THURSDAY
S I N C E
JANUARY 31, 2013
1 8 9 5 Super League final tonight
Vol. 118, Issue 18
110
$
Page 9
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Emergency plan covers all regions except Rossland
Two potential library locations considered
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU
BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
Golden City opted out of regional response in 2007 due to finances BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
A new, consolidated emergency management plan vision is sweeping the regional district— everywhere, that is, except in Rossland. The Golden City remains an island amidst a groundswell of support for the new overarching plan to be delivered to every community and area bounded by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB). All RDKB municipal councils and regional district directors have signed onto the new agreement to aid local jurisdictions in determining “appropriate prevention response recovery” in the case of an emergency or disaster. Rossland city council opted out of the regional service in 2007, not because the city is immune to disaster, but because of finances, said the city’s mayor, Greg Granstrom. “We felt that perhaps we could achieve the same goals by having it in-house rather than through the regional district,” he said. “Cost was a consideration (in opting out) for sure. Hopefully we don’t need it but we have some expertise here.” Although the costs of the service to the city weren’t clear seven years later, it was enough for the council of the day to warrant its cancellation, said Granstrom. The coordinator for emergency management services in Rossland (and also the city’s deputy chief administrative officer), Tracey Butler, said the regional service has never been called upon in the 17 years she has been employed by the city. The only emergency incidents the city has had to contend with in that time have been chemical spills from Teck Trail Operations trucks, she said, and Teck has hazmat people managing those situations when they happen in Rossland. “And I don’t think we will get a tornado ... and any flooding goes down to Trail,” she said. “And, of course, we would be there to help them if it did.” All City of Rossland staff is trained through the Justice Institute in emergency management, Butler explained, and are all well equipped and informed, with emergency management equipment stored in City Hall. “If something happens it is a pretty quick change over to be up and operating as an emergency management centre,” she said. “Of course, our biggest fear would be wildfires, and that would be why we have spent a lot of time doing the wildfire interface program.” See PLAN, Page 3
TIMOTHY SCHAFER PHOTO
Alison Davis looks for new optics at Brenda Perry’s Trail Optical shop in downtown Trail on Wednesday.
Two new downtown locations for Trail’s library have been identified. The two currently available options include the former Fields and the former Liquidation World stores, according to the recently released Trail and District Public Library Relocation Study — Phase I. According to the study, preliminary discussions with city council indicate that both options would be supported and that a “library in either location would be highly visible and contribute to revitalization of the downtown core.” In addition, both locations have enough space to accommodate a new, expanded library program. However, both require further review to better define costs. The former Liquidation World is larger (12,500 square feet) than Fields (10,500 sq. ft.). Both facilities have been vacant for some time and are both available for sale. But lease or purchase negotiations have not been undertaken as part of the study. “Proper review including potential costs associated with structural upgrades should be undertaken before identifying a preferred site,” the study by David Nairne and Associates advised. The next phase of work will include structural assessment to determine the potential for required structural upgrades to each facility. Council is also now expected to identify a potential project budget within the next few weeks, as well as provide direction to the consultant on a preferred building.
Airplane back in flight but cause still under investigation BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
A plane that caused a commotion at the Trail Regional Airport in November is back in flight with a new engine. Spencer Smith, vice president of commercial services for Pacific Coastal Airlines, said the cause of the Nov. 14 incident at the airport remains under investigation but the plane in question is back in service. That night, passengers were in the middle of deplaning, when a person turned around and saw what he thought was fire and alerted the staff.
The flight crew immediately responded and deployed the fire suppression system. Although the airline denied that there was a fire, the plane remained grounded at the airport until the end of November. Smith explained that the airplane was parked because internal damage was found within the engine. The plane, a 30 seat Saab 640A, had its engine replaced before being ferried back to Vancouver. “We flew it back without passengers to our maintenance facility in Vancouver,
and it is now back in air,” explained Smith. Smith said that the engine is in the possession of the manufacturer and the cause of the internal damage is still under investigation. Pacific Coastal has undergone a complex process to review the event, said Smith. “I can assure you that we have had many meetings.” The airline has a complex safety management system (SMS) that is mandated by its regulatory body at Transport Canada, he said However, the public is not privy to the information discussed during the review
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of the SMS. “In relation to the specifics, our process is done internally and is not something we can share with the public,” said Smith. The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) worked together with Pacific Coastal to ensure continuity of both SMS plans in response for any commercial aircraft event, said Bryan Teasdale, airport manager for the RDKB. “So our roles and responsibilities of our respective staff are clearly identified during or for an event,” he added.
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