(File photo credit: CKPGtoday.ca Staff)

By Adam Berls

911 demand surges

911 demand sees 21% surge ahead of summer

Jun 23, 2023 | 3:21 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — 911 dispatch centers across B.C. are currently experiencing higher than normal volumes of calls, putting more pressure on the system.

Emergency dispatch centers across the province are bracing for an exceptionally busy summer of calls after a 21% increase was seen in the first five months of 2023.

“So from January until the end of May, we’ve already seen a 21% increase of 911 calls compared to last year. And May of this year was actually our busiest month on record since inception in 1999. So we are definitely seeing an abnormal and extraordinary call volume on 911 already this year.” – Kaila Butler, Communications Manager, E-Comm

With the increase in volume it is hard for E-Comm to pinpoint what these increase in calls are about, but some are due to accidental calling of 911.

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“So we actually cannot pinpoint one specific cold type or one specific reason that we’re seeing these increases on 911. Of course, there are some reasons. This is really that first year that we have no COVID measures in place. We have no COVID restrictions. So we are seeing huge returns when it comes to tourism, when it comes to a major event where there are large numbers of people gathered, concerts, festivals, things like that, and those can all contribute to higher number one call volumes.” – Kaila Butler, Communications Manager, E-Comm

Troy Clifford, is the Provincial President of Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of B.C., and he says the paramedics across the province are also seeing an increase in calls and activity.

“Definitely ambulance paramedics and dispatchers are seeing a rise in call them. I think that for a lot of reasons, we’re seeing more people in the community that don’t have physicians and community health or mental health and addictions, all those sorts of things without a GP, people are, you know, a little more challenged to get care. So I can say for certainty that, you know, our call volume continues to go up and that put pressures on the system.” – Troy Clifford, Provincial President of Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of BC

E-Comm is currently recruiting for more dispatchers to join their team as current staffing levels are putting more pressure on the dispatchers already there. For more information, you can visit ecomm911.ca.

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Twitter: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com