B.C. allocates $5 million to help rural and remote communities switch to 911 calling
Funding covers technical transition costs for communities still using local 10-digit emergency numbers. Administered through Union of B.C. Municipalities.
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British Columbia is dedicating up to $5 million to help eligible rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition from local 10-digit emergency numbers to standard 911, the province announced Friday. The funding is administered through the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
The initiative is part of the province's broader $60 million package announced in 2023 to support communities' transition. Funding covers one-time technical, contractual and coordination work needed to enable the switch, including public education, mapping, signage and fire department enablement in new areas. Communities receiving funding will have these services on top of new Next Generation 911 (NG911) infrastructure already implemented in B.C.
Most communities in B.C. can already dial 911, but some rural, remote and Indigenous communities still rely on local 10-digit numbers to reach emergency services. Provincial and federal connectivity investments in broadband and mobile services are creating the technical conditions needed to expand three-digit emergency calling across the province.
"In an emergency, every second counts, and people should not have to remember different local numbers to get help," said Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens' Services. Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, President of the Haida Nation, called the funding "welcome progress" for communities in Haida Gwaii.
E-Comm, the province's emergency services dispatch provider, serves as the first point of contact for most 911 callers in the province.
How many rural, remote and Indigenous communities in B.C. currently use local 10-digit emergency numbers instead of 911?
How many communities have successfully transitioned from local 10-digit numbers to 911 calling in B.C. prior to this funding?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How much funding is B.C. allocating for the 911 transition?
British Columbia is dedicating up to $5 million to help eligible rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition from local 10-digit emergency numbers to standard 911.
What does the funding cover?
The funding covers one-time technical, contractual and coordination work needed to enable the switch, including public education, mapping, signage and fire department enablement in new areas.
Who administers the funding?
The Union of B.C. Municipalities administers the funding.
