911 operators slam order to disconnect after processing callers waiting for ambulance service

The union representing 911 operators in B.C. is criticizing a procedural change in which operators will disconnect from callers that are waiting for ambulance service so dispatchers can take other police, fire and ambulance calls.

The largest 911 dispatch service in the province, E-Comm, announced Wednesday that people calling for an ambulance will be left on their own after they have been assessed by the initial dispatcher and are waiting to be transferred to an ambulance dispatcher— a wait it says averages 45 seconds under normal circumstances, but is taking "much longer" due to an increased demand for ambulance services. 

E-Comm said this new measure will free up dispatchers during that time to take new calls, particularly police and fire calls, which make up 70 per cent of all 911 calls.

E-Comm president and CEO Oliver Grüter-Andrew said it's a temporary measure until more staff can be hired.

A news release from the Emergency Communications Professionals of B.C. (CUPE Local 8911) condemned the change, saying the wait for an ambulance dispatcher to pick up can be "many minutes long" and has been more than 20 minutes in some cases. 

The union said that because circumstances can change quickly in emergency situations, the protocol has always been for E-Comm operators to stay on the line until contact with the specialized dispatcher has been made.

"We are supposed to be there to be a lifeline and a support for callers in their time of need," said Donald Grant, a longtime dispatcher and the president of CUPE Local 8911.

Grant said it is imperative the call-taker relay information to the dispatcher should the caller lose consciousness or become unable to respond while waiting. 

"People will call 911 maybe once or twice in their life and at that point, they need to have someone guiding them through that process. They have so many other stressors going on, they need to have someone on the line with them."

Staffing issues

Health Minister Adrian Dix said this is a step E-Comm took to deal with a high increase in the volume of calls.

"When you call 911, you want a response quickly. This is the measure taken by the E-Comm side … to improve and move more quickly with the resources they have in place." 

Dix said B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) has been hiring dispatchers and paramedics since the summer, a measure that was announced in response to B.C.'s deadly heat wave in June. 

"This is a very challenging time for B.C. emergency health services. There are more calls," said Dix. 

An external review performed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found E-Comm needed to add another 125 call-takers to the 153 currently employed in order to meet operational demand.

When being transferred to ambulance services, callers will now be advised that they are in the queue for an ambulance dispatcher and that their 911 call-taker needs to disconnect to answer other incoming calls. 

Grüter-Andrew said while the long-term solution is more funding and staffing, this measure is an immediate fix until more staff can be hired and trained. 

"It is meaningful to provide emotional support. We've always done it. We do it for a good reason. But when you're faced with a tight-resource situation … you have to prioritize in the short term," Grüter-Andrew said.