The provincial government is providing 150-million dollars to upgrade B-C’s 9-1-1 emergency communications system. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, says the money will be used to help local governments shift to Next Generation 9-1-1. Ninety-million dollars will fund technological upgrades at E-Comm — which handles almost all B-C’s 9-1-1 calls — and the rest of the money will go to the Union of BC Municipalities to cover staffing, training and quality assurance costs. Next Generation 9-1-1 is a countrywide emergency communications network that accepts all types of data — including real time texting — and allows call-takers see the location of cellphone callers.
