Comments from the Director of Protective Services:

The Choices Facility presents a unique challenge to Protective Services staff. Unlike any other occupancy in the district, this facility presents issues that are concentrated specifically to that address. Although similar issues occur throughout the Town, the localized address highlights its place in the Town. Since the opening of the facility in February 2016 the Fire Department has attended the site 26 times for emergencies (15 medical calls and 11 fire calls). This response equates to 145 staff hours for response and mitigation. During the course of the year, staff have attended Choices community engagement meetings, and conducted fire safety inspections over and above the prescribed frequency bylaw. To date, 14 fire inspections have been conducted, and combined with plan review and meetings, an additional 96 hours of staff time have been directed towards the facility. Every effort is being made to ensure Choices staff and residents are afforded similar levels of service as is delivered to other Town residents.

Although homelessness and addiction are not unique in the Town, the concentrated population in one location, with the challenges presented, along with staff to client ratio, has necessitated a shift in the department’s response logic. The primary focus for Protective Services staff is to ensure a safe a secure workplace for View Royal members when managing emergencies. As a result of encountered incidents, Choices staff have worked closely with the Director of Protective Services to address our concerns and institute policy that address’s behaviors.

Radio communications within the facility is problematic. The CREST radio system does not facilitate communication with our dispatch center when Fire crews are inside the buildings, this challenge is not unique to Fire, as Police and BC Ambulance encounter similar gaps in coverage. Fire has modified their response plan to include sending a minimum of 3 staff to the site for medical calls and remaining on scene with BC Ambulance staff to the conclusion of the call. The elevated staff response includes a communication plan that enables contact with dispatch. From a Fire response perspective, issues with false alarms due to cooking and unattended cooking have resulted in the removal of stove top cooking appliances in the facility, this initiative, in conjunction with Choices staff should lead to a reduction in false fire alarm calls. Medical calls dominate the majority of emergency response, and again, management of these issues can be challenging. The Director has discussed strategies with Choices staff and opportunities to assess and protect vulnerable populations within the facility.

We have recently engaged our animal control provider at CRD over an incident involving a loose dog and an interaction with firefighting staff. Again, Choices were receptive to policy shifts and we are hopeful these issues will be managed appropriately in the future.

The Protective Services department has had positive interaction with Choices staff and their leadership team. Issues have been addressed immediately by the applicant and his team. Although calls for service and inspections of the facility have increased in the