911 Calls from the North Westside Area

Yesterday I found myself in the position of calling 911 for a fire response with in the North Westside for a structure fire. In the past as fire chief I made several calls to the 911 center over the years and found our addresses and phone numbers add a layer of confusion to an already confusing situation. Make the call from a cell phone and that confusion elevates a bit more.

The people taking your call do this professionally and are good at what they do but they need your help as well. Speak calmly and slowly, look give the type of incident and as good a location as possible. Within the North Westside tell the call taker that you need the North Westside Fire Department and that they are dispatched by the Kelowna Fire Department. Stay on the line if it is safe to do so and give more details as they are requested of you or occur and seem relevant to the emergency crews on the way.