Protective Services & Community Services Report - PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Protective Services & Community Services Report

TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: November 2, 2021 FROM: Paul Hurst, Director of Protective Services MEETING: November 9, 2021

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Committee receive 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:

• Inspections are being conducted as per Fire Department guidelines and are back to a regular schedule. The current inspection program has incorporated a company inspection format to aid in firefighter building familiarization led by the Fire Inspector.
• BC Wildfire Rating system back to LOW.
• Public education has resumed with COVID-19 precautions in place. A presentation was given to thirty residents and another to a daycare with thirty children.
• The fireworks course and related test was established on-line and shared with Colwood, Langford and Highlands.
• During this reporting period one fire investigation was concluded as follows:
  • October 12th – Evelyn Heights Day crew attended a structure fire in the garage of a four-story house. Homeowner had been alerted to two small explosions from the garage. Homeowner discovered a small 2’x2’ fire on garage floor and used a dry chemical extinguisher to knock the fire down despite heavy black smoke. Fire Department arrived, extinguished the remains of the fire, and vented the structure. Colwood and Langford attended as per auto aid; RCMP and Fortis attended to report of the small explosions. Upon investigation, it was deemed accidental due to a vape device thrown in a garbage bag.

Geoff Pitre, Fire Prevention Officer

Training Division:

• 10 members attended Resilient Minds training day
• 6 members attended webinar on Water Application and Ventilation
• 3 members completed Fire Scene Investigation
• 2 members completed Fire Service Instructor
• 10 members attended recruit evaluation day
• Interviews held for 5 recruits who moved on from recruit weekend
• 5 new recruits started training end of October
• Attended Training Officers monthly Zoom meeting
• 14 members attended Hallowe’en drive through at Canadian Tire
• 2 members completed Fire Cause and Origin

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:
  • ESS Directors planning meeting
  • LGEPAC
  • Severe weather briefing
  • Extreme heat event planning and debrief
  • REMP coordination conference calls and tsunami mapping
  • Regional evacuation coordination
  • CRD Medical Health Officer conference calls
  • weekly/biweekly VIR coordination conference calls with HEMBC/PREOC (COVID-19)
• Participated in nuclear response exercise with CFB Esquimalt
• Participated in climate action workshop
• Rapid damage assessment planning overview with Delta Fire Department
• Planning for public education volunteers
• MV Zim Kingston Fire – EM Officer and Fire Chief monitored situation and participated in coordination calls with several Federal, Provincial, and local agencies to ensure View Royal’s health and safety interests were being addressed. Council and Directors were kept updated on situation.
• Sea container for ESS storage and fifty cots and sleeping bags arrived; purchased with funds from 2021 UBCM CEPF ESS grant.
• Website maintenance

Emergency Management Training:

• Evacuation plan overview – 7 staff
• EOC refresher
• Great BC Shakeout 2021 drill and earthquake response - 20 staff
• Emergency Preparedness Conference (telecast at PSB) – 1 ESS, 1 Radio, 4 staff

Emergency Support Services:

The ESS Team had one callout this reporting period to Evelyn Heights for a structure fire with two displaced residents. Two ESS Team meetings were held and well attended via Zoom. Two new volunteers are currently in registration process. Additional activities were as follows:

• Reception Centre plans update
• Equipment maintenance
• ESS exercise with Esquimalt

Emergency Radio Communications Team:

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, radio volunteers have met via radio (at home) weekly to keep up skills but have not held training sessions or meetings in municipal facilities. However, some maintenance and check-ins have been taking place from the PSB and Town Hall radio rooms to ensure municipal radio equipment is up to date and functional. One radio volunteer has left the team to move to Alberta to be with family members. We wish that volunteer well and thank them for their contributions. One new volunteer is in registration process.

The following are activities this reporting period:

• Radio testing of Town’s commercial radios
• Radio maintenance and computer updating
• Weekly municipal net
• ESS exercise

Troy Mollin, Emergency Program Assistant Pam Rivers, Emergency Social Services Director Ed McCarthy, Emergency Radio Coordinator

Bylaw Division:

The division has closed all but one outstanding file and expects to have all current outstanding files concluded by the end of the year.

Jim Henly, Bylaw Enforcement Officer

Director’s Comments:

The department recently took on five new recruits. Their training will begin in November and will last for twelve months before they are able to respond to emergencies. The intake program is currently being reviewed as it is challenging to attract View Royal residents. In the new year, opportunities to bring on members who live outside of the municipality will be explored.