10 r 04firedispatchreportsandinformation

R-4 Peace River Regional District

REPORT To:

Chair and Directors

Date: January 17, 2017

From:

Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services

Subject: Background Reports and Information on Fire Dispatch for Public Release BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: At the January 12, 2017 Board meeting the following resolution was passed: “That all relevant information, that can legally be released from the Regional Board Closed Meeting held on December 9, 2016, be released” Staff have attached all reports that were provided to the Board at the December 9, 2016 closed meeting, as well as the closed meeting resolutions, the proposals submitted by the North Island 911 Corporation (NI911), City of Fort St John and E‐Comm and the request for proposals document.

Note that the NI911 has chosen to redact some pieces of information which are deemed by them to be proprietary in nature. Pomax Consulting has also redacted this same information from their report with respect to all of the proponents as they felt this was also proprietary in nature and the decision to release proprietary information should be determined by the proponent.

OPTIONS: none STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: 1.2 The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services including 911 call services by 2018 to its residents.

1.2.1 Enhance the delivery of fire dispatch services in the Region.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): none COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): none OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): none Attachments: 1) Record of closed meeting resolutions (carried and defeated) from the December 9, 2016 meeting a) (note all other resolutions regarding fire dispatch from 2012 appear in the December 2, 2016 report on pages 5 to 9) 2) December 2, 2016 Report: Fire Dispatch Service Options which includes: a) Background report on options and risks b) September 14, 2016 report on the review of fire dispatch proposals c) SSAP RFP Response Analysis from Pomax Consulting d) September 14, 2016 report on the City of Fort St John’s letter of impact Staff Initials:

Dept. Head:

January 26, 2017

CAO:

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e) September 22, 2016 Closed Meeting Presentation on 911 & Fire Dispatch f) September 22, 2016 Open Meeting Presentation on 911 & Fire Dispatch g) March 16, 2016 report Secondary Safety Answer Point/ Fire Dispatch Request for Expressions of Interest Results and Recommendation h) October 15, 2015 report on Primary and Secondary Safety Answer Point Request for Expressions of Interest i) June 11, 2015 Presentation on 911 & Fire Dispatch Services (PRRD & Pomax) j) March 23, 2015 Pomax report on Emergency 911 Call Answer and Fire Dispatch Service Review k) June 4, 2015 report Authorization to proceed with a Request for Expressions of Interest for 9‐1‐1 Public Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services 3) 4) 5) 6)

The North Island 911 Corporation’s Proposal for Fire Dispatch The City of Fort St John’s Proposal for Fire Dispatch E‐Comm’s Proposal for Fire Dispatch Request for Proposals for Fire Dispatch Services and Addendums 1, 2 and 3

January 26, 2017

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I

Closed meeting resolutions from December 9, 2016 Meeting

December 9, 2016 IC/12/09/03 – Reconsideration of motion released November 10, 2016 Closed Board meeting MOVED Director McPherson, SECONDED Director Rose, “That the Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals process be started over; Further, that a process be initiated to discuss with all fire services across the Peace River region the best approach for a new Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals.”

And further “That once staff have met with all fire services within the Regional District to discuss a Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals, a report be brought forward for the Board’s consideration, informing of the results of those meetings.” ‐ DEFEATED

IC/12/09/04 MOVED Director McPherson, SECONDED Director Fraser, “That the Board authorize staff to negotiate with the City of fort St. John for the provision of fire dispatch services for the region.” ‐ DEFEATED IC/12/09/05 MOVED Director Rose, SECONDED Alternate Director Brownlee, “That the Board support entering into an estimated 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for a five year cost of $635,477.” ‐ CARRIED

RELEASE OF ANY CLOSED MEETING ITEMS TO OPEN MEETING FOR CONSIDERATION: IC/12/09/06 MOVED Alternate Director Brownlee, SECONDED Director Goodings “That the Board support entering into a 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for a five year cost of $635,477, be released and confirmed in open meeting.”

CARRIED

January 26, 2017

R-4 Peace River Regional District

REPORT To:

Chair and Directors

Date: December 2, 2016

From:

Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services

Subject: Fire Dispatch Service Proposal Options

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: At the November 24, 2016 Board meeting the following resolution was passed: MOVED Director McPherson, SECONDED Director Rose, That the Regional Board reconsider the following Resolutions released from the November 10, 2016 Closed Board meeting: (1) Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals “That the Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals process be started over; Further, that a process be initiated by bringing all fire services across the Peace River region together to discuss the best approach for a new Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals.”

(2) “That once staff have met with all fire services within the Regional District to discuss a Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals, a report be brought forward for the Board’s consideration, informing of the results of that meeting.”

OPPOSED: Directors Ackerman, Fraser, and Stewart CARRIED. So Where Does This Leave the Board?

The motion to enter an agreement with North Island 9‐1‐1 was defeated at the meeting on November 10, 2016. The motion to re‐start the process was reconsidered at the November 24, 2016 Board Meeting. Therefore, at this time, there are six options that remain.

1. Enter into a five‐year agreement with the City of Fort St. John for the provision of fire dispatch services.

2. The Board Authorize staff to negotiate with the City of Fort St. John.

3. Enter into a five‐year agreement with E‐Comm for the provision of fire dispatch services.

4. Reconsider the defeated motion to contract with North Island 911.

5. Let the motion to start the process over again stand.

6. Provide further direction to staff.

More discussion on the above options are provided further in the report.

In determining next steps or a decision, the following items should be considered: 1) Aged out equipment As discussed at the November 10, 2016 meeting, in the “Fire Dispatch Review” report and the Committee of the Whole in June 2015, the equipment owned by the Regional District and utilized by Dawson Creek and Fort St John dispatch centres has aged out. The equipment is between 8 to 10 years old and in dire need of replacement. Earlier this year the Regional Staff Initials:

Dept. Head: January 26, 2017

CAO:

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District had to utilize the only back‐up voice recorder that we have in stock and had to source a used monitor from Alberta when Dawson Creek’s failed. The Regional District has not invested in purchasing back‐up and replacement equipment as it was hoped that we would enter into a new agreement with a provider by spring 2017. If the Board wishes to start the RFP process over again, staff is recommending that the Regional District purchase new “basic” dispatch equipment for both centres as well as a back‐up voice recorder. The current cost estimate is $470,000.

Note that if the Board decides to maintain two dispatch centres over the long‐term, then it is recommended that the Regional District invest in computer aided dispatch system (CAD) for Dawson Creek. The estimated cost for a basic CAD system is approximately $200,000.

2) Radio & Repeater System Upgrade/Replacement The Regional District’s radio and repeater system has also aged out. It is recommended that the Regional District move from a mixed digital and analogue system to Radio Over Internet Protocol (ROIP). The estimated cost is in the range of $350,000 to $400,000 to upgrade base radios and repeaters throughout the region. This upgrade needs to be completed regardless of which organization provides fire dispatch services as this equipment is currently owned by the Regional District and will remain so in the future. Ideally this upgrade should take place in 2017, however, it will be cost prohibitive to do so if dispatch centre equipment needs to be upgraded.

3) Fire Dispatch Agreements with Dawson Creek and Fort St John Currently the Regional District and the cities of Dawson Creek and Fort St John do not have formal agreements in place. This issue was identified as part of the 911/Fire Dispatch Review.

The Regional District and cities have been basing our working contract off of a letter provided to the Regional District in 2000 and a subsequent Board resolution (see attached). There is no termination clause or notice period, however, funds are budgeted on an annual basis and both cities are aware of the RFP process and the intent to identify a single regional service provider to begin service sometime in 2017.

If the Board selects a proponent to provide the service a formal agreement will be put in place prior to the service delivery date. A formal agreement will provide termination and notice clauses, operating service requirements, standards, indemnity clauses and more.

