Kamloops Fire Rescue Dispatch. (Image Credit: Kamloops Fire Rescue/Facebook)

By Victor Kaisar

Next-Generation 911

Kamloops poised to apply for more grant funding to aid implementation of next-generation 911

Apr 7, 2025 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops is hoping to get another $2.1 million in grant funding to support its transition to the next-generation (NG) 911 system.

At Tuesday’s (April 8) meeting, City Councillors will be asked to green light an application to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), which has approximately $25-million available to disburse to successful applicants.

“The intent of the funding program is to support local preparedness and to provide funding to eligible applicants to support the transition and operational readiness of existing 911 services to next-generation 911,” Assistant Fire Chief Scott Johnson, wrote in a staff report.

Protective Services Director Ken Uzeloc told CFJC Today the city is eligible for the money as it is a secondary public safety answering point where calls for fire service in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, and Castlegar are handled. He said the money will go towards a number of technological upgrades at Kamloops Fire Rescue.

“Our computer-aided dispatch system – the system that creates the actual calls and sends it to the different fire stations to respond – and our records management system as well as some cyber security and some other things need to be upgraded to go along with the new NG 911 systems,” Uzeloc, who is also Kamloops Fire Chief, said.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Supporting British Columbians by repealing the consumer carbon tax

18h ago

The Tattle of Hastings

THE TATTLE OF HASTINGS: Pendrel reflects after Hall of Fame nod

Apr 09, 2025

Election 2025

Maps, dates and times: when and where to vote in the Kamloops area

Apr 08, 2025

Canada is in the process of updating its 911 services to offer next-generation 911, which will be IP-based rather than landline-based, meaning cars, Apple watches and even cellphones without service will be able to contact emergency services. People will still be able to use landlines, and payphones, where available, to call 911.

Uzeloc said there isn’t expected to be much of a change to operating costs in Kamloops once the new 911 system is up and running.

“We’ve gone with a model where the call handing solution vendor is hosting a lot of this stuff so we’re not investing a lot in the capital side to have servers and things on site here,” Uzeloc said, noting that was the recommendation of the City’s IT department.

“We’re going to have lower capital costs up front but we’ll have a little higher annual operating costs, though in the long run, we don’t have to worry about replacement, we won’t have to worry about maintenance of equipment because that will all be handled by the vendor.”

Mandatory implementation delayed until 2027

In late February, the CRTC extended the implementation deadline by two years to March 2027, saying that while telecoms are ready for the move, most provincial, territorial and municipal emergency services are not.

It acknowledged the delay means “Canadians will have to wait longer for the enhancements,” but added that extending the deadline “is the only workable solution to ensure uninterrupted access to the emergency services.”

“We have a lot of different components that need to all align and be able to handle that newer technology,” Uzeloc said of the work needed to be done in Kamloops. “We’ve identified a number of those pieces that either need to be upgraded or replaced to make the system completely NG 911 compliant.”

Uzeloc also said the City of Kamloops was previously approved for $3 million in grant funding towards next-generation 911 in 2023. Johnson’s staff report said about $1.545 million has been received to date.

It also said that if the grant application is not received, the upgrades will be funded by local taxpayers in 2026 and 2027. That report also said that as a local government, the City is eligible for $100,000 in base funding.

Kamloops aiming to launch system next year

Despite the delay, Uzeloc told CFJC Today the City of Kamloops is still aiming to have the new NG 911 call handling system implemented by this fall.

“We’ll be looking to switch to the new system over the next year,” Uzeloc said. “That way we’ll be ahead of any backlog as people scramble to get into testing queues as well as getting the vendors who can do the work, do the work.”

Uzeloc also said that while there are issues that still need to worked out, he feels the new 911 system will be beneficial.

“As things roll out, we’ll know a little bit more about what the possibilities are around texting to 911 and things like that where you can geo-code a photo and send it in,” Uzeloc said. “They’re still flushing out what that looks like and what we may or may not need, and how to store all that data.”

“But, I think getting it done early and not being tied to the backlogs that may be coming is a big bonus for everyone that the Kamloops dispatch centre services.”