| 2007 Business Plan | 2007-04-01 |
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Cariboo
Regional District Building Communities Together 2007 Business Plan 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone
Service (1380) Rowena Bastien, Manager of
Protective Services Department/Function
Services Emergency 9-1-1 Services for the Central/South
Cariboo and Chilcotin areas were established as a function of the Cariboo
Regional District in 1999, by Bylaw 3515, by means of a counter-petition. This function has no requisition limitation. A five-year contract for Primary Answering services
and Fire Protection and First Responder Rescue dispatch was entered into with
the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and terminates on December 31st,
2007. Directors
for Electoral Areas “D”, “E”, “F”, “G”, “H”, “J”, “K”, and “L” and the
representatives of the City of Williams Lake and the District of 100 Mile House
are responsible for the governance of this service. Business Plan Goals,
Rationale & Strategies 2007 Goals 1. Goal: To amalgamate 9-1-1 services for the entire
Cariboo Regional District into one function. Rationale: To provide
9-1-1 services throughout the Cariboo Regional District through one service
provider and at one established taxation rate.
In doing so, once the original contract with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George has expired, the Cariboo
Regional District will be able to renew, enter into a contract with a third
party, or operate dispatch services directly for the entire region. Strategy: Work with the Regional
District of Fraser-Fort George
to ensure the timely withdrawal of the Cariboo Regional District participating
areas from the extraterritorial 9-1-1 function and their inclusion within the
Cariboo Regional District’s 9-1-1 function. 2. Goal: Complete the transition to the
9-1-1 Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management systems Rationale: Both CAD and RMS were
intended to be part of the original functionality for the 9-1-1 dispatch
system. Strategy: A substantial amount of staff
overtime resources was necessary in 2006 and will continue to be in early 2007
in order to correct historical deficiencies and manipulate the Regional
District’s GIS data for input to the CAD system. Information will also be
collected from the Volunteer Fire Departments for input to RMS. A large part of
the data was transferred in 2006, however an ongoing quality control and update
process will be necessary. 3. Goal: Negotiate
terms and enter into an agreement with a service provider for the function Rationale: The current agreement with
the Regional District of Fraser-Fort
George and terminates December 31, 2007. Strategy: Options and costs related to this goal must be considered
within the context of Goal 1 and may be combined with the rationale and
strategies explained therein. 4. Goal:
Resolve radio communication issues at several fire departments Rationale: Since its activation, the 9-1-1 dispatch service has
had technical challenges in certain response areas and these must be remedied
to ensure an effective response from all local fire departments. Strategy: The technical support contractor retained by RDFFG
will work directly with fire departments and Regional District staff to test
and repair identified communication concerns. 5. Goal: Complete digitization of existing civic addressing grid maps. Rationale: Digitizing all base mapping information for civic
addressing will assist in the preparation for computer aided dispatch. Strategy: Update all existing manual house numbering maps and
transfer to electronic format. 2008 Goals 1. Goal: Encourage more First Nations communities to participate in 9-1-1
through service contracts with the Regional District Rationale: Currently only four of the approximately 15 possible
First Nations communities contribute financially to the 9-1-1 service through
contracts. Partnerships between local
governments on important services like 9-1-1 and fire protection help build
relationship with First Nations. Strategy: Telus and other utility companies are now requiring
civic addresses for customers to apply for service. The Regional District provides addresses for
First Nations communities according to the regional grid system and will be
encouraging band councils to enter into 9-1-1 agreements in return for the
addressing service. 2. Goal: Participate as appropriate
in the provincial-level work towards the development and maintenance of a
single emergency response map product for all agencies Rationale: Having all emergency response agencies such as RCMP,
ambulance, fire departments as well as the Regional District’s own Emergency
Program operations using and sharing the same map information would enhance
response activities and thus result in improved public safety. Strategy: GIS and management staff will be available to
participate in work lead by the Integrated Cadastral Information Society (ICIS)
and other provincial government agencies. Sharing Regional District GIS
information and receiving information in return from other partners benefits
all parties. Overall Financial Impact Only inflationary
increases in included for 2007. Only inflationary increases are required to provide
service in 2007. An operating reserve
was established in 2004 and contains substantial funds as a result of initial
service implementation delays by the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. The significant amount of work completed on an
overtime basis by staff to prepare for the Computer
Aided Dispatch was accomplished within the current budget. It is unknown at this time if the new service
provision contract to be negotiated for 2008 forward will encompass the entire
Cariboo Regional District, which would follow from the elimination of the
existing RDFFG extraterritorial function in the In 2006, due to the extensive GIS requirements
required for the transition to Computer Aided Dispatch, the 9-1-1 function
funded the existing full-time GIS Technician and a six-month position for a GIS
Assistant. It is anticipated that the
possible amalgamation of the North and South/Central services as well as the
continual updating of the Road Index and CAD data will necessitate ongoing GIS
support. Accordingly, it is proposed
that this function continue to fund 50% of the GIS Technician and that the GIS
Assistant position be extended until the CAD system is proven to be operating
acceptably. Significant Issues &
Trends Since the 9-1-1 system was
activated on May 18, 2005, concerns regarding the quality of the communications
network had to be addressed. The service
provider has taken steps, including an effective change in the maintenance
contractor, to improve the functionality of the network. Despite these
technical challenges, the 9-1-1 system has been credited in the local media
numerous times with providing in important, effective public service. The
work required to complete the transition to Computer Aided Dispatch and the
Records Management systems is the most consuming issue for the function,
particularly when combined with significant ongoing Road Index maintenance.
However, when complete, the system will help improve emergency response and
enhance public safety. Ongoing
concerns with the misuse of the 9-1-1 service, by mistake or with malicious
intent, continue to concern emergency response agencies. Increased public awareness and education may
reduce the number of false calls, however the call ratio experienced in the
service area is not unlike those in other 9-1-1 areas, which have had service
for more than a decade. Measuring
Previous Years’ Performance 2006
Goals Goal: To amalgamate 9-1-1 services for the entire Cariboo
Regional District into one function. The goal to amalgamate 9-1-1 services for the entire
Cariboo Regional District in a single function was not completed. Workload and operational challenges related to
the implementation of Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management systems
within the current 9-1-1 service delivery structure delayed other priorities
such as the amalgamation of services.
This goal will be carried forward to 2007. Goal: Complete digitization of civic addressing. The goal to digitize house numbering maps for the
Region was not completed. This project was determined to be a lower priority
because it was not specifically necessary for the transition to a Computer
Aided Dispatch system, which was in development in 2006. This goal will be carried forward to 2007. Other Accomplishments The transition to Computer Aided Dispatch
and Records Management systems within the current 9-1-1 service structure was
the overwhelming focus for 2006. In
order to accomplish the transition, a large amount of Regional District GIS
data had to be reviewed, updated, and manipulated to meet the guidelines for
the CAD dispatch system. The existing
GIS Technician position was directed full time towards the 9-1-1 function and a
GIS Assistant position was created and filled in April 2006 to provide the
resources for the task. Staff also put
in significant overtime hours to complete the work in time for the system activation
date. |
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