Advertisement

911 calls increased 1,500% following 2015 B.C. earthquake

Click to play video: 'When should you call 9-1-1?'
When should you call 9-1-1?
ABOVE: Thousands of British Columbians have now participated in this year’s earthquake drill the Great British Columbia ShakeOut. And with preparedness top of mind, emergency dispatchers are reminding the public when and when not to call 9-1-1 – Oct 20, 2016

Thousands of people across the province have now participated in this year’s earthquake drill as part of B.C.’s annual shakeout drill.

Emergency dispatchers are taking this opportunity to remind the public about when they should be dialing 911 as they found calls increased by 1,500 per cent following the 2015 earthquake in Vancouver.

Officials at E-Comm where the 911 calls are taken, say it’s important to keep those lines clear.

“None of those calls were emergencies and none of them were situations where anybody was injured or in jeopardy of being injured,” said Jody Robertson, director of corporate communications and corporate secretary at E-Comm.

WATCH: Today was the Great British Columbia ShakeOut earthquake drill around the province. Our BC Legislature bureau chief and earthquake warden Keith Baldrey explains how one of the most vulnerable buildings Victoria prepared to stay safe.

Click to play video: 'Earthquake preparedness plans at BC Legislature'
Earthquake preparedness plans at BC Legislature

In 2015, the earthquake drill set a new record with nearly 8,000 people taking part.

Story continues below advertisement

There are more than 3,000 earthquakes in B.C. each year and taking part in the drill is a way for residents to prepare themselves for “the big one.”

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

WATCH: The 2015 Shakeout drill:

Sponsored content

AdChoices