Taken from article courtesy of Ashley Roberts, staff December 2, 2021
Until further notice, 9-1-1 callers in BC will not have a dispatcher wait with them on hold for ambulance service. The company that manages most 9-1-1 calls in the province, E-Comm, says unprecedented demand for service has lengthened wait times for BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) to pick up.
Usually, the dispatcher stays on the line with the caller, and can pass along vital information if the caller becomes incapacitated. A news release from the company says normally, the wait time is about 45 seconds, but waits have grown dramatically because of increased demand. The union which represents dispatchers reports wait times of about 20 minutes before EHS picks up the call.