An independent review of E-Comm 911’s governance, finances and operations has resulted in several recommendations to ensure effective and sustainable delivery of emergency communications in BC, including representational governance. A separate report examines the overall service delivery model for emergency communications in BC. Both were commissioned by the Province in 2024 after, in alignment with local government concerns and a UBCM resolution calling for a comprehensive review.
Recommendations
The report identifies three specific recommendations as foundational to the success of E-Comm as an organization, and to E-Comm’s ability to change and improve by implementing the broader suite of recommendations.
- Optimize E-Comm’s board size to 8-12 independent members with an appropriate mix of skills.
- Clearly define the Province’s role within emergency communications and align legislative mechanisms to support clarity in roles and responsibilities.
- Define a comprehensive stakeholder management framework aligned to the governance model which reflects both governance-level and operational relationships.
Several more recommendations are identified in the report as particularly high impact.
- Shift strategic planning to a three-year plan to enable greater responsiveness to key issues.
- Refocus the executive leadership team on strategic priorities.
- Develop a corporate performance management framework aligned to strategic planning to support accountability.
- Incorporate strategic priorities within budget setting.
- Annually present a full organizational budget to the Board for approval.
- Create a standardized service catalogue with definitions of services offered and associated pricing structures.
- Implement pricing strategies to support alignment between services provided and costs to deliver.
UBCM Policy
UBCM members have endorsed several resolutions calling for funding, oversight and modernization of E-Comm and the emergency communication system in BC.
Representational governance: E-Comm’s existing governance model excludes most regions of BC. UBCM has proposed established a provincial governing body for 911 services, which would include representation from across the province and from various sizes and types of local governments.
Call levy: UBCM members have consistently endorsed resolutions seeking a 911 call answer levy on cellular devices.
Oversight: UBCM’s Executive has requested that the Province take a greater leadership role in 911 service delivery by creating a governance model, developing service standards and a modernization strategy, and implementing a call answer levy on cellular devices.
It is understood that E-Comm is in support of many of these requests.
A special resolution endorsed in 2023 called for funding, standards, governance, and mental health call options.
UBCM members endorsed resolution 2024-EB40, calling on the Province to engage local governments in a comprehensive review of the governance structure and delivery model of 911 emergency call taking, related non-emergency call taking, and emergency dispatch services across BC with a goal to assure reliable, affordable, and sustainable services for all communities.
At the 2024 UBCM Annual Convention, the Premier announced an independent review of E-Comm and emergency communications in BC—which resulted in the reports prepared by EY for the Province.
E-Comm 911’s role
Local governments are responsible for emergency communication services and can select whether to provide services themselves, outsource to E-Comm, outsource to RCMP Operational Communications Center (OCC) in applicable regions, or another service provider. E-Comm currently provides primary PSAP 911 call-answer services to 25 of the 27 regional districts in the province. It operates two call-centers, one located in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver), and the other located on the South Island (Victoria). E-Comm currently is responsible for answering 99% of 911 calls (primary PSAP services) in the province.