Protective Services & Community Services Report: PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2017

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL Protective Services & Community Services Report

TO: Committee of the Whole FROM: Paul Hurst, Director of Protective Services DATE: January 10, 2018 MEETING: January 16, 2018

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2017

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:

• Regular fire inspections are being conducted as per our frequency of inspection guideline. With the hire of the new fire inspector, inspections of the back log have been done and all inspections have been completed for the year.
• The Department is currently reviewing plans and attending meetings with municipal staff and developers on several projects.
• The following public education sessions were delivered:
  • two presentations to preschool/Kindergarten groups totaling twenty-four children and four adults;
  • two presentations at the PARTY Program held at Victoria General Hospital; and
  • a presentation on Fire Safety and Construction at Camosun College.
• During this period three fire investigations were concluded:
  • Kosapsum Crescent, Nov. 5th Crews responded to a property for the report of an extinguished structure fire. On arrival crews found the side of the structure had caught fire and that the resident extinguished the fire with a garden hose. Crews completed an overhaul to ensure that the fire was extinguished and had not spread inside the wall. On investigation it was determined that the cause of this fire was from the owner storing discarded hot ashes from the wood stove in a cardboard box next to the structure.
  • Watkiss Way, Nov. 24th Crews responded to a multi-family property on Watkiss Way for reports of a structure fire. On arrival crews found smoke coming from one of the units and that the sprinkler system was activated. Crews turned off the sprinkler system and ensured that the fire was extinguished. Confirming this, the crews then completed salvage and overhaul removed most of the water from the unit. On investigation it was determined that this fire was caused by a shrine, with a candle, next to a coffee table. The candle ignited the doily on the table which in turn ignited adjacent combustibles, activating the sprinkler system.
  • Island Hwy, Dec. 30th Crews responded to a business on Island Highway for the report of a hand dryer fire. On arrival, crews found black smoke coming out of the dryer exhaust vents on the northerly side of the building. Crews shut off the gas to the building and extinguished the fire. Upon investigation, it was determined that the cause of this fire was mechanical failure of a limiting switch in the suspect hand dryer.

The main focus for the division has been completing the Division’s Annual Fire Prevention Plan for 2018. The Division continues to work on the website and social media feeds to keep the public informed and up to date on activities and programs.

Robert G. Marshall, Fire Inspector

Training Division:

• Additional 1001 training continues on Monday evenings
• Two Members completed Rescue 36 driving evaluation
• Four Members attended a one day Vancouver Island Emergency Response Academy (VIERA) 1001 Instructor/Evaluator Course
• New recruit testing and interviews continued in November
• Six new recruits started training in December
• One member completed their Pleasure Craft Operators Licence
• Five members attended Nozzle Forward hose handling training
• Additional driver training continues
• Saturday make-up drills are still being well attended

Heath Bevan, Training Coordinator

Emergency Program:

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

• Emergency Programs Officer attended the following meetings:
  • LGEPAC
  • REPAC
  • REMP/REPAC Terms of Reference meeting hosted at VR PSB
  • UBCM/ESS grant funding meeting
• Inventory and restocking of all yellow disaster bins located at schools and municipal buildings
• $25,000 ESS grant application drafted and submitted to UBCM for approval
• 2 EP Workshops: one at Glentana Strata and one at PSB
• Grade 6/7 Emergency Management orientation sessions delivered to three classes at Shoreline Middle School
• Briefing delivered to Council regarding their roles and responsibilities in major emergencies and disasters

Emergency Program Training:

• EOC Operations – 2 ESS, 1 FF, 1 SHFN
• Emergency Evacuations – 1 ESS, 1 FF

Emergency Support Services:

The ESS team had two callouts due to fires this reporting period – one in Colwood and the second in View Royal. A total of eight residents were provided with emergency accommodations.

One monthly meeting was held and well attended. Additional activities are as follows:

• ESSD regional meeting
• ESS van maintenance and repairs completed
• ESS Annual Banquet hosted by City of Colwood. Five PSLV (ESS) Long Service Pins issued to the following Volunteers:
  • M. Emery – 15 years
  • B. Blenkiron – 10 Years
  • D. Mollison – 5 Years
  • D. Vessey – 5 Years

Emergency Communications Team:

The team had the following activity during this period:

• Net controller, Inter-municipal net
• Attended CRECC meeting
• Weekly nets on View Royal frequencies
• Weekly check-in with inter-municipal net
• Annual Christmas get together hosted by ERC (E. McCarthy)
• Purchased two new commercial grade UHF/VHF antennas for installation in 2018 on new CREST monopole

Troy Mollin, Emergency Programs Officer Ruth Reynolds, Emergency Support Services Director Ed McCarthy, Emergency Radio Coordinator

Building Department:

The months of November and December continued to be busy months with plan checks and inspections. Further workshops and other activity involving the Energy Step Code were attended for information gathering and to ensure the Town has a voice in achieving a regional decision. A report to Council will be forthcoming in the near future.

As we all know, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer position became vacant in November. The Building Department has stepped in to fulfill any responsibilities that were relevant to life safety and managed issues that were not.

The following is Building Department related activity for November and December 2017:

November Permit Summary