Emergency calls

A Cultus Lake Fire Department engine tries to thread the needle through traffic and parked cars on a busy day last weekend. (Cultus Lake FD screenshot)

VIDEO: Illegal parking at Cultus Lake causes problems for first responders

Cultus Lake Fire Department has to creep through traffic on Columbia Valley Highway

 

Tony Staffieri speaks at the Rogers annual general meeting in Toronto on Monday, April 23, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Matthew Sherwood

Rogers pursuing deal with competitors to juggle 911 calls in case of outage

July 8 outage left millions unable to use phone for emergency services

 

Residents in Skaha Hills and neighbouring RV parks worried into the night to see if the Skaha Creek wildfire last August would come down the mountain. (Mike Biden photo)

This is only a test: Penticton will test emergency text alert system Thursday

Test at 11 a.m. will be the first of the alert system that is intended for emergencies, evacuation

 

Kelly Titchenell sits on her porch in Mather, Pa., holding a photo of her mother Diania Kronk, and an urn containing her mother’s ashes, Thursday, July 7, 2022. A Greene County , Pa., detective last week filed charges against 911 operator Leon “Lee” Price, 50, of Waynesburg, in the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54, based on Price’s reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance that Kronk would actually go to the hospital. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

911 dispatcher charged with involuntary manslaughter for failing to send ambulance

Pennsylvania woman died from internal bleeding one day later

Kelly Titchenell sits on her porch in Mather, Pa., holding a photo of her mother Diania Kronk, and an urn containing her mother’s ashes, Thursday, July 7, 2022. A Greene County , Pa., detective last week filed charges against 911 operator Leon “Lee” Price, 50, of Waynesburg, in the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54, based on Price’s reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance that Kronk would actually go to the hospital. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
(Facebook/E-Comm911)

E-Comm warns of critical staff shortages going into Canada Day long weekend

911 dispatchers may have to work forced overtime to meet minimum staffing levels

(Facebook/E-Comm911)
A memorial, shown on June 8, 2022, in the back alley of a home in Calgary where an 86-year-old woman was attacked by dogs. She was taken to hospital and later died. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colette Derworiz

Alberta orders outside review into ambulance response time to dog attack victim

EMS initially triaged the “dog bite” as non-life-threatening based on 911 call centre information

A memorial, shown on June 8, 2022, in the back alley of a home in Calgary where an 86-year-old woman was attacked by dogs. She was taken to hospital and later died. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colette Derworiz
Police surround an ambulance in Calgary on May 28, 2008. Alberta Health Services says it is investigating why it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond after dogs attacked an 86-year-old woman in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal

Alberta Health Services investigates EMS response time in fatal Calgary dog attack

It took 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond after incident happened

Police surround an ambulance in Calgary on May 28, 2008. Alberta Health Services says it is investigating why it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to respond after dogs attacked an 86-year-old woman in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal
RCMP, Firefighters and B.C. Ambulance paramedics prepare to leave the scene after an injured man was placed in an ambulance following an alleged assault in Caledonia Park in Nanaimo on Friday, June 3. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Man taken to hospital after reportedly being beaten with a stick at Nanaimo park

Suspect arrested shortly after argument at Caledonia Park on Friday, June 3

RCMP, Firefighters and B.C. Ambulance paramedics prepare to leave the scene after an injured man was placed in an ambulance following an alleged assault in Caledonia Park in Nanaimo on Friday, June 3. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
E-Comm says the organization is understaffed and underfunded while facing a record level of calls for service. (E-Comm photo)

‘Understaffed and underfunded’: E-Comm struggling to meet demand for B.C. 911 calls

Staff shortages and increased call volumes straining E-Comm’s resources

E-Comm says the organization is understaffed and underfunded while facing a record level of calls for service. (E-Comm photo)
Penelakut Tribe elder August Sylvester and his daughter Marya Luby perform a ceremonial cleansing of the MV Island Responder to rid it of evil, accompanied by captains Chris Mullin and Bob Mollet. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Official ceremony launches Island Responder into a new era

