KELOWNA – The changeover happened at 10:33 a.m. Tuesday. That’s when 9-1-1 calls from the Okanagan and other areas of the Southern Interior started being answered in the Lower Mainland.
For many years, emergency calls were answered at a RCMP facility in Kelowna under contract to nine regional districts. But the districts started looking for other providers after the Mounties advised they were going to raise their fees significantly
A five year contract was signed with E-Comm British Columbia which operates the emergency communication centre in the Lower Mainland.
It’s projected the districts will collectively save just over $2 million over the life of the contract and callers should not notice any difference.
“Public safety is always our top priority. E-Comm’s outstanding track record means residents will receive the same high-quality level of service they are accustomed to but with added operational and technical benefits. These include a larger workforce to handle high call volume and increased security and resiliency,” says Regional District of Central Okanagan Chair Robert Hobson.
About 230,000 emergency calls for police, fire and ambulance service are placed every year from the nine regional districts.
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