria there are three combined 9-1-1 answering points/police dispatch centres to serve just 360,000 population. The service could be provided more efficiently by one centre, similar to the BC Ambulance Service model.
BC Ambulance Service, 2764 Leigh Rd., Victoria,
provides service to 850,000 people on Vancouver Island and Power River area.