This Geocache is near the Ecom 911 centre. In case you are interested in the history, the concept of consolidating emergency communications began in the early 1990s, following a series of international disasters, including the earthquake in San Francisco. These incidents highlighted the importance of communications when disaster strikes. But it was an event that happened closer to home that really kicked things into high gear.
In spring of 1994, hockey fever captured British Columbia as the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the Stanley Cup final. Sadly, the team lost in the seventh and deciding game. It was a night that would not only go down in history as disappointing for long-suffering hockey fans, but also as a night that forever changed the course of emergency communications in B.C.
As fans took to the streets to lament the team’s loss, so did many trouble makers. The Vancouver police were forced to call in the Crowd Control Unit and request back up from neighbouring RCMP detachments in an effort to disperse the out-of-control crowd. Unruly drunks put innocent bystanders in harm’s way and downtown businesses fast became easy prey for vandals and looters.
In the midst of the chaos, the Vancouver police radio system was unable to handle the amount of radio traffic and paramedics, firefighters and police found themselves in extreme danger because their radio systems were not compatible. In fact, emergency responders standing just metres apart, were forced to yell information to one another over the crowds.
Twelve hours later, as the damage was assessed and crews worked overtime to clean up the debris, emergency service providers knew it wasn’t just the downtown core that required re-building. This lead to many municipalities participating in E-Comm which has many benefits. For example, emergency responders are able to communicate directly with one another because they are now sharing the same E-Comm radio system. If there is an incident in one of the municipalities that is an E-Comm partner, police, fire and ambulance crews are able to communicate directly with one another. If there should be a police pursuit that crosses jurisdictional boundaries, officers can coordinate their response with police in each of the cities involved because they too share the same radio system. The result is increased public and emergency personnel safety.