BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) operates three integrated dispatch operations centres in Vancouver, Langford (Greater Victoria) and Kamloops.
These centres answer all 911 calls for ambulance services in British Columbia and coordinate emergency responses across the province. They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and serve as the first point of contact for people who need emergency pre-hospital care.
Since 2019, technology improvements have allowed emergency medical call-takers at any of the three dispatch centres to answer and process 911 calls from anywhere in the system. This helps provide faster and more efficient service.
The Vancouver Dispatch Operations Centre receives 911 calls and dispatches ambulances to more than 30 communities. Its service area extends east to Mission and Agassiz, south to Manning Park in the Fraser Canyon, and north to Pemberton and Lillooet.
In 2025, the centre responded to more than 323,000 emergency calls.
The Vancouver centre is also home to two specialized teams.
The PTCC coordinates patient transfers between hospitals and health care facilities throughout British Columbia. The team coordinates and supports both ground and air critical care transport.
In 2025, the PTCC coordinated about 80,000 patient transfers. Most took place within BC, although some involved international locations.
BCEHS launched the Clinical Hub in 2022 to help patients access care sooner and reduce pressure on the emergency response system. The Clinical Hub connects non-urgent patients with appropriate care options, helping keep ambulances available for the most urgent emergencies.
The Clinical Hub plans, implements and evaluates patient-care initiatives. It uses innovative clinical roles, systems and processes to improve care for patients and support paramedics across the province.
Its programs, response units, and care pathways help ensure patients receive the right care the first time they contact 911.
Learn more about the
evolution of the Clinical Hub and its
2024 Innovation Award.
CliniCall is a 24/7 peer-support program within the Clinical Hub. It is staffed by paramedic specialists, including advanced care paramedics and critical care paramedics.
CliniCall provides:
- Clinical advice during high-risk events
- Support for secondary virtual assessments
- Access to Emergency Physicians Online and other specialized clinicians, including:
- Critical care paramedic advisors
- Infant transport team advisors
- Secondary triage technicians
- Link and referral patient navigators
The Kamloops Dispatch Operations Centre serves communities throughout the Interior and Northern BC, including all areas outside the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
It covers one of the largest service regions in North America.
In 2025, the centre received more than 161,000 calls and dispatched ambulances to 98 BC communities.
The Langford Dispatch Operations Centre serves Vancouver Island, Powell River, and the Gulf Islands.
In 2025, the centre received more than 133,300 emergency calls.
BCEHS dispatch operations centres are staffed by emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) and emergency medical call-takers (EMCTs).
These highly trained professionals work closely with partner agencies, including police, fire departments, search and rescue teams, and the Canadian Coast Guard, to help ensure people in British Columbia have receive timely and effective emergency care.
EMCTs and EMDs do much more than answer calls. They are often the first point of contact during life-threatening emergencies. Their responsibilities include:
- Gathering critical information for paramedic and hospitals
- Dispatching the appropriate resources, including ambulances, air ambulances and specialized response teams
- Communicating with first responders to help ensure the right resources arrive as quickly as possible
- Providing life-saving instructions over the phone, such as CPR guidance or childbirth support, until help arrives
When BCEHS receives a 911 call, EMCTs and EMDs use an internationally recognized medical priority dispatch system to assess the patient's condition and determine the appropriate response.
This approach helps ensure that the most urgent cases receive priority, similar to the triage process used in hospital emergency departments.
The BC Ambulance Service determines ambulance response levels based on the caller’s description of the patient's medical condition or injury.
Not every situation requires an emergency lights-and-sirens response. In fact, more than 90% of ambulance transports do not require emergency driving.
Since 2018, BCEHS has used the Clincial Response Model (CRM) to better match patients with the most appropriate response, including paramedics, ambulances and other health care services.
