The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District's southern communities will finally get 911 emergency telephone service on Feb.16
The 911 service is not in operation yet as was erroneously reported in media last week.
In a media release issued January 25, the SLRD states that six communities, Pemberton, D'Arcy, Birken, Mount Currie, Britannia Beach and Furry Creek, will receive 911 service for the first time.
As it stands, residents who live in these areas and need emergency help must dial three separate 10-digit numbers to access services such as police, fire and ambulance. Once the 911 service is activated, a single call to that number will replace all the emergency telephone numbers in the areas.
Calls will be routed to a dispatch centre in East Vancouver where operators will determine what kind of emergency exists and which services need to be dispatched for help.
Residents of these areas are asked to display correct street addresses so they can be seen from the road, and so that emergency personnel aren't scrambling to find where they need to be.
The SLRD also noted that some of its rural areas are not located within a fire protection area and therefore don't have a fire department that can respond to their calls. The 911 service will not change this, and residents of these areas are asked to contact the regional district to determine whether they live in a fire protection area.