4) RFP process When the Fire Dispatch Review was initiated, one of the first tasks was to meet directly with all of the fire chiefs in the region (page 14 of the Review). At this meeting the chiefs provided feedback from a technical and operational point of view which informed the review. The chiefs were also given the opportunity to comment on the fire dispatch model. In doing so, the consensus was to continue with two dispatch centres despite rapidly increasing costs.

Should the Board wish to start the process over again and consult with the fire chiefs on the process, staff have the following concerns: 1) The directors have stated that the RFP process was sound and has provided the directors with good information.

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2) Staff have already met with the fire chiefs in the past and they have no desire to see the current model (2 dispatch centres) change.

3) Re‐starting the process will likely produce the same results.

4) The time delay to re‐start the process will mean that the Regional District will have to upgrade aging equipment.

5) Impact to 911 PSAP In September the Board authorized the Regional District to enter into a 5 year agreement with E‐ Comm for the provision of 911 PSAP services. Staff have been working with E‐Comm on an agreement and implementation strategy to bring back to the Board. Part of the implementation strategy is to meet with downstream service providers, such a fire dispatch, to discuss procedures, protocols, gain feedback, etc. Ideally it would be best for E‐Comm to work with the organization who will be the service provider over the long‐term (5 years), otherwise this work will have to be duplicated if the fire dispatch service provider is changes mid‐stream during our contract with E‐Comm. The proposed original timeline included changing fire dispatch providers in April 2017, and then changing 911 service providers in May 2017.

OPTIONS: 1) That the Board of Directors authorize entering into a five‐year agreement with the City of Fort St. John for the provision of fire dispatch services for an estimated 5 year cost of $1,282,195 and that an agreement be brought back for final approval.

Discussion: The City of Fort St John provided a sufficient proposal and their cost to deliver the service to the entire region is 45% less than the total cost the Regional District is currently paying. Over the current model this represents a $1.08 million savings over 5 years. The Fort St John Fire Department already has established relationships with our local fire departments and through their work over the past 16 years is very familiar with the North Peace service area.

Many of the impacts that the City of Fort St John outlined in their letter should no longer be a concern if Fort St John becomes the regional service provider.

The City currently does not have a sufficient back‐up system in place should they have to evacuate their fire hall, however, they have stated that they are working towards developing a back‐up at City Hall. Although this is a deficiency, it is something that can be remediated should they receive the contract.

2) That the Board authorize staff to negotiation with the City of Fort St John for the provision of fire dispatch services for the region.

Discussion: The City of Fort St John has declared that they will provide fire dispatch at their own cost to their own department regardless the choice of the Board. As such it may be possible to negotiate a rate lower than what was presented in their proposal. The Regional District’s request for proposal document states explicitly that the Regional District may negotiate with one or more of the proponents.

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Should the Board authorize and direct staff to negotiate with Fort St John, staff will need a financial mandate from the Board.

3) That the Board of Directors authorize entering into a five‐year agreement with E‐Comm for the provision of fire dispatch services for an estimated 5 year cost of $1,351,290 and that an agreement be brought back for final approval.

Discussion: This option is NOT recommended and was not recommended in the original report from September 22, 2016. Although E‐Comm would provide sufficient service, they were the highest cost of all of the proposals and they are experienced in providing service to large, multi‐ hall departments in urban areas.

4) That the Board reconsider the defeated motion to enter into a five‐year agreement with the North Island 911 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the region, for an estimated 5 year cost of $635,477.

Discussion: On November 10, 2016 the Board considered entering into an agreement with the North Island 911 Corp. (NI911 Corp.) – the motion was defeated. Just as the Board has decided to reconsider the motion to start the RFP process over again, the Board could reconsider the motion to enter into an agreement with NI911.

The NI911 Corp. presented the most complete proposal, scored the highest on the evaluation matrix and provided the most cost effective option at $635,476 over five years. Should the Board decide to contract with N911 Corp the region will save 73% over the current model. Over the current model this represents a $1.73 million savings over 5 years.

As stated by some of the Board members, there is concern about the risk involved in contracting with NI911 Corp. because: a) of the physical distance between Campbell River and the Peace b) they are unfamiliar with the landscape and the unique hazards that exist in the region (e.g., oil and gas) c) they reside in an active earthquake zone despite having two back‐up systems in place d) they do not have established relationships with all of the departments in the region 5) That the Board lets the motion under reconsideration stand and, 1) That the Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals process be started over; Further, that a process be initiated by bringing all fire services across the Peace River region together to discuss the best approach for a new Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals.

2) That once staff have met with all fire services within the Regional District to discuss a Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals, a report be brought forward for the Board’s consideration, informing of the results of that meeting.

Discussion: challenges have been noted above with respect to this option.

6) Board provides further direction to staff.

January 26, 2017

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STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: 1.2 The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services including 911 call services by 2018 to its residents.

1.2.1 Enhance the delivery of fire dispatch services in the Region.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): The cost to delay the decision for one more year is estimated at $470,000 for new equipment plus the cost of contracting two dispatch services for one full year each which is estimated at approximately $450,000.

Contract Costs (cost represents 12 months of service, not pro‐rated for 2017) Agency

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

TOTAL

Current model ‐ Dawson Creek & Fort St John

$ 453,900 $ 462,978 $ 472,238 $ 481,682 $ 491,316

$ 2,362,114

North Island 911

$ 139,400 $ 120,360 $ 122,767 $ 125,223 $ 127,727

$ 635,477

Fort St John E‐Comm (Annual Pricing Model) E‐Comm (Fixed Pricing Model)

$ 280,000 $ 240,625 $ 246,390 $ 252,300 $ 262,880

$ 1,282,195

$ 374,630 $ 232,520 $ 240,120 $ 247,960 $ 256,060 $ 1,351,290 $ 404,710 $ 271,670 $ 289,190 $ 307,920 $ 327,930 $ 1,601,420

COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): none at this time OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): Timeline of 911 & Fire Dispatch Process: • 2012: The Board’s Strategic Plan identified that the Regional District should examine the 911/Fire Dispatch function for effectiveness and efficiency •

2012: Pomax Consulting conducted a review which included consultation with our member fire departments and the two fire dispatch centres

•

2015: The Board’s Strategic Plan for 2015 to 2018 identifies: o The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services, including 911 call services, by 2018 to its residents o Explore potential of entering into agreements with service providers to provide 911 call answer services and to implement appropriate response protocols for the handling of oil and gas emergency calls o Enhance the delivery of fire dispatch services in the Region. o Explore opportunities for alternative 911 service provision.

•

2015: Pomax updates their review from 2012 with new information on possible alternatives for 911 service delivery. Few updates required with respect to fire dispatch.

•

June 11, 2015: o Staff and Pomax present 911 & Fire Dispatch Review to the Board – Topics included: January 26, 2017

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• • • • • • •

Analysis of current fire dispatch Industry standards and best practices Fire dispatch options with current providers 9‐1‐1 emergency service function and bylaw 9‐1‐1 civic addressing process and systems Alternative service delivery considerations Home owner insurance

o Board resolves: 1) a) That staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing 9‐1‐1 Public Safety Answer Point Service (PSAP); and b) That, upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed based on the findings.

2) a) That staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing fire dispatch services; and b) That the “Request for Expressions of Interest” document provide for the flexibility of an agency to express their interest in providing fire dispatch services for either the North Peace, the South Peace or the entire Peace Region; and c) That upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, that staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed.

3) That staff be authorized to organize a meeting with service providers, and further, provide a report on the implications of changing 9‐1‐1 and Fire Dispatch service providers.

•

September 2015: o PRRD met with the City of Dawson Creek and City of Fort St John to discuss what potential impacts may exist if a change to the fire dispatch system occurs. Both were invited to submit letters of impact to the Board and make presentations if they desired.

