E-Comm Media Advisory: TELUS phone service outage
For immediate release—July 25, 2005
As a result of a TELUS telephone outage in Burnaby, some residents are unable to dial 9-1-1. The following information is provided for public information:
- Residents in the affected area (LakeCity) are encouraged to use their cellular phones for emergency 9-1-1 calls until landline service is restored (NOTE: some cellular service may also be affected by this outage)
- In the event you are unable to reach 9-1-1 through your telephone or cellular phone and you or someone you know is able to make your way to a Burnaby Fire Hall or RCMP Community Policing Station, you are encouraged to do so. A call to 9-1-1 can be placed on your behalf by the emergency personnel on site
- In the event the station or hall is affected by the telephone outage, the emergency personnel can contact their dispatch centre via their radios
- It is important to remind cellular phone users that cell phones do NOT provide name or location information to 9-1-1 centres. Callers are reminded they should pay particular attention to the location of their emergency and communicate the information to the 9-1-1 call-taker as soon as they are asked for it
E-Comm’s emergency radio system that is utilized by multiple police and fire agencies and the BC Ambulance Service throughout the GVRD, operates on its own network and continues to provide communication capabilities for the municipalities that utilize it.
For more information contact:
Jody Robertson
E-Comm Corporate Communications
604-215-4956
604-640-1342 (pager)