Protective Services Report - PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2023
A report from the Director of Protective Services detailing fire prevention activities, training completions, emergency programs, and bylaw division statistics for early 2023.
Protective Services Report
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: March 7, 2023 FROM: Paul Hurst, Director of Protective Services MEETING: March 15, 2023
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2023
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Committee receives this report for information.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS:
I concur with the recommendation.
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To update the Committee on the operations of the Fire Department.
DISCUSSION:
Fire Prevention Inspection & Public Education:
- January and February inspections observed 100% completion.
- Fire Extinguisher training for ESS volunteers was postponed due to winter weather. Training to resume in March.
- Initial discussions for Fire Department Open House in June have begun.
- VRFD updated wall map has been ordered.
- FDC sign program for sprinklered buildings is continuing.
- During this reporting period there was one fire investigation as follows:
1400 block Craigflower – Car Fire January 3, 2023, at 06:36am View Royal Fire responded to report of a vehicle fire. Crews arrived to a fully engulfed white Mercedes-Benz on fire. Two additional vehicles were affected by radiant heat and damaged during the fire. Crew used 5% foam and aggressively attacked the fire. RCMP and BCAS attended.
Geoff Pitre, Fire Prevention Officer
Training Division:
- One member completed Confined Spaces Level - Operations
- Two members completed Emergency Scene Management Level 2
- Eight members attended Cancer Awareness Seminar for Firefighters
- Twenty-one members attended Recruit evaluation night
- Seven members attended Electric Vehicle Awareness and Extrication training
- One member attended CRD Hazardous Materials Team Training
- Three members were signed off on driving and the operation of Rescue 36
- Eight members attended and completed Live Fire 1
- Eight members attended and completed Live II. This completes 2 members 1001 and 6 members interior operations.
- Two members completed First Responder recertification
- Final Interviews held for new recruit class, 7 people moving forward
Live Fire II Training Heath Bevan, Training Officer
Emergency Program:
The following are the most noteworthy activities and events for the Emergency Program this reporting period:
- The EM Officer attended the following meetings:
- HRVA X 3 – Logic League
- Public Education planning
- ESS Meeting
- Emergency Radio Coordination and Colwood EM
- Dam Emergency Plan review with CRD
- Coastal Adaption Planning w/Dev Services
- EP Fair Coordination Meeting
- Emergency Preparedness Workshop held in January –12 residents attended
- HRVA rough draft completed and back with Logic League for edits and updates
- Commercial radio and antenna installation at Town Hall completed as part of 2022 EOC Grant projects. EOC training project will be completed by May 2023
- Earthquake Early Warning grant project underway and will be managed by REMP. Victoria General Hospital, CRD Water HQ, and Songhees Wellness Centre identified and approved as sensor sites in View Royal
- Pub Ed team produced short PSA videos for EP. Once reviewed and approved, they will be added to web and training material
- Drafts of 2023 UBCM EOC and FireSmart Grant proposal started
Emergency Management Training:
- ERA training – 4 ESS
- Intro to ESS – 2 ESS
- Drone Pilot - ERC
- Rapid Damage Assessment Webinar – Radio team
Emergency Support Services:
The ESS Team had no callouts this reporting period. Two ESS Team meetings were held and well attended in-person and by ZOOM. Four new volunteers recruited. Additional activities were as follows:
- ESS administrative work and Director’s meetings – Director and Deputies
- RRU secured for emergency accommodations.
- IT Inventory
- ESS coordination and training meetings with Langford and Esquimalt ESS
Emergency Radio Communications Team:
The View Royal Radio team has been busy conducting nets and have team members from both municipalities staff different station every week. The joint team continues to flourish. One new member recruited.
Volunteer hours for the VR/Col Communications Team:
| Month | Team Total |
|---|---|
| January | 109.15 |
| February | 52.83 |
The following are activities this reporting period:
- Station Manager appointed from Colwood
- Station Managers meeting Jan 10
- Administration and documentation
- Radio maintenance, testing, and updates, computer updating
- Weekly municipal net
- CMU Packet Document Development
- Online training
Troy Mollin, Emergency Program Officer Pam Rivers, Emergency Social Services Director Ed McCarthy, Emergency Radio Coordinator
Bylaw Division:
2023 has started off with a similar number of files as in 2022, the only major difference being the absence of a major snow event. The Bylaw Officer has continued to investigate a number of complex files, some involving multiple infractions and requiring cooperation with other departments to gain compliance.
| January/February Activity | No Offence Jan | No Offence Feb | Number of Warnings Jan | Number of Warnings Feb | Number of Tickets Issued Jan | Number of Tickets Issued Feb | Tickets Paid Jan | Tickets Paid Feb | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Animal Control | |||||||||
| Assist Other Agencies/Dept | 7 | 5 | 12 | ||||||
| Building | |||||||||
| Burning | |||||||||
| Business License - Inspected | |||||||||
| Dumping | |||||||||
| False Alarm | |||||||||
| Fireworks | |||||||||
| Garbage | |||||||||
| Graffiti | |||||||||
| Noise | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |||||
| Parking Tickets Issued | |||||||||
| Parks & Public | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
| Recommendation | |||||||||
| Referred to Other Agencies | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| Referred to Other Dept | |||||||||
| Secondary Suite | |||||||||
| Signs | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||||
| Soil | |||||||||
| Storm Drain | |||||||||
| Streets | 4 | 8 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 44 | |||
| Tree Prevention | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Truck Route | |||||||||
| Unsightly Premise | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Vacation Rental | |||||||||
| Zoning | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |||
| Freedom of Information Requests | |||||||||
| COVID-19 | |||||||||
| Total | 16 | 23 | 33 | 9 | 7 | 88 |
Jim Henly, Bylaw Enforcement Officer
SUBMITTED BY:
Paul Hurst, Fire Chief/Director of Protective Services
REVIEWED BY:
Kim Anema, Chief Administrative Officer
Document Images
(4)