•

October 2015: o based on feedback from the meeting with the City of Dawson Creek and City of Fort St John the Board resolved “That staff be authorized to delay the release of the request for expression of interest (RFEI) in regard to the Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) (fire dispatch) until February 1, 2016.”

•

November 2015: o PRRD issues requests for expressions of interest for 911 PSAP.

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•

January 2016: o report on 911 PSAP Requests for Expressions of Interest presented to the Board and the Board resolved: 1. That the City of Fort St John and E‐Comm be invited to submit proposals for 911 Primary Safety Answer Point services.

2. That Pomax Consulting be contracted to assist in the process of writing and evaluating the request for proposals for 911 Primary Safety Answer Point services and that an evaluation of options based on information received be presented to the Board.

3. That, upon receipt and evaluation of the 911 Primary Safety Answer Point proposals, a Committee of the Whole meeting be held to review options for service.

•

February 1, 2016: o PRRD issues requests for expressions of interest for fire dispatch for 4 weeks

•

February 29, 2016: o PRRD receives letter from City of Fort St John on potential impacts to their operation should the service delivery model changes o Board resolved “That the correspondence dated February 29, 2016 from the City of Fort St. John regarding Secondary Safety Answering Point impacts be referred to the Secondary Safety Answer Point / Fire Dispatch Request for Proposal process.”

•

March 2016: o Report presented to the Board and the Board resolved: 1. That a Request for Proposals for the provision of Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) / Fire Dispatch services be issued.

2. That Pomax Consulting be utilized to assist in the process of writing and evaluating the request for proposals for fire dispatch services and that an evaluation of options based on information received be presented to the Board; and 3. That, upon receipt and evaluation of the fire dispatch proposals, a Committee of the Whole meeting be held to review options for service.

•

June 1, 2016: o PRRD invites E‐Comm and City of Fort St John to submit proposals for 911 PSAP services o PRRD issues public request for proposals for fire dispatch services o RFP’s set to close July 15, 2016

•

June 23, 2016: o Board receives letter of request from the City of Fort St John to extend the deadline for proposals for fire dispatch for one month. o Board resolved “That the deadline for the Request for Proposal for the provision of Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch services be extended from July 15, 2016 to August 15, 2016.”

•

September 22, 2016 OPEN Committee of the Whole: o Staff and Pomax present the findings, evaluation and options received for 911 PSAP & Fire Dispatch at the Committee of the Whole January 26, 2017

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o In open meeting of the Committee of the Whole the following resolution was made: “That a 5 year agreement be entered into with E‐Comm for the provision of 9‐1‐1 Primary Safety Answer Point services based on the annual pricing model provided in their proposal and an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.”

•

September 22, 2016 CLOSED Committee of the Whole: 1) “That staff be authorized to negotiate with the City of Fort St. John for a lower rate to provide fire dispatch service to the entire region.”

2) “That staff be authorized to negotiate with the City of Fort St. John for a lower rate to provide fire dispatch service to the entire region” be released from Closed meeting and confirmed in open Board meeting.

•

October 13, 2016: o The following resolution was released from the closed Committee of the Whole meeting from September 22, 2016 and was DEFEATED: “That staff be authorized to negotiate with the City of Fort St. John for a lower rate to provide fire dispatch service to the entire region.”

•

October 27, 2016 CLOSED Board Meeting: o That consideration of recommendations from the September 22, 2016 Committee of the Whole meeting regarding Fire Dispatch Services and information from the October 13, 2016 Board meeting be referred to the next Closed Board Meeting along with the related information that was considered at the September 22, 2016 Closed Committee of the Whole meeting.”

•

November 10, 2016 CLOSED Meeting: o The following motion was made in the closed meeting and was DEFEATED: “That the Committee of the Whole support entering into a 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for a five year cost of $635,477 and that an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.” o The following resolutions were passed in the closed meeting: 1) “That the Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals process be started over; Further, that a process be initiated by bringing all fire services across the Peace River region together to discuss the best approach for a new Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals.”

2) “That once staff have met with all fire services within the Regional District to discuss a Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals, a report be brought forward for the Board’s consideration, informing of the results of that meeting.”

January 26, 2017

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•

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November 10, 2016 OPEN Meeting: o The following resolutions were released from the closed November 10, 2016 Board meeting: 1) That the Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals process be started over; Further, that a process be initiated by bringing all fire services across the Peace River region together to discuss the best approach for a new Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals.”

2) That once staff have met with all fire services within the Regional District to discuss a Fire Dispatch Service Request for Proposals, a report be brought forward for the Board’s consideration, informing of the results of that meeting.”

Attachments (All reports referring to fire dispatch): 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Report September 14, 2016: Review of Fire Dispatch Proposals Report September 14, 2016: City of Fort St John Letter of Impact Presentation September 22, 2016: 911 & Fire Dispatch Closed Meeting Presentation Presentation September 22, 2016: 911 & Fire Dispatch Open Meeting Presentation Letter from the City of Fort St John to request an extension to the closing date for proposals for fire dispatch 6) Report March 16, 2016: Secondary Safety Answer Point/Fire Dispatch Request for Expressions of Interest Results & Recommendation 7) Report October 15, 2016: Primary & Secondary Safety Answer Pint Request for Expressions of Interest.

8) Presentation June 11, 2015: 911 & Fire Dispatch Services 9) Report 911 & Fire Dispatch Review, Pomax 10) Report June 4, 2016: Authorization to proceed with a Request for Expressions of Interest for 911 Public Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services

January 26, 2017

R-4 Peace River Regional District

REPORT To:

Committee of the Whole

Date: September 14, 2016

From:

Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services

Subject: Review of Fire Dispatch Service Proposals

RECOMMENDATION(S): That the Committee of the Whole support entering into a 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for a five year cost of $635,477 and that an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Following through from direction from the Board of Directors, a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the provision of fire dispatch/Secondary Safety Answer Point Service (SSAP) was issued on February 1, 2016. The purpose of the RFEI was to identify agencies that may be interested and qualified to provide this service in the future. As a result of the posting the Regional District received six RFEI submissions.

On March 24, 2016 the Board resolved to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the provision of fire dispatch/SSAP services. The RFP was issued on June 1, 2016 initially for a period of 6 weeks, but at the request of the City of Fort St John the deadline was extended one month to August 15, 2016.

At the end of this process the Regional District received three proposals: one from the City of Fort St John; one from The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation; and one from E‐Comm. Pomax Consulting has evaluated the proposals and provided an extensive report discussing its evaluation and their recommendations (see attached).

Upon evaluation, it is Administration’s recommendation that the best solution based on price, quality of the proposal, the service and technology provided would be for the Regional District to enter into an agreement with North Island 9‐1‐1 (NI911). NI911 has proposed to provide the service for the entire region (North Peace and South Peace) based on the following rates: NI911 service cost NI911 System Maintenance NI911 Project Mgmt Cost NI911 capital cost Maximum Contingency

2017 $72,000 $10,000 $12,000 $35,400 $10,000

2018 $110,160 $10,200

2019 $112,363 $10,404

$ 139,400

$ 120,360

$ 122,767

2020 $114,610 $10,612

2021 TOTAL $116,903 $526,036 $10,824 $52,040

$12,000

$35,400

$10,000

$ 125,222 $ 127,727 $ 635,476

Should the Board authorize entering into agreement with NI911 for the provision of fire dispatch services for the region, it is estimated that the Regional District and taxpayers will save approximately $1.73 million over 5 years, a 73% cost reduction from the current model where both Dawson Creek and Fort St John provide the service.

