The Regional District of Nanaimo just approved Next Generation 911 for our area. Soon you'll be able to text, send photos, and stream video directly to emergency dispatchers — and it could save your life.
For most of us, calling 911 is something we hope we never have to do. But when we do, the ability to actually communicate — clearly, completely, in the moment — can make the difference between a good outcome and a devastating one.
That system is about to get a significant upgrade in Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and Lantzville. The Regional District of Nanaimo has unanimously approved contracts for Next Generation 911 — a fundamental shift in how emergency services communicate with the public.
The current 911 system was built for voice calls. That's it. If you can't speak — because you're hiding from an intruder, because you're deaf or hard of hearing, because smoke has filled your lungs, because you're in shock — your options are severely limited.
Next Generation 911 changes that. When fully implemented, the system will allow residents to:
This is not a minor technical upgrade. It is a fundamental change in how communities connect with emergency services — one that has been standard in parts of the United States for years and is now coming to our region.
Our community skews older than the provincial average. A significant portion of Oceanside residents are seniors — people who may have hearing difficulties, mobility challenges, or medical conditions that make voice-only 911 calls difficult or impossible in an emergency. NG911 directly addresses that gap.
It also matters in the context of the scam epidemic currently hitting our area. Imagine being able to send a screenshot of a suspicious message directly to a dispatcher rather than trying to describe it verbally. Or streaming video of a suspicious individual on your property while quietly staying out of sight.
The RDN's unanimous vote approves the contracts and begins the implementation process. Full rollout of all NG911 capabilities takes time — infrastructure needs to be built, dispatchers trained, and systems tested. Residents should not expect to be able to text 911 tomorrow.
But the decision has been made. The contracts are signed. The upgrade is coming.
PQBVoice.ca will continue to track the implementation and let you know when the new capabilities are live in our area. If you have questions or information about the rollout, contact us at tips@pqbvoice.ca.
Until then: the Oceanside RCMP non-emergency number remains 250-248-6111. For emergencies, call 911.