WHEREAS 9-1-1 is an essential public safety service and emergency preparedness tool, and the CRTC has mandated the rollout of “Next Generation” 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) to move calls to digital or IP-based infrastructure by March 1, 2025, and has communicated the need for a significant additional funding commitment from its local government service partners in 2022 and beyond, yet there is no provincially-governed agency responsible for the planning, operation and coordination of 9-1-1 services in B.C.;
AND WHEREAS Local governments in B.C. are constrained in their financial revenue sources and financial capacity to fund these necessary and essential federally-mandated 9-1-1 service enhancements, and have called repeatedly for new funding sources to support local 9-1-1 services, as exist in other provinces, including adopting resolutions through the UBCM calling for a provincial wireless call-answer levy to fund local 9-1-1 service in 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2019 and 2021:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM call on the provincial government to develop a new provincial mandate and structure for 9-1-1 service delivery, with an improved governance, funding and operational model, to help modernize and improve 9-1-1 services across B.C., including the planning, operation and coordination of CRTC-mandated Next Generation 9-1-1 services;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UBCM advocate for BC Ambulance Service to pay a pro-rata share of 9-1-1 costs and costs associated with delays in the transfer of calls to BCAS dispatch.