January 26, 2017 Staff Initials:

Dept. Head:

CAO:

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North Island 9‐1‐1 Proposal Evaluation (see Pomax Report for greater discussion) Strengths Lowest cost proponent

Weaknesses Currently 51 clients but with none outside of their catchment area in north Vancouver Island Excellent backup provision with local backup and CAD system will require interface development to failover service provided by Nanaimo Fire and BC the existing records management systems Ambulance in Victoria Long term plans to develop a seismically safe primary dispatch centre that is due to be completed in 3 years By end of 2016 there will be full redundancy between the primary and backup centre for both CAD & Radio. The future Telus upgrade will result in a separate feed to the primary and backup centres. This will result in creating two fully redundant centers for CAD, Radio & Telephone Strong technology support team All technology has been refreshed in the last five years and no capital outlay for new technology is expected in the next five years.

Strive to meet or exceed NFPA 1221 dispatch standards

OPTIONS: 1) That the Committee of the Whole support entering into a 5 year agreement with the City of Fort St John for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for an estimated 5 year cost of $1,282,195 and that an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.

Discussion: While the City of Fort St John provided a sufficient proposal, their costs to deliver the service are significantly higher than NI911. Over the term of the five years Fort St John’s proposed a price of $1,282,195 is $646,719 higher than NI911. Although this cost is significantly higher than NI911, it still represents a cost savings of 45% or $1.08 million over five years from the current model where both Dawson Creek and Fort St John provide the service. The costs proposed by Fort St John to provide the service to the entire region are only slightly higher than what they are currently paid to provide dispatch services to the North Peace (approximately $220,000 per year).

2017

2018

$225,000 $20,000 $25,000 $10,000

$230,625

$ 280,000

$240,625

FSJ Service Cost FSJ Project Management Cost FSJ Capital Cost Maximum Contingency

$10,000

2019

2021

TOTAL

$236,390 $242,300 $252,880

$10,000

$1,187,195 $20,000 $25,000 $50,000

$246,390 $252,300 $262,880

$1,282,195

$10,000

January 26, 2017

2020

$10,000

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Fort St John Proposal Evaluation (see Pomax Report for greater discussion) Strengths Weaknesses No change in service delivery methodology for the Full backup provision is not yet determined. It has North Peace Fire Departments not been determined if the backup site equipment will be completely independent of the primary site, although the proposed radio system will be.

Cost is only slightly higher than what is currently Not the lowest cost vendor being funded to the North Peace but proposal includes both South and North Peace Departments FSJ is funding new radio consoles for the dispatch Do not have two dispatch personnel on duty. Relief centre is provided by other fire suppression staff with on call staff available for major incidents FSJ already works with the existing radio support Do not use dedicated dispatch staff, they use regular vendor firefighters; which is significantly more expensive and less efficient than using permanent dispatch staff Proposed radio console and digital radio Proposed radio console may not be operational until infrastructure is a good solution later in 2017 although the City clarified that their target is to be ready in time for the proposed May cutover

2) That the Committee of the Whole recommend to the Board to authorize staff to negotiate with Fort St John for a lower rate to provide the service to the entire region.

Discussion: As Fort St John has already declared that they will provide fire dispatch service at their own cost to their own department, it may be possible to negotiate with them to provide fire dispatch service to the rest of the region at a reduced rate in order to offset the costs that they will incur.

As stated in Pomax’s report: “Since Fort St. John has already committed to provide dispatch for their department, essentially with no financial obligation from the district, they may be willing to enter into a negotiated agreement that provides them some funding. As their proposal stands, if the regional district selects another proponent for the South Peace and the three departments dispatched by the City of Fort St. John, the costs to the district for FSJ fire dispatch service is eliminated.”

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3) That the Committee of the Whole recommend to the Board to: i. enter into a 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the South Peace and for the three North Peace Departments currently dispatched by Fort St John; ii. that an agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation be brought back to the Board for final authorization; and iii. that a letter be provided to the City of Fort St John clarifying that if they choose to provide dispatch services to their own department that costs for the 9‐1‐1 Telephone Service will continue to be apportioned according to the bylaw and Fort St John will continue to pay for fire dispatch service contracts under the purview of the Regional District.

Discussion: It is important to note that as part of Fort St John’s submission they have stated that: “The contract with the PRRD is currently our only contract and because we are a small fire dispatch centre, losing this contract with the PRRD will have a financial impact on our operation, but in the overall picture the financial loss is less than 1% of the city’s operating budget. We value the importance and operational benefit that we gain by having our own dispatch service and in comparison to a few smaller dispatch operations in the province, like the City of Vernon and the City of Prince Rupert, we intend to dispatch our own department.”

As a result, staff and Pomax have sought clarification from NI911 as to whether they could provide dispatch services to the South Peace as well as the three other North Peace departments (Charlie Lake, Taylor and Hudson’s Hope) should Fort St John chose to dispatch their own department independently. NI911 has responded by providing a cost of $368,059 for 5 years at an average annual cost of $73,612 per year.

While this option may seem cost effective for the Regional District, from a governance stand point it is not recommended. The 9‐1‐1 Emergency Telephone Service is a regional service that provides for 9‐1‐1 call answer, fire dispatch and all associated equipment and costs to receive and transfer emergency calls. In accordance with the service establishment bylaw all electoral areas and municipalities pay into the service. Presumably if Fort St John was to dispatch their own department, while all others are dispatched by NI911, they would not want to pay their portion of the costs for a contract with NI911 – a contract under which they receive no service or benefit. However, since it is a regional service, a participant cannot partially withdraw from the service (i.e., pay for certain items in the budget and not others).

If Fort St John chose they may initiate a process to try to withdraw from the entire 9‐1‐1 Emergency Telephone Service, however if successful in their withdrawal, they would then no longer receive the benefit of 9‐1‐1 call taking services provided by the Regional District. They would have to establish this service on their own for their municipality and would pay 100% of the costs of service within their municipal boundaries (e.g., trunk line costs, 9‐1‐1 call taking contract fees or personnel/training fees if provided in‐house, capital and technology costs, etc.).

It is important to note that the withdrawal procedures from a service under the Local Government Act is a lengthy, costly, arduous and time consuming process that includes a more January 26, 2017

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comprehensive service review, may include the use of facilitators or arbitrators and in the end the final decision may be up to the Ministry of Community, Sport & Cultural Development.

Further, this option is concerning as it undermines the pure intent of regional districts in BC. Regional districts were established by the province to provide regional services understanding that when municipalities and electoral areas work together there are economies of scale, cost savings in delivering regional services and services are not unnecessarily duplicated. In order to continue to deliver services such as 9‐1‐1/fire dispatch, solid waste, regional parks, etc. it is important that all municipalities and electoral areas work together to find cost effective solutions while maintaining service levels.

Note that E‐Comm has not been recommended for fire dispatch services. Although their proposal scored second highest amongst the three proposals received, their pricing scheme, whether fixed or based on an annual pricing model, was well above the two other proponents making their proposal the least desirable. Their fixed price for 5 years of fire dispatch service was $1.6 million, while their annual pricing model estimate was $1.35 million over 5 years. Further comment and consideration of their proposal can be found in Pomax’s “SSAP RFP Response Analysis.”

STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: 1.2 The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services including 9‐1‐1 call services by 2018 to its residents.

1.2.1 Explore potential of entering into agreements with service providers to provide 9‐1‐1 call answer services and to implement appropriate response protocols for the handling of oil and gas emergency calls.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): Should the Board authorize entering into agreement with NI911 for the provision of fire dispatch services for the region, it is estimated that the Regional District will save approximately $1.73 million over 5 years, a 73% cost reduction.

