'Unplanned outage' caused 911 delays in B.C. Saturday, E-Comm says

B.C.'s largest 911 service provider says an "unplanned outage" caused delays for callers Saturday morning.

"If you are waiting to speak with a call taker, stay on the line and we will be with you ASAP," a social media post from E-Comm 911 reads. 

"For non-emergency matters, report online or call back at a later time."

Spokesperson Carly Paice told CTV News the delays were the result of a "server issue" that occurred around 6 a.m.

E-Comm activated its "backup protocols," which include both using auxiliary equipment and routing calls through BC Emergency Health Services' phone system.

Paice said the server issue appeared to have been the result of overheating, and the company's technology team is still working to figure out exactly what happened.

There is no indication of any malicious intent behind Saturday morning's issue, she said, adding that E-Comm staff regularly practice the company's backup protocols so that they can maintain service when issues arise.

E-Comm handles more than two million 911 calls in B.C. annually, which is more than 99 per cent of the province's emergency call volume.

The company also provides dispatch services for multiple police and fire departments in B.C.

By 11:30 a.m., the company had posted an update saying both emergency and non-emergency lines were operating normally.