Wait times for calling 911 are increasing: union

Wait times for 911 callers in B.C. have stretched beyond four minutes since the start of September this year.

The union representing call takers, dispatchers, and operators at the province’s emergency communications agency says these delays are the result of staffing cuts at E-Comm.

“What we have been seeing is that wait times have been getting longer and longer, and throughout this month we have been seeing unacceptable wait times of more than four minutes,” said Emergency Communications Professionals of BC spokesperson Donald Grant.

He warns that delays like these can have life-or-death consequences during emergencies.

“In B.C. right now, there is no legislation requiring your call to be answered immediately and for help to be on the way fast,” he explained in an interview with 1130 NewsRadio.

He says E-Comm has recently reduced staffing levels due to funding shortfalls.

“What that means is that when there are cutting measures, that means that there is going to be reduced staffing levels and there won’t be enough people there to answer your call for help when you need it.”
Grant says that the communications agency has implemented some positive changes since 2021.

“There’s a large period of time where calls weren’t waiting, but now unfortunately we’re seeing the return of these long wait times, which is having a really poor impact on our staff as well as the public calling for help,” he added.

As wait times are starting to increase again, the union calls on the government to regulate the 911 framework and establish clear standards.

A provincial review of E-Comm and 911 services is currently underway, and Grant says he hopes the final report comes to the same conclusion and establishes those minimum standards.
A E-Comm spokesperson says that the four-minute wait time does not refer to E-Comm 911 operator wait times.

E-Comm acknowledges the lack of service standards

“It refers to the longest wait time experienced by a caller to reach a police emergency call-taker, while the caller is already on the line with an E-Comm 9-1-1 operator,” explained E-Comm Communications Manager Carly Paice in an email to 1130 NewsRadio.

“While callers will be quickly connected with a 911 operator at E-Comm, the transferring of calls to emergency police or fire call-takers can take longer during peak volume times.”

Pace says that summer and fall months are the busiest for emergency hotlines and that E-Comm has met its target of answering 95 per cent of 911 calls within five seconds over the year.

The E-Comm spokesperson says that the agency supports a greater provincial role in the 911 framework and acknowledges the lack of service standards.

“Currently, B.C. is one of only two provinces in Canada that has no provincial legislation governing 911 services, and one of only three provinces that doesn’t provide dedicated operational funding for 911 services,” said Paice.

With files from Srushti Gangdev.