Abbotsford and Coquitlam

E-Comm has welcomed two new agencies—Abbotsford Police Department (APD) and Coquitlam Fire/Rescue (CFR)—to its dispatch services.

The APD moved its dispatch services to E-Comm on September 19, 2017—the first municipal police department outside Metro Vancouver to join E-Comm, and is its 18th police dispatch partner.

By moving to E-Comm, APD now has access to a much larger workforce to help answer 9-1-1 calls and support officers on the ground. As Chief Constable Bob Rich explained following the cutover, this is particularly valuable during major events that cause sudden spikes in call volume.

“The safety of our community is a top priority for the Abbotsford Police Department and we continually look for ways to improve our service and enhance the safety of our city.”

E-Comm has been a proud partner of the APD since 2011 when it first joined the E-Comm radio system. E-Comm has also been providing 9-1-1 call-answer services for the Upper Fraser Valley since 2016.

On November 21, 2017, Coquitlam Fire/Rescue’s dispatch services moved to E-Comm ensuring the community will continue to receive high quality 9-1-1 services as call volumes rise in the future. Access to leading-edge technology, increased staff coverage, alignment with other regional emergency responders and cost benefits are among the advantages of the shift to E-Comm.

“Our decision was made on our ability to keep pace with the rapid growth in the city of Coquitlam—which translated to increased call volume,” said CFR Chief Wade Pierlot, who recently retired. “We want to make sure that we can continue to provide that excellent service to the citizens of Coquitlam. And the tremendous dispatch workforce that E-Comm has, is going to provide that service.”

E-Comm has been partners with Coquitlam since 2008 when the department first joined the regional radio system, and has been providing emergency back-up services for CFR dispatch since 2013.

E-Comm’s fire dispatch partnerships now span from the Whistler area to Delta.