Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows RCMP joins E-Comm radio system
For immediate release—June 27, 2001
Vancouver--E-Comm today announced the successful transition of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows RCMP onto its Wide-Area Radio network.
The Ridge-Meadows RCMP is "live" on the system with 109 (portable {hand-held} and mobile {vehicle}) radios. By joining E-Comm's digital radio network, the Ridge-Meadows RCMP is now part of a growing group of emergency agencies that have the ability to communicate directly with each other.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be moving to technology that is digital in nature," said Inspector W.A. (Bill) Dingwall, Officer in Charge of the Ridge-Meadows RCMP. "The E-Comm system provides police with the security they need in high-risk situations'and the capability to speak directly with other police forces, as well as fire and ambulance personnel."
"This is invaluable when responding to matters such as natural disasters, high-speed pursuits, drug deals, and the search for missing children," Inspector Dingwall added.
Other agencies on the E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network include the BC Ambulance Service, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, Port Moody Police, Richmond RCMP, Richmond Fire and Rescue Services, Coquitlam RCMP, Burnaby RCMP and the North Vancouver RCMP.
"The ability to share information when responding to daily emergencies and in the event of a major disaster, is critical to public safety," said Peter Martin, general manager of E-Comm. "The Wide-Area Radio Network allows police, fire and ambulance to communicate directly with each other within the communities they jointly serve. But it also allows users to communicate directly with emergency agencies in neighbouring communities. Remarkably, before the E-Comm radio system, this was not possible," Martin added.
More than 2,400 wide-area radios are now active in southwest British Columbia. Currently, the network processes approximately 2.6 million radio transactions each month. Further build-out of the radio system is in the planning stages and when complete, radio coverage will extend 13,000 square miles and provide service to more than half the population of British Columbia.
E-comm, one of Canada's busiest emergency call centres, operates the 9-1-1 system for the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the Wide-Area Radio System, and dispatch operations for Vancouver Police, the Deas Island Highway Patrol, the Port Mann Highway Patrol, and the RCMP detachments at UBC, Bowen Island, Whistler, Pemberton (including the Tribal Police), Gibson's, and Sechelt. The radio system also supports special operations at the Vancouver International Airport and support services for RCMP emergencies.
For more information contact:
Jody Robertson
E-Comm
Public Relations/Communication
604-215-4956 (Direct Line)
604-640-1342 (Pager)