A review of British Columbia’s main 911 service provider suggests the organization needs a financial and governance overhaul.
The province launched a review of E-Comm last December in response to concerns from local governments, police and other stakeholders about its lack of transparency and unsustainable levy increases.
Local governments are responsible for the provision of 911 services in B.C.
E-Comm is the largest provider of emergency call-dispatch services in the province, servicing dozens of police and fire services in the Lower Mainland, South Island and some parts of the Okanagan. The province says the organization handles more than two-million 911 calls across B.C. each year.
Two independent reports released Friday look at how to improve E-Comm’s financial controls and operations, and present some possible roles for the province going forward.
The review said the province needs to more clearly define its role in overseeing B.C.’s emergency communication services.
“The absence of a Provincial decision on its role means there is no reference point to measuring intended outcomes or accountability for results,” it said.
That lack of clarity has contributed to confusion around roles and responsibilities, operational challenges due to inconsistent standards and limited long-term planning capacity, among other issues.
The review had dozens of recommendations to address shortcomings at E-Comm.
It said more financial controls and transparency are needed to provide more predictable fee increases for local governments.
It also recommends a review of the E-Comm’s board structure, including reducing the number of board members, to improve decision-making and accountability.
Low service levels and rising levies have eroded trust among clients and a formal stakeholder framework is needed to strengthen communication and engagement.
“We accept the findings of the review, and are committed to work with the Province and our local government partners to act on the recommendations as quickly as possible,” said E-Comm board chair Nancy Kotani in a statement. “The board and executive team recognize the urgency of the improvements required, particularly in our governance and financial management, and the need to rebuild the trust of our local government and agency partners.”
The mayors of 10 municipalities on southern Vancouver Island penned a joint letter in January, opposing the province’s move to download police dispatch costs to local governments. They said the move would translate to property tax increases of up to six per cent.
The province began to transition emergency dispatch service in the region from the RCMP to E-Comm in 2014. Previously, the costs were fully covered under a 70/30 funding model between the province and the federal government, but the transition to E-Comm meant the service costs would be passed to local governments over the course of a transitional funding period.
The South Island municipalities said they weren’t made aware of the financial impact of the transition until afterward. The full implementation of those costs was delayed until April this year, but local leaders said the projected costs for the nine-remaining months of this year are close to $5 million.
B.C. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger Friday said she’s heard the concerns from South Island mayors and other communities.
“My expectation is that E-Comm prioritize the implementation of the findings of the report, to ensure that the services are financially sustainable,” said Krieger.
Many municipalities have called for a 911 call answer levy to be applied to monthly cell phone bills, as the province already does for landline phones. It’s one of the funding model options outlined in the report, which notes other provinces have implemented similar levies ranging from about 50 cents per month to $2 a month.
Krieger said it’s among the options the province will consider in the future.
