E-Comm Uses Hexagon Software to Speed Response & Promote Multi-Agency Coordination

The Challenge

Taking more than 1 million 911 calls per year, Emergency Communications for Southwest British Columbia (E-Comm) provides dispatch communication services and support systems to fire departments and emergency responders in Vancouver and the surrounding areas.

With a service area of more than 2 million people, E-Comm faced increasing call volume as new, smaller regional agencies engaged the center as their dispatch provider. However, E-Comm’s outdated computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system meant it needed a new solution that would support its growing call volume with comprehensive dispatch capabilities, including mobile and web capabilities.

E-Comm required a solution that would combine multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction operations, handle larger emergency fleets, use maps to geo-reference critical information, and reduce response times. E-Comm also needed the solution to integrate with third-party applications and ensure incident data quality available to responders.

The Solution

E-Comm selected industry-leading computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software from Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division to support its growing technical and operational needs.

Originally purchased to support fire dispatch on behalf of several departments, the system’s scalability allows E-Comm to easily expand its geographic coverage, while its architecture enables the incremental addition of future interfaces and capabilities.

When a new agency comes onboard, E-Comm is now better equipped to handle the transition. New agencies have two service options: E-Comm can dispatch its calls or its own dispatchers can run Hexagon’s technology on local workstations and connect to E-Comm. The seamless integration of 911 call-handling, intelligent mapping, evaluation, processing, and dispatch improves public safety communications and customer service and opens up numerous opportunities for E-Comm.

The flexibility and scalability of Hexagon’s solution allows E-Comm to easily expand its dispatch capabilities into additional geographic areas, effectively serving southwest British Columbia’s growing population.

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