HONEYMOON BAY – New Democrat MLA Debra Toporowski says that emergency responders in the Cowichan Valley will be better equipped to provide services to people, thanks to new funding for improved 911 communication systems.

“Improvements to 911 services will change lives in our community,” said Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley. “Our amazing 911 operators and first responders will be better prepared to help us and our neighbours with this funding for 911 services to be upgraded.”

In the Cowichan Valley, the following municipalities received funding:

• Cowichan Valley Regional District, $100,000 for mobile computer aided dispatch upgrades for fire departments including Honeymoon Bay, Mesachie Lake, and Sahtlam
• Duncan, $77,000 for mobile computer aided dispatch upgrades
• Lake Cowichan, $37,584 for mobile computer aided dispatch and public information
• North Cowichan, $100,000 for mobile computer aided dispatch terminals

These upgrades and improvements will also help communities to prepare for the future implementation of Next Generation 911. This service will make the 911 system more accessible and allow callers to provide dispatchers with additional details about their emergency, including photos and videos.

This funding is part of a total investment of $150 million to help B.C. prepare for the transition to Next Generation 911. E-Comm, which handles 99% of B.C.’s 911 call volume, received $90 million for technological upgrades. The remaining $60 million was distributed to communities through the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to defray costs, such as staffing, training and quality assurance.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023PSSG0012-000245