it’s a huge disconnect for the community safety and awareness aspect of what goes on near you.

For police it’s a no brainer but for Fire Departments, there is a different argument. Again, media needs to know to cover the story and ensure traffic stays clear. Their information is not really as sensitive as Police. If a fire is causing a major problem leading to evacuation, media NEEDS TO KNOW ASAP.

Some fire departments have followed suit, though some, including the City of Toronto, have left communications open as they include discussion of major events.

In the Lower Mainland, E-Comm is the agency that handles 911 communications. The agency has chosen to encrypt all communication, though did not mention this in its main press release regarding the project.

Fire departments have said E-Comm said the only option was encrypting all channels, even though cities like Toronto fire use the same system open to public. source: CTV news