Protective Services & Community Services Report: Public Safety Report for July - August 2020

Protective Services & Community Services Report

TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: September 8, 2020 FROM: Rob Marshall, Acting Director of Protective Services MEETING: September 15, 2020

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR JULY- AUGUST 2020

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated September 8, 2020 from the Acting Director of Protective Services titled “Public Safety Report for July – August 2020” be received for information.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To update the Committee on the operations of the Protective Services Department.

DISCUSSION:

Fire Prevention Inspection & Public Education:

• Modified fire inspections are being conducted as well as self inspections as per our frequency of inspection guideline.
• The Department is currently reviewing plans and attending meetings with municipal staff and developers on three projects.
• The division is still not delivering public education sessions in the Public Safety Building due to COVID-19.
• During this period five fire investigations were concluded as follows:
  • July 5, 2020 - fire in a wall in a residential structure cause by soldering copper pipe.
  • July 13, 2020 - smoke in a residential structure caused by a fire in the oven.
  • July 19, 2020 - smoke in a residential structure caused by a fire in the oven.
  • July 20, 2020 - smoke and burning smell in a residential structure caused by an electrical outlet short.
  • July 26, 2020 - smoke in a residential structure caused by the failing of a hot water tank heating element.

The division continues to work with Surrey Fire Dispatch on implementation of our new Active Incident System mapping as well as our Training Department, to implement and train the members on new mobile data terminals (MDT’s) in the trucks. Work on rebuilding our website continues and the division has started preparation for 2020 Fire Prevention Week.

Robert G. Marshall, Fire Prevention Officer

Training Division:

• regular drills restarted July 9, 2020
• three members completed interior portion of 1001 practical and written exams
• two members completed Youth Firesetter Intervention Specialist I
• eight -1001 written exams completed
• attended Training Officers meeting via Zoom
• working on training for post COVID-19 with Langford and Colwood Fire Departments
• one member working on Fire Officer 1
• attended on-line meeting with Province’s Medical Director
• COVID drill hours while the Public Safety Building was staffed by members = 929

Heath Bevan, Training Officer

Emergency Program:

The following are the most noteworthy activities and events for the Emergency Program this reporting period:

• EM Officer attended the following meetings:
  • Evacuation Route Planning
  • REMP Emergency Program Act Modernization
  • LGEPAC/REMP coordination conference calls
  • CRD Medical Health Officer conference calls
  • weekly/biweekly VIR Coordination conference calls with HEMBC/PREOC (COVID-19)
  • Colwood Emergency Management
  • ESS Meeting
• Logic League completed work for View Royal’s evacuation route planning (UBCM grant funded) and we are currently waiting for hard copies to be printed. Electronic copies have been received.
• Evacuation Grant final report sent to UBCM – awaiting project reimbursement.
• Purchasing of ESS and EOC grant items 80% complete.
• Assisted City of Colwood with grants and advice as Colwood EP Coordinator has retired.
• EOC was physically demobilized however EOC remains at level 1 monitoring from the EM Officer’s office.
• EP Fair, all EP workshops and EM training were cancelled due to COVID-19 since March 12, 2020.

Emergency Management Training:

• No training was scheduled/delivered due to summer holidays and COVID-19.

Emergency Support Services:

The ESS team had one callout this reporting period in Colwood. One ESS Team meeting was held in person and via Zoom and well attended. Additional activities were as follows:

• ESSD and ESS Planning Meeting
• Colwood Emergency Management meeting
• one new volunteer recruited and
• updating of ESS Plan in early stages.

P. Rivers from Colwood has been promoted to ESSD. She has taken on her new role with enthusiasm and resolve.

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 or meetings in our municipal facilities. The following are activities this reporting period:

• Weekly Municipal Net X 4
• Update Net Record facility for CRERCC

Troy Mollin, Emergency Management Officer Pam Rivers, Emergency Support Services Director Ed McCarthy, Emergency Radio Coordinator

Building Department:

July and August have continued to see the evolution of the construction and permitting process due to COVID-19. Good practices can be seen in the effort of staff, residents and builders.

The statistics remain lower but steady. Many of the older stale-dated permits have completed as time for follow-up letters and inspections has proven fruitful. Another category that is being tracked by the Building Department is the number of business license reviews coming through the Department. Business license requirements can require Building Code changes or upgrades to existing building stock for safety purposes.

Permit Summary

Permit Revenue Comparison Chart

[Chart: A horizontal bar chart comparing permit revenue from 2014 to 2020. Revenue peaked in 2018 and is at its lowest in 2020.]

Gary Faykes, Building Inspector

Bylaw Division:

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bylaw Department has adjusted the way it does business to align with Public Health Orders. The Bylaw Officer attended all the businesses within the Town to educate on the Provincial Health Office directives. This was done to ensure businesses that remained open were following the guidelines set out by the Chief Health Officer of BC. Further to that, letters were sent to all the businesses providing them with recent WorkSafe BC Guidelines which had been updated by the Province.

There was an increase in parking, animal control, and noise complaints as well as property maintenance files believed to be due to more residents now working from home. We are currently investigating 8% more files than this time last year.

Mark Groulx, Bylaw Enforcement Officer

SUBMITTED BY: Rob Marshall, Acting Fire Chief/Director of Protective Services

REVIEWED BY: Kim Anema, Chief Administrative Officer