Fire Dispatch Cost Comparison Agency 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 TOTAL PRRD Current Dispatch Model $ 453,900 $ 462,978 $ 472,238 $ 481,682 $ 491,316 $ 2,362,114 NI911 $ 139,400 $ 120,360 $ 122,767

$ 125,223

$ 127,727

$ 635,477 $ 1,282,195

Fort St John $ 280,000 $ 240,625 $ 246,390

$ 252,300

$ 262,880

E‐Comm (Annual Pricing Model) $ 374,630 $ 232,520 $ 240,120

$ 247,960

$ 256,060 $ 1,351,290

E‐Comm (Fixed Pricing Model) $ 404,710 $ 271,670 $ 289,190

$ 307,920

$ 327,930 $ 1,601,420

COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): If approved by the Board staff will work with NI911 to develop a communications strategy to inform residents, businesses and emergency responders of the change to the service provider. Further it is expected that there will be numerous meetings with the contractor and local fire departments to discuss and fine tune the implementation strategy, business flows, etc.

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OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): Proposed Increased Staffing for Fort St John: It is important to note that the City of Fort St John’s proposal suggested that they will be making a request to increase staffing for their department. They currently have 16 personnel trained in dispatch and when they increase staffing they will have 20 of their 28 members trained in dispatch – a four person increase. This may be an important consideration as the Regional District has historically paid 11% to 12% of the operational costs of the fire department and an increase in staff, be it for general operations or fire dispatch, could impact the fire protection agreement and cost to taxpayers in the rural fire protection area.

Previous Board resolutions: June 11, 2015 COW Chris Kellett of POMAX Consulting provided a review of 9‐1‐1 and fire dispatch. Topics included: • Analysis of current fire dispatch • Industry standards and best practices • Fire dispatch options with current providers • 9‐1‐1 emergency service function and bylaw • 9‐1‐1 civic addressing process and systems • Alternative service delivery considerations • Home owner insurance June 11, 2015 Regional Board Meeting: 1) a) That staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing 9‐1‐1 Public Safety Answer Point Service (PSAP); and b) That, upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed based on the findings.

2) a) That staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify

agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing fire dispatch

services; and b) That the “Request for Expressions of Interest” document provide for the flexibility of an agency to express their interest in providing fire dispatch services for either the North Peace, the South Peace or the entire Peace Region; and c) That upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, that staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed.

3) That staff be authorized to organize a meeting with service providers, and further, provide a report on the implications of changing 9‐1‐1 and Fire Dispatch service providers.

October 15, 2015 Regional Board Meeting: That staff be authorized to delay the release of the request for expression of interest (RFEI) in regard to the Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) (fire dispatch) until February 1, 2016.

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March 24, 2016 Regional Board Meeting: 1) That a Request for Proposals for the provision of Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) / Fire Dispatch services be issued.

2) That Pomax Consulting be utilized to assist in the process of writing and evaluating the request for proposals for fire dispatch services and that an evaluation of options based on information received be presented to the Board; and 3) That, upon receipt and evaluation of the fire dispatch proposals, a Committee of the Whole meeting be held to review options for service.

June 23, 2016 Regional Board Meeting: That the deadline for the Request for Proposal for the provision of Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch services be extended from July 15, 2016 to August 15, 2016.

Attachments: Pomax Report: SSAP RFP Response Analysis

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Peace River Regional District SSAP RFP Response Analysis

Pomax Consulting Inc. Sep 14, 2016

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Peace River Regional District SSAP RFP Response Analysis

R- 4 Table of Contents 1.

Executive Summary ....................................................................................... 3

2.

Background ................................................................................................... 9 2.1.

3.

Responses ................................................................................................... 12 3.1.

3.2.

3.3.

4.

RFP Scope ............................................................................................................... 9

North Island 9-1-1 Corporation Overview ............................................................ 12 Fort St. John Fire Overview ................................................................................... 18 E-Comm9-1-1 Overview ........................................................................................ 22

Overall Analysis of Proposals ....................................................................... 30 4.1.

4.2.

4.3.

Scoring Matrix ....................................................................................................... 30 Radio Connectivity Consideration ........................................................................ 32 Other considerations ............................................................................................ 33

5.

Implementation .......................................................................................... 35

6.

Conclusion & Recommendation ................................................................... 36

Glossary

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………37

APPENDIX A – FORT ST. JOHN IMPACT REPORT ................................................................ 38

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Tables

Table 1: Proponent Pros and Cons.................................................................................................. 4 Table 2: Scoring Matrix ................................................................................................................... 6 Table 3: Original RFP Proposed Timeline ...................................................................................... 11 Table 4: Revised Proposed Timeline ............................................................................................. 11 Table 5: North Island 9-1-1 Strengths and Weaknesses ............................................................... 15 Table 6: North Island 9-1-1 Financial Proposal ............................................................................. 16 Table 7: Fort St. John Strengths and Weaknesses ........................................................................ 20 Table 8: Fort St. John Financial Proposal ...................................................................................... 21 Table 9: E-Comm Strengths and Weaknesses .............................................................................. 23 Table 10: E-Comm Financial Proposal........................................................................................... 24 Table 11: E-Comm Revised Pricing Model .................................................................................... 27 Table 12: Scoring Matrix ............................................................................................................... 31 Table 13: Summary of Radio Interconnection Proposals ............................................................. 32 Table 15: Revised North Island 9-1-1 Price Quote for reduction in call volume .......................... 34

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1. Executive Summary The Peace River Regional District issued RFP No. 8-2016 to obtain proposals for the provision of a Secondary Safety Answering Point (SSAP) Fire Dispatch service for the fire departments in the North and South Peace jurisdictions. Proponents were allowed to provide a proposal for both North and South Peace, or just one jurisdiction.

The initial Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) was issued in February of 2016 and resulted in 6 responses being received; however, for the subsequent RFP process only 3 proponents responded.

All proponents provided satisfactory or better answers to the scope requirements in the RFP. Additional clarification was sought from each proponent on a number of questions, unique to each proponent. E-Comm had indicated in their response that they could provide a pricing model that was not a fixed price model but was based on the annual E-Comm levies; they provided an additional pricing model and this pricing model was used in the comparisons between proponents.

All proponents would be able to provide the SSAP service as specified in the RFP from an operational and technical perspective.

The pros and cons of all proponents are shown in the following table. The costs shown include the total five year costs (all proponents had higher first year costs for one-time implementation and technology upgrades), the average annual costs and the maximum contingency amount for the 5-year contract period. The detailed annual costs from each proponent are included in Section 3 and are excerpted from their RFP responses.

A scoring matrix follows the pros and cons table. The proponents were provided the details of how the scoring would be completed as part of the original RFP.

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Table 1: Proponent Pros and Cons Agency North Island 9-1-1 Corp

Pros Lowest cost proponent Excellent backup provision with local backup and failover service provided by Nanaimo Fire and BC Ambulance in Victoria Long term plans to develop a seismically safe primary dispatch centre that is due to be completed in 3 years

Cons

Total Five Year Fixed Costs

Average Annual Costs

Maximum Contingency

Currently provide fire dispatch services for 51 clients; however none of them are outside of their catchment area in north Vancouver Island.

$635,477

$127,095

$10,000

$1,282,195

$246,439

$50,000

CAD system may require interface development to the FDM records management system if a direct link is required

By end of 2016 there will be full redundancy between the primary and backup centre for both CAD & Radio.

The future Telus upgrade will result in a separate feed to the primary and backup centres. This will result in creating two fully redundant centers for CAD, Radio & Telephone Strong technology support team All technology has been refreshed in the last five years and no capital outlay for new technology is expected in the next five years.

Strive to meet or exceed NFPA 1221 dispatch standards

City of Fort St. John

No change in service delivery methodology for the North Peace Fire Departments Cost is only slightly higher than what is currently being funded to the North Peace but proposal includes both South and North Peace Departments

Full backup provision is not yet determined. It has not been determined if the backup site equipment will be completely independent of the primary site, although the proposed radio system will be.

