B.C. 911 operators say don't call with COVID concerns

B.C. 911 operators are worried emergency lines are being tied up by calls related to the COVID-19 pandemic that should be going elsewhere.

E-Comm 911, the province's largest emergency call centre, says it's received questions about whether a full lockdown was in effect, about which public facilities have been closed and about event cancellations.

"I know that our call takers have been getting calls from people saying someone just jogged past them on the seawall too close," said E-Comm's Jasmine Bradley. "We've even actually had some more ridiculous calls come through around the grocery store lineups being too long and people complaining about that on the 911 lines."

She says each non-emergency call can't immediately be dismissed by dispatchers and that they have to take the time to ask callers questions about their safety.

"First and foremost, we do want to make sure that there actually isn't an emergency happening," said Bradley. "To make sure that they're not actually in medical distress [...] to make sure that there isn't something happening behind the scenes."

While there hasn't been a significant increase in the overall volume of calls to 911, the union representing dispatchers says non-emergency calls are on the rise.

"Since the crisis began, we've seen an increase in non-emergent COVID-related calls — people asking for general information about the coronavirus: guidelines for self-isolation, travel quarantine or social distancing advice," said Matthew Bordewick, unit chair for the Emergency Dispatchers of BC.

Both Bradley and Bordewick pointed to the other phone numbers available to provide information about COVID-19 in B.C.

For questions about COVID-like symptoms, possible exposure, or advice about whether to self-isolate or get tested, people are instructed to call the 811 line for HealthLinkBC.

The COVID information hotline 1-888-COVID19 is for those with no symptoms who are looking for general information about the pandemic response in B.C.

Bradley also wants 911 callers to know that dispatchers will be asking them more specific questions to protect first responders because of COVID-19 such as whether they are exhibiting symptoms or if they've just returned from traveling abroad.

She says this is in order to "make sure that our first responders are informed and prepared and able to protect themselves when they're heading to the scene."

She adds while call numbers have remained stable, E-Comm has plans in place should that change, including reaching out to previous employees and continuing to recruit and train new employees.