Calgary 911 procedures weren’t followed in the case of missing child Parker Wells earlier this summer, resulting in a delay in action around his disappearance, according to a City of Calgary internal review.

Eleven-year-old Parker Wells went missing from a north Calgary day home on July 16, 2026, eventually resulting in an unprecedented search that captivated the city for more than two weeks.

Despite the round-the-clock search efforts, Wells was found dead in stormwater pipes two weeks later.

Now, the City of Calgary said its 911 operations failed to escalate the initial call made at 10:53 a.m., though the person didn’t want to file a missing person report at that time and would call back if Parker wasn’t found shortly after.

According to the review, they found that sufficient information was provided to identify the initial situation as an “endangered missing child” and a Priority 1 police event should have been initiated.

A supervisor reviewed the call, but didn’t reopen, escalate, or reassess the event. The review found that the supervisor should have more fully considered all of the information at that time.

It wasn’t until a second call came in at 11:24 a.m. to officially report Parker Wells missing, and another 17 minutes (11:41 a.m.) when a Priority 1 Missing Person event was created.

“The outcome of this review is difficult,” said Iain Bushell, Director of Emergency Management and Community Safety with The City of Calgary.

“It identified instances where established procedures were not followed, resulting in a delay in how certain information was acted on. That delay did not meet the standard of service we expect.”

Since the review, the City of Calgary has implemented policy changes, after looking at gaps in how existing policies were applied, rather than any gaps in policies themselves.

Now, all advised events (not immediately requiring police assistance), are reviewed after 15-30 minutes by two supervisors, rather than one. Spot checks and periodic reviews are also being implemented to reinforce operational standards.

Additional workplace supports are going to be provided.

All employees will be required to review missing persons policies, reinforcing policy adherence, and a broader review of standard operating procedures.  New recruits will now be trained for 11 weeks, with additional training on critical thinking, emotional intelligence and problem solving. There will also be additional training for supervisors.

“We are committed to strengthening our processes and ensuring our employees have the support, training and tools they need to serve Calgarians effectively,” said Bushell.

“Calgary 911 employees are deeply committed to public safety, and when an event has a tragic outcome such as this, they feel the weight of that responsibility.”

More to come…