Not the lowest cost vendor

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Peace River Regional District SSAP RFP Response Analysis FSJ is funding new radio consoles for the dispatch centre at their own expense (considerable cost avoidance in comparison to upgrading the existing Zetron equipment)

Do not have two dispatch personnel on duty. Relief is provided by other fire suppression staff with on call staff available for major incidents

FSJ already works with the existing radio support vendor

Do not use dedicated dispatch staff, they use regular firefighters; which is significantly more expensive and less efficient that using permanent dispatch staff

Proposed radio console and digital radio infrastructure is a good solution

E-Comm

Handles large fire departments and high call volumes

Proposed radio console may not be operational until later in 2017 although the City clarified that their target is to be ready in time for the proposed May cutover Fire Dispatch clients are mostly in the lower mainland

Excellent technology support Highest cost vendor Excellent staff resources Excellent radio infrastructure and failover Post disaster facility with good backup centre facility and multiple layers of redundancy

Meeting the proposed timetable may depend on completion of radio system upgrade being on time for completion in Q1 2017

Robust two-way CAD to CAD link with BCAS

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$1,351,290

$270,258

N/A

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Table 2: Scoring Matrix

Factor

Weight Poor Marginal Fair Good Exc (100) (0.30) (.50) (.70) (.90) (1.0)

NI 911 Score

NI 911 Weighted Score

FSJ FIRE Score

FSJ Weighted Score

E-COMM 9-1-1 Score

E-COMM9-1-1 Weighted Score

Completion/quality of RFP

5

0.9

4.5

0.9

4.5

0.9

4.5

Organization Experience

10

1

10

1

10

1

10

Technology capability

15

0.8

12

0.9

13.5

0.9

13.5

Dispatch Staff Resources

20

1

20

0.7

14

1

20

Support Staff Resources

10

0.9

9

0.7

7

1

10

Backup capability Ability to quickly respond to major events/fluctuations in call volume Standard compliance and quality assurance program

5

0.9

4.5

0.7

3.5

0.9

4.5

5

0.7

3.5

0.7

3.5

1

5

10

0.9

9

0.7

7

0.9

9

Price

20

1

20

0.8

16

0.7

14

Totals

100

8.1

92.5

7.1

79.0

8.3

90.5

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It is Pomax’s opinion that the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation (NI 911) proposal is the best option for the following reasons: 

It is the lowest cost proposal, being almost 50% less expensive than the other proponents



They follow industry standards in all call taking and dispatch services



They have a good backup and redundancy system including a hot backup solution (meaning another centre will take the calls while the staff evacuate to the backup facility)



The primary centre will be moved to a seismically safe facility within three years and the existing facility will become the backup

Pomax recommends that E-Comm not be considered further as it is the most expensive solution, and although it scored the second highest and has excellent staff and technology resources, NI 911 is significantly less expensive; and while the City of Fort St. John (FSJ) is only marginally less expensive than E-Comm, it does bring the benefits of local resources with less disruption in changing service providers.

There are however other factors that require further consideration. Specifically, the City of Fort St. John has indicated that they intend to continue providing fire dispatch service for their fire department regardless of the outcome of this process. Due to this fact, North Island 9-1-1 was asked for a revised quote excluding the City of Fort St. John Fire Department. The quote was for a reduction in call volume by 50%, and it also excluded some radio interconnect equipment no longer required for FSJ. The revised quote was for $368,058 for the five years, with an annual average of $73,612. The annual average takes into consideration higher one-time startup costs in year one.

Based on these factors, Pomax recommends the following options for consideration: 1) Award the Fire Dispatch contract to North Island 9-1-1 for the South Peace and the three departments currently dispatched by Fort St. John; leave Fort St. John to do dispatch for their fire department. There is no cost for the City of Fort St. John to continue dispatch services for themselves. The five-year total for NI 911 for SSAP Fire Dispatch services would be $368,059, with average annual cost of 73,612.

2) Award the contract to the City of Fort St. John for the North and South Peace, at a fiveyear cost of $1,282,195 including contingency, with annual average cost of $256,439.

This is still significantly less than the current expenditure for both Dawson Creek and Fort St. John dispatch services.

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3) Negotiate with the City of Fort St. John with the goal to reach a financial amount that is similar in price to the North Island 9-1-1 proposal. Since Fort St. John has already committed to provide dispatch for their department, essentially with no financial obligation from the district, the City may be willing to enter into a negotiated agreement that provides them some funding. As their proposal stands, if the regional district selects another proponent for the South Peace and the three departments dispatched by the City of Fort St. John, the costs to the district for FSJ fire dispatch service is eliminated.

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2. Background The purpose of this report is to summarize the results of the RFP for Secondary Safety Answering Point (SSAP) Fire Dispatch services that was released on June 3, 2016, with a closing date of July 15, 2016, to receive proposals for SSAP service providers. An extension request was approved, resulting in the closing date being extended to August 15, 2016.

A total of three amendments were published in response to questions raised by the proponents.

Three proponents indicated their intention to bid, and three responses were received. Three proponents who had responded to the initial RFEI did not respond to the RFP. The three proponents from the RFP process are: Fort St. John Fire Department E-Comm 9-1-1 North Island 9-1-1 Corporation 2.1. RFP Scope The RFP that was issued required the proponents to address the following service requirements: Scope The SSAP must be able to provide “Call Answer” for approximately 1,800 annual calls originating within the service area. The SSAP must be able to dispatch 7 Fire Departments in the South Peace area and/or 4 Fire Departments in the North Peace area. The contractor is expected to become the SSAP and fire dispatch centre for either the North Peace area, the South Peace area or both the North and South Peace River areas. The proponent must have extensive fire dispatch service experience. The provider must have the ability to interconnect radio and alerting infrastructure to maintain or improve existing dispatch services for all fire departments.

The service requirements for the Fire Dispatch Centre are as follows: Mandatory Items: 1) Answer emergency telephone calls (E9-1-1 calls) that are re-routed by the PRRD’s PSAP, RCMP OCC or BCAS and other agencies or personnel.

2) Ensure the callers’ information is gathered prior to disconnecting. This information shall include:

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    

Phone Number (call back number) Address Name Nature of the Emergency Any additional information including detailed driving directions if required.

3) Have a standard set of protocols and operating guidelines in place that are followed and enforced.

4) Create a CAD dispatch and/or event call and maintain a full chronological record including units assigned, additional notifications, new event information, and final disposition.

5) Maintain ongoing radio communication for the duration of the incident.

6) Alert and dispatch the applicable fire department(s) in accordance with existing operational procedures (including future updates as agreed between the parties).

7) Record the apparatus for each fire department in the CAD system.

8) Update information in the CAD system to record individual fire department times and additional response information relating to the call.

9) Provide the tools (e.g. ability to update closed calls, query/print reports) and access to applicable fire department users to support the continued use of the FDM Records Management System and the FirePro Records Management System input and output, as well as access to current archived data. A direct one way or two-way link between the CAD and RMS would be preferred.

10) Interconnect and operate on the existing radio infrastructure.

11) Have the capacity to dispatch in both analog and digital mode.

12) Voice and call logging of phone calls and command channel and retention for the time period defined by law.

13) Conduct daily test alerting for each fire department.

14) Ensure that fire dispatch services are provided at the NFPA 1221 call handling standards for dispatch operations.

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15) Have a well-developed Quality Assurance Program; including a clearly defined complaint procedure process.

16) Ability to meet quarterly with stakeholders (in person or via teleconference).

17) Provide timely notification of any maintenance, upgrades, breakdowns, or changes to dispatch equipment or protocols that will impact the proper dispatch and/or safety of fire department responders.

18) Capacity to handle future boundary extensions, new service areas, and enhanced notification processes e.g. IamResponding.

The original proposed timeline in the RFP is shown in the following table.