Commemoration of marine ambulance in B.C. community features Penelakut blessing

Penelakut Tribe elder August Sylvester and his daughter Marya Luby perform a ceremonial cleansing of the MV Island Responder to rid it of evil, accompanied by captains Chris Mullin and Bob Mollet. (Photo by Don Bodger)
More than 40 per cent of non-emergency calls made to the Vancouver Police Department through E-Comm were abandoned in the first quarter of 2022, according to VPD. (Facebook/E-Comm911)

‘Public safety issue’: 40% of non-emergency calls in Vancouver going unanswered

E-Comm says increased call volumes, staff stress leave contributing to ongoing issue

More than 40 per cent of non-emergency calls made to the Vancouver Police Department through E-Comm were abandoned in the first quarter of 2022, according to VPD. (Facebook/E-Comm911)
A 15-year old hockey player waited 42 minutes for an ambulance response after suffering a severe injury at Penticton’s Memorial Arena on Wednesday morning (March 16). (Black Press file photo)

Young injured hockey player waits 42 minutes for ambulance in Penticton

‘We know it can be stressful waiting for an ambulance,’: BC Emergency Health Services said

A 15-year old hockey player waited 42 minutes for an ambulance response after suffering a severe injury at Penticton’s Memorial Arena on Wednesday morning (March 16). (Black Press file photo)
Brian Francoeur, left, and Harman Bootsma inside the Island Responder. (Photo by Don Bodger)

First purpose-built marine ambulance in B.C. waters a valuable commodity

Island Responder operating off Chemainus for island residents features an on/off ramp for stretchers

Brian Francoeur, left, and Harman Bootsma inside the Island Responder. (Photo by Don Bodger)
Doug Bigelow and his wife Kate Erickson at home on their Vernon farm. (Submitted photo)

‘I am alive because of four people from the BC Ambulance Service’: Vernon senior

Doug Bigelow, 76, experienced a heart attack this past January

  • Mar 3, 2022
Doug Bigelow and his wife Kate Erickson at home on their Vernon farm. (Submitted photo)
The opioid crisis has left B.C. paramedics struggling with mental health issues. ADOBE STOCK IMAGE

Trickle-down effect: never-ending opioid crisis driving B.C. paramedics to exhaustion

Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. seeing sharp spike in mental health-related issues among members

The opioid crisis has left B.C. paramedics struggling with mental health issues. ADOBE STOCK IMAGE
(Facebook/E-Comm911)

Mixed-up coffee orders, messy roommates top E-Comm’s 911 nuisance calls

E-Comm handles 99 per cent of B.C.’s 9-1-1 calls and urges the public to call for emergencies only

(Facebook/E-Comm911)
(PQB News file photo)

Thanksgiving long weekend phone delays plague B.C. ambulance service response

E-Comms 9-1-1 says the extended wait period a result of call transferring delays

(PQB News file photo)
The back of a BC Emergency Health Services ground ambulance. (PQB News file photo)

B.C. woman says husband’s death while family waited on hold won’t ‘be put on a shelf’

Nancy Blakey says talks include ‘very progressive’ meeting with BC Emergency Health Services

The back of a BC Emergency Health Services ground ambulance. (PQB News file photo)
Aira Khan waited for an ambulance that never came. (Submitted photo)

UPDATE: Surrey residents report calling 911 for ambulances that didn’t arrive

One was an eight-year-old girl, another a 64-year-old woman with a blood clot after getting an AstraZeneca vaccine

Aira Khan waited for an ambulance that never came. (Submitted photo)
Emergency Health Services say they received a 911 call June 1 at 3:35 p.m. from a woman who had fallen but was in stable condition at Metrotown SkyTrain station. (Ambulance Paramedics of B.C.)

Ambulance response times in question after B.C. woman waits 1 hour with broken hip

Union president Troy Clifford says B.C.’s poorly managed paramedic staffing system is to blame

Emergency Health Services say they received a 911 call June 1 at 3:35 p.m. from a woman who had fallen but was in stable condition at Metrotown SkyTrain station. (Ambulance Paramedics of B.C.)