The largest 911 service provider in British Columbia clarified that an "unplanned outage" caused delays for callers on Saturday morning.

One of the social media posts from E-Comm 911 stated: "If you are waiting to speak with a call receiver, please stay on the line and we will be with you as soon as possible."

"For non-emergency matters, please report online or call back later."

Spokesperson Carly Pace told CTV News that the delay was due to a "server issue" that occurred around 6 a.m.

E-Comm activated its "backup protocols," which involve using auxiliary devices and routing calls through the British Columbia Emergency Health Services phone system.

Pace said the server issue apparently resulted from overheating, and the company's tech team is still working to find out exactly what happened.

She added that there is no indication of any malicious intent behind Saturday morning's problem, noting that E-Comm staff regularly practice the company's backup protocols so they can maintain service when issues arise.

E-Comm handles more than two million 911 calls annually in British Columbia, representing over 99 percent of the province’s emergency call volume.

The company also provides dispatch services for many police and fire departments in British Columbia.

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