Table 3: Original RFP Proposed Timeline

RFP Closing date

July 15, 2016

Proposal review and clarification RFP evaluation completed; preferred vendor negotiation PRRD Board approval to proceed obtained

July 18-29, 2016 August 19, 2016 September 8, 2016

Written agreement finalized with approved Proponent September 22, 2016 PRRD Board approval of agreement obtained October 6, 2016 Fire dispatch service cutover April 17, 2017 The approved extension request resulted in the following revised timelines shown in the following table.

Table 4: Revised Proposed Timeline

RFP Closing date

August 15, 2016

Proposal review and clarification

August 16-23, 2016

RFP evaluation completed; recommended vendor report

September 9, 2016

PRRD Board approval to proceed obtained Preferred vendor negotiation; written agreement finalized with approved Proponent PRRD Board approval of agreement obtained

September 22, 2016

Fire dispatch service cutover

May 5, 2017

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3. Responses Pomax has reviewed all proposals and sought clarification where required. All proponents offered quality responses and all proponents are well qualified to provide the service. In the following sub-sections, we summarize the strength and weaknesses of each proposal and include the initial financial information provided.

All proponents have the capability to connect to department radio connections using Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP), and telephone interconnect. The benefits of Radio over IP connections is that it replaces a telephone interconnect, which is only activated when the service is dispatched on a call and will often time out and shut down the connection after a set period of time, currently 3 minutes. Connectivity to a telephone interconnect is slower, requires more actions by the dispatchers, and in the event that a user requires radio coverage when the system is not engaged must typically activate the radio system via a DTMF keypad.

RoIP connections are always active, and have better diagnostic capabilities and can be continuously monitored to ensure the integrity of the radio system. They can notify personnel if a remote link is not responding. There is more redundancy with internet connections and they may be cheaper than a dedicated phone line or dial up line if network connectivity exists at the site.

Details of the radio solution for each vendor are outlined in this section and analysed in Section 4.2.

3.1. North Island 9-1-1 Corporation Overview The North Island 9-1-1 Corporation (NI 911) is a local government partnership comprised of six regional district shareholders, and was established to provide fire call answer and fire dispatch services since 1996.

Their proposal is to “deliver ‘full service’ 9-1-1 fire call answer and fire dispatch services that meet or exceed National Fire Protection Association Standard 1221. To achieve this, NI 911 Corp will purchase, install and configure all necessary equipment on behalf of the PRRD in order to connect to the existing radio network within the proposed service area. The result will be a robust and seamless 24/7 push-to-talk primary IP based radio system.”1 “NI 911 Corp currently operates and maintains a fire dispatch centre and the necessary communications and mapping systems for dispatching 51 fire departments in a service area covering approximately 56,000 square kilometres. This full-service dispatch centre was established in April 1996 and continues to operate as a state-of-the-art facility meeting and 1

NI 911 Corp proposal SSAP fire dispatch No. 8-2016, Page 4

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exceeding the National Fire Protection Association Standards. The centre typically processes 10,000 fire and medical calls annually.

Based on the current technology and staffing model the upper capacity of the dispatch centre is 19,000 calls annually.�2 Additional clarification was requested and NI 9-1-1 provided satisfactory or better answers to the RFP requirements and in the clarifications provided.

North Island 9-1-1 contracts with the Campbell River Fire Department for Fire Dispatch Communications, and with E-Comm for 9-1-1 PSAP call answer service. The board of directors are elected representatives from the regional districts served by the corporation and appointed by the Comox Valley Regional District. A contract for service would be between the PRRD and the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation.

Information Technology is supported by a department that operates the information technology and has responsibility for maintaining the mapping database. The CAD system mapping database can be updated to import address data supplied by the Regional District or the Municipalities. Members of the IT Department are available on call 24 x 7.

NI 911 Fire Dispatch has fully replaced all technology components in the last four years and as a result they have stated that there will not be any significant upgrade costs over the five-year term of the contract for their clients. They use a CAD system that is different from many Fire dispatch services in the province, however the CAD will export incident data which can be imported into the Records Management Systems (RMS) used by the applicable departments.

TriTech Software, which provides the CAD system, is one of the largest CAD providers in the world.

The mobile client from the CAD vendor supports over 60 client devices so it will run on most existing mobile workstations.

A risk identified by North Island 9-1-1 is that the current primary dispatch centre located in Campbell River is not a post disaster, seismically safe facility. However, the City of Campbell River is planning a new post disaster facility for completion in approximately 3 years. When complete the primary dispatch centre will move to the post disaster facility and the current primary centre will become the backup. However, they currently do have a strong backup arrangement through a local backup facility and a hot backup arrangement with Nanaimo Fire and BC Ambulance in Victoria. By the end of 2016 the backup facility will operate totally independently of the primary centre, meaning that the backup facility can act in stand-alone 2

NI 911 Corp proposal SSAP fire dispatch No. 8-2016, Page 5

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mode with no reliance on technology operating from the primary centre. Early in 2017 Telus will complete their migration to IP for the 9-1-1 trunk lines meaning that there is full redundancy in the telephony platform as well. The fully seismically safe backup facility is exercised on a regular monthly basis and staff are required to activate, operate and deactivate the backup centre for at least two hours everything three months.

The process and procedures to support evacuation and activation of the hot backup centres and the backup centre are well documented.

There are a minimum of two staff on duty at all times from a pool of 8 full time and 2 part time dispatchers. Dispatchers receive approximately 200 hours of training and are certified by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) in public safety and fire service communications. Between the primary and backup centre it is possible to staff up to 8 dispatchers for major events.

They strive to meet or exceed communication standards recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance and Use of Emergency Services Communication Systems, which provides temporal guidelines for call answer and dispatch services.

Radio communications from the dispatch centre are managed through an Avtech Scout computer based radio console which are fully redundant between the primary and backup centres. The proposed plan for connectivity is to use Radio over IP connections to the existing 4 base stations at the North and South Peace dispatch centres, where RoIP connections exist, and for telephone interconnect for the remaining 4 sites. NI9-1-1 has provided a proposed upgrade cost for RoIP connections to replace the telephone interconnects.

NI9-1-1 has recommended installing Radio over IP connections at halls currently using telephone interconnect, and use the existing telephone interconnects for redundancy. The estimated cost for the three sites (Chetwynd, Moberly Lake and Tumbler Ridge) is $10,000 per department and annual operating costs of $1,000.

The strengths and weaknesses of the NI9-1-1 proposal are summarized in Table 5.

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Table 5: North Island 9-1-1 Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Lowest cost proponent

Weaknesses Currently provide fire dispatch service for 51 clients; however none of them are outside of their catchment area in north Vancouver Island.

Excellent backup provision with local backup CAD system will require interface and failover service provided by Nanaimo development to the existing records Fire and BC Ambulance in Victoria management systems Long term plans to develop a seismically safe primary dispatch centre that is due to be completed in 3 years By end of 2016 there will be full redundancy between the primary and backup centre for both CAD & Radio. The future Telus upgrade will result in a separate feed to the primary and backup centres. This will result in creating two fully redundant centers for CAD, Radio & Telephone Strong technology support team All technology has been refreshed in the last five years and no capital outlay for new technology is expected in the next five years.

Strive to meet or exceed NFPA 1221 dispatch standards North Island 9-1-1 tabled the most cost effective proposal, with the total five year costs coming in almost 50% less expensive than the other proponents.

Their financial proposal is shown in Table 6 on the following page.

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Table 6: North Island 9-1-1 Financial Proposal

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3.2. Fort St. John Fire Overview “The City of Fort St John (FSJ) is a municipal government and can enter into agreements under the Community Charter Section 23 (NOTE: although it should be noted that there are no existing agreements for Dawson Creek or Fort St. John currently). The Secondary Safety Answering Point and Fire Dispatch for the Peace River Regional District Northern Departments is currently serviced through the Fort St. John Fire Department Station #1 located at 9312 93rd Ave Fort St John, BC. The City of Fort St John has been providing SSAP (Secondary Safety Answering Point) for sixteen (16) years, starting in 2000 when 9-1-1 was implemented in the North Peace. At that time, FSJ was dispatching for Hudson’s Hope, Taylor and Charlie Lake Fire Departments.

