Starting Tuesday, 9-1-1 calls in Kent, Harrison Hot Springs and other parts of the Fraser Valley will now be fielded by E-Comm, the emergency communication centre located in Vancouver.
E-Comm will also begin service for the communities of Chilliwack, Mission, Hope, and Electoral Areas A through H.
Currently, 9-1-1 response services are under contract with the RCMP’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based in Chilliwack. When a call comes in to 9-1-1, operators determine the nature of the emergency and then transfer the caller to the requested first responder agency, either fire, police or ambulance.
“While the RCMP has provided exceptional service to the FVRD over the years, on review of the contract the Board of Directors decided to move to E-Comm,” says Paul Gipps, CAO of the FVRD.
The new contract will result in a budget reduction of approximately $316,000, a savings that will be proportionately shared by the partner communities.
Gipps says that public should not notice a difference when dialing 9-1-1.
“This will be a seamless operational change. Residents in our communities can rest assured that they will continue to receive the high quality service they expect when seeking emergency assistance.”