From Oct. 25 residents of the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN) will be able to dial 911 in an emergency.
The service, set to 'go live' next month has been in the works for approximately six years.
In May 2010, the RDBN signed a contract with the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, who are responsible for delivery of a centralized enhanced 911 call answer and fire dispatch services.
The Regional District of Fraser Fort George already handles emergency calls for the Caribou Regional District, the Peace River Regional District and the Regional District of Kitimat Stikine, and beginning next month the RDBN will be added to the list.
Once launched, the service will enable critical protective and emergency services to be provided with just three numbers. Currently, locals are required to dial a range of 10 digit numbers to individual first responders such as RCMP and ambulance.
The Regional District of Fraser Fort George contracts out the service to three dispatch centres. The 911 dispatcher will determine the nature of the emergency and then transfer the caller.
For matters concerning RCMP, all local area 911 calls will be transferred to the RCMP North District Operational Communications Centre in Prince George.
Calls for an ambulance will be transferred to the B.C. Ambulance Service Interior/Northern Dispatch/Communications Centre in Kamloops and calls for fire/rescue are transferred to the Fire Operations Communication Centre (FOCC), a centralized call and answer dispatch centre, which is operated by the communications branch of the Prince George Fire and Rescue Service.
The FOCC service area already includes the Fraser Fort George, Cariboo, and Kitimat Stikine Regional Districts servicing a population of approximately 190,000 people and 74 fire/rescue agencies.
The RDBN service expansion will add an additional 38,200 people and 11 fire and rescue departments, including the 亚洲天堂 Lake Fire and Rescue Department.
Currently the FOCC say they receive around 10,000 calls for service annually. All 911 calls received at the FOCC contain the caller鈥檚 location information and telephone number which populates a map, pinpointing the caller鈥檚 location.
Cellular 911 calls are transmitted with the location of the caller.
RDBN's 911 service will be available to the municipalities of 亚洲天堂 Lake, Fort St. James, Houston, Vanderhoof, Smithers, 亚洲天堂 Lake, Fraser Lake, Granisle, and Telkwa as well as all of the unincorporated communicates and rural areas, but it does come at a cost.
Hans Berndorff, RDBN's financial administrator said the one time, total capital cost for implementing the 911 system will be approximately $630,000.
"To help pay for this, we received a provincial Towns for Tomorrow grant of $375,000. In addition, taxpayers throughout the RDBN, both municipal and rural have paid a tax of about $8.25 for each $100,000 of property assessments on improvements only," he said. A land tax is not levied by the RDBN for the 911 service.
According to Berndorff, annual operating costs for 911 are estimated to be about $420,000.
"To help pay for this, Telus will charge a levy of 75 cents per month for each fixed phone line. In addition, the RDBN will tax property owners at an annual rate of approximately $8 for each $100,000 of property assessments on improvements only."
Berndorff said that so far 11 of the 13 First Nations groups in the RDBN have signed on to the 911 service. "We are hopeful the remaining two First Nations will also sign on."
He said he would prefer not to name the two First Nations groups that are yet to sign on due to negotiations, however he confirmed that all First Nations in the Lakes District have signed on for the service.
First Nations represent about 11.5 per cent of RDBN's total population. "If all First Nations groups within the RDBN sign on, the First Nations annual contribution to 911 operating costs will also be about 11.5 per cent of the total," he added.
The RDBN is panning to hold a number of public information sessions regarding the implementation of the 911 service. For more information see your local newspaper for the advertisement.
