New funding for emergency response is set to bring better 911 services to the West Shore and Juan de Fuca this month.
Juan de Fuca-Malahat and Esquimalt-Colwood MLAs Dana Lajeunesse and Darlene Rotchford voiced their excitement for the program in July 16 announcements.
"Especially in some rural areas, access to 911 services is a lifeline," said Lajeunesse. "Improving these services will better connect our residents to the emergency services they expect, and the care they deserve."
Municipalities in the Juan de Fuca region are set to receive funding for a number of upgrades. Sooke will receive $100,000 for public education, mapping and civil addressing, and legal services.
Metchosin will receive $98,500 for mobile computer-aided dispatch equipment and installation, and the Malahat will receive $100,000 for computer-aided dispatch upgrades for their fire department. Malahat funding was given to the Cowichan Valley Regional District and shared between multiple recipients.
"Being able to connect to emergency services when you need to is critical for people's health and safety," said Rotchford.
"This funding will help Esquimalt and Colwood improve their 911 services alongside changing technologies."
Colwood is set to receive $100,000 for mobile computer-aided dispatch, training and mapping, while Esquimalt will receive $45,000 for the purchase and installation of computer-aided dispatch, mapping, training and testing.
These upgrades and improvements are intended to help communities in B.C. prepare for the implementation of Next Generation 911. It's a service the province says will make the 911 system "more accessible and allow callers to provide dispatchers with additional details about their emergency, including photos and videos," according to a release from the NDP government caucus.
The funding comes as part of a $150 million investment to help B.C. prepare for the transition to Next Generation 911. The province's E-Comm service, which handles 99 per cent of B.C.'s 911 calls, received $90 million for technological upgrades, while the remaining $60 million was distributed to communities through the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
