Next generation of 9-1-1 dispatch services starts Monday in Upper Fraser Valley, Mission

FRASER VALLEY – Fraser Valley residents shouldn’t expect any noticeable changes as emergency dispatch personnel transition to the next generation of 9-1-1 services in the Upper Fraser Valley and Mission areas in less than a week.

In a statement from BC RCMP Communication Services, police say the federally-mandated transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 will replace the decades-old infrastructure and lay the groundwork for faster and more informed communication in emergency situations. 

Provincial RCMP staff say that during this initial phase of the migration to NG9-1-1, there will be no noticeable difference in how your community can access help from the RCMP.

“Just like today, callers will continue to reach a 9-1-1 call taker at E-Comm 9-1-1 who then ensure the emergency call reaches the police or appropriate first responder agency for the situation,” BC RCMP said. “The only immediate public-facing change will be the introduction of a new automated callback system, operated by E-Comm, for managing 9-1-1 calls that are quickly disconnected or abandoned.”

The transition of RCMP OCC (operational communication centres) in BC will be implemented gradually to allow for smoother migration into the new digital system, according to the following schedule:

October 26, 2026

• BC RCMP Headquarters in Surrey, BC (provides call taking and dispatching services to Upper Fraser Valley and Mission)
• RCMP Island District in Courtenay, BC (provides secondary Public Safety Answering Point service to approximately 20 communities and air/marine/traffic units across Vancouver Island)

October 29, 2026

• RCMP North District in Prince George, BC (serving approximately 40 communities across northern BC, from Haida Gwaii to the Alberta border and from 100 Mile House to the Yukon border)
• RCMP Southeast District in Kelowna, BC (serving approximately 45 communities across the southeast portion of BC, plus 10 Highway Patrol units, 2 Air Sections and BC Conservation)

November 3, 2026

• Coquitlam RCMP Detachment
• Langley RCMP Detachment

Police say future capabilities of NG9-1-1 will give the public the ability to do more when reporting an emergency, such as real-time text with 9-1-1, and the ability to share streaming video.

It will also give first responders more accurate location information to get help where it’s needed during an emergency.

These features are not expected to be available for several years, in the second phase of the NG9-1-1 implementation.

“Modernizing our tools and technology is one of the RCMP’s key organizational priorities,” says Superintendent Raina Siou, Officer in Charge of the BC RCMP’s Operational Communication Centres (OCC) Program. “This update to our 9-1-1 systems to support our officers and employees in a constantly evolving policing environment will ensure we keep pace with the demands of modern policing and allow for faster and more efficient response to emergencies.”

“The transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 is a critical step in modernizing how emergency calls are received and managed in British Columbia,” says Nancy Blair, Interim President & CEO of E-Comm. “This work strengthens the reliability of our 9-1-1 system today, while laying the groundwork for future technologies that will better support both the public and first responders.”

In 2023, the provincial government announced a total of $150 million to enable NG9-1-1 implementation in B.C. E-Comm’s transition is just one part of a national shift to NG9-1-1 technology. Other public safety agencies across Canada are also progressing through their own NG9-1-1 transitions.

For more information about the transition to NG9-1-1 visit the BC RCMP website Next Generation 9-1-1.