911 calls from B.C. southern Interior to be handled in Vancouver
Emergency 911 calls in the southern Interior of B.C. will soon be answered by operators in Vancouver, saving the local governments just over $2 million a year.
In November E-comm will take over the job from the RCMP in Kelowna of handling 911 for nine regional districts from the north Okanagan to the Kootenays.
When the 911 service for the region was recently centralized in Kelowna, the process did not go as smoothly as many hoped. But E-Comm spokesperson Jody Robertson says she anticipates a better transition this time.
"We have a rather rigorous training program for our staff here. They will be provided learning guides and training about the geography of the nine regional districts," said Robertson.
About half-a-dozen jobs in Kelowna will be affected by the move.
E-comm already handles the majority of emergency calls for police, fire and ambulance in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Squamish and the Sunshine Coast.