Prior to the introduction of regional 9-1-1, Fort St John dispatched the North Peace fire departments through the old seven (7) digit emergency numbers and was also the call answering point for the BC Ambulance Service in the North Peace.”3 Upon review of their proposal, clarification questions were posed and satisfactory answers were received from the proponent.

The City of Fort St. John is proposing to continue providing Fire Dispatch services to the North Peace as they currently do, and to assume dispatch services for the South Peace for a total of 11 fire departments. Their proposal stresses the importance of a local “Made in Peace” solution which they feel is critical to offering a successful Fire Dispatch service for the regional district.

The City is nearing completion of an upgrade to all technology. By the end of this year there will have been upgrades to the server infrastructure, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) and Mobile data terminals. The FDM CAD system will be upgraded to the latest version as well.

The primary dispatch centre is a post disaster facility and the backup centre is located at the municipal hall approximately 5 minutes’ drive from the primary centre. Plans for 2017 include the capability to provide dispatch services while en-route to the backup facility, although details are still being worked out with their Communications Consultant.

The City’s Information Technology department provides support to all IT infrastructure and also provides support for the mapping function of the CAD by importing any map data provided by the regional or municipalities into the system. They are available for support 24/7, along with contracted support from the CAD vendor.

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The fire fighters are trained as dispatchers and currently 16 members of the fire suppression team can act as dispatchers. They receive 70 hours or more of dispatch training. They are required to complete dispatch shifts on a regular rotation with three other members of the platoon, in order to maintain their dispatch skills. There is only one dispatcher on duty at all times, and break relief is provided by a member of the fire suppression team who is trained as a dispatcher (there is always a second dispatcher on duty in the platoon). In the event that there is a large incident that requires additional dispatch support, firefighter/dispatchers are on call and may be called in to assist from a pool of 16 trained dispatchers. With a staff increase request for 2017 this pool of dispatchers will increase to 20 of 28 fire suppression staff.

Dispatchers are not certified by any recognized standards body.

They strive to measure dispatch performance against NFPA 1221, and are updating their processes and reporting to remain current with the 2016 edition.

The radio system in dispatch will connect to all North Peace Fire Departments using Radio over IP (RoIP) connections. If the radio system is upgraded, the South Peace departments will be connected also using RoIP, replacing the existing telephone interconnects for three departments and relegating these to backup use. For Moberly Lake where internet service is not available at the site, a Point to Point microwave link or satellite link will be used (the quote is based on the satellite link) to replace the telephone interconnect. The addition of the RoIP connections will result in improved communications for those departments. (NOTE: this future upgrade proposal is not included.)

The City is also planning to move to digital radio using Motorola’s IP Site Connect and Smart PTT Dispatch Solution. This system was chosen on the basis of a number of factors, including the ability to allow departments to continue using their analogue radio equipment and migrate to digital as their budget allows; the system is available across the municipal network; and is easily scalable to allow extra users to be added for large events. The City is planning to fund the infrastructure and related equipment of the Smart PTT. An estimate was provided by Fort St. John for all department base station radios and repeaters to be upgraded to digital of $350,000; however this is not mandatory at this time. Each department would be responsible for purchasing their own terminal equipment (portable and vehicle radios and pagers).

The strengths and weaknesses of the Fort St. John proposal are summarized in Table 7 on the following page.

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Table 7: Fort St. John Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Weaknesses No change in service delivery methodology Full backup provision is not yet determined. It for the North Peace Fire Departments has not been determined if the backup site equipment will be completely independent of the primary site, although the proposed radio system will be.

Cost is only slightly higher than what is Not the lowest cost vendor currently being funded to the North Peace but proposal includes both South and North Peace Departments FSJ is funding new radio consoles for the Do not have two dispatch personnel on duty. dispatch centre Relief is provided by other fire suppression staff with on call staff available for major incidents FSJ already works with the existing radio Do not use dedicated dispatch staff, they use support vendor regular firefighters; which is significantly more expensive and less efficient than using permanent dispatch staff Proposed radio console and digital radio Proposed radio console may not be infrastructure is a good solution operational until later in 2017 although the City clarified that their target is to be ready in time for the proposed May cutover Currently the district provides approximately $220,000 annually to the City to provide fire dispatch to the North Peace. The proposed costs in Table 8 below are only slightly higher for providing dispatch to both North and South Peace.

The costs on the following page include negotiated wage increases and estimated future potential increases. It includes five year projections for operating costs that include potential increases to call volume increases and staffing costs including overtime and training.

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Table 8: Fort St. John Financial Proposal

Note 1: Refers to the capital equipment required to upgrade South Peace telephone interconnects to radio over IP connections.

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3.3. E-Comm9-1-1 Overview “E-Comm has operated a 9-1-1 primary public safety answering point (PSAP) and secondary public safety answer point (SSAP) for both fire and police for 17 years. The company also owns and manages the wide-area radio network, used by police, fire and ambulance personnel throughout Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford. E-Comm is a not-for-profit organization owned by its shareholders and established under the provincial Emergency Communications Corporations Act. E-Comm’s sole purpose is to deliver emergency communication services to public-safety agencies and governments.

E-Comm provides fire call taking and dispatch services as an SSAP for 18 fire departments. E-Comm also currently manages over one-million-three-hundred thousand 9-1-1 calls each year from 25 Regional Districts and other communities throughout British Columbia and provides emergency and nonemergency call-taking and dispatch services for 17 police departments”.4 In 2015 E-Comm handled 44,970 fire emergency calls and 82,799 fire dispatch events with a service level of 90% of fire events dispatched in 64 seconds or less which is compliant with the updated NFPA 1221 standard”.5 They have the ability to increase resources essentially on the fly, in order to respond to major unplanned events. In addition to operating a large fire call taking and dispatch operation, they have 24-hour onsite management. They have a staff complement of 12 personnel supporting the dispatch service technology and an in-house 24/7 information technology service desk. They have a total of 83 technology services staff including personnel supporting the wide area radio system.

For redundancy, E-Comm has a backup centre at the Vancouver BC Ambulance Service dispatch, which is located approximately 5 kilometres from the main facility. BCAS staff are trained to handle 9-1-1 calls while staff are in transit, and transfer fire calls to the dispatch staff en route. E-Comm also ensures that there are redundant communication paths for 9-1-1 and dispatch communications between Vancouver and the PRRD. E-Comm will have over 26 FTE Communication Centre Operator positions plus a Fire Team Manager.

Fire staffing ranges from 4 to 8 with peak staffing on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Another call taker FTE is planned for the additional workload.

Fire dispatchers receive 160 hours of classroom training, and 177 of on duty mentoring and assessment.

To move from call taker to fire fighter requires an additional 150 classroom hours and 220 hours of mentoring.

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E-Comm measures performance against NFPA 1221 for call taking (NFPA 1221 7.4.1 – target of 95% of emergency calls answered in 15 seconds or less) and fire dispatching (NFPA 1221 7.4.2 – target of 90% of emergency events dispatched in less than 64 seconds.

E-Comm plans to connect the existing base stations to their Motorola ASTRO25 radio network and dispatch consoles using Radio over IP connections where available. They plan to install RoIP interconnection equipment at each dispatch centre to interface to control stations for all departments except Moberly, Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge where they will use telephone interconnect, however they have provided an option to upgrade these sites to RoIP. The Motorola ASTRO25 radio infrastructure is just being put in to place with plans to be operational in the first quarter of 2017.

The E-Comm building was purpose built as a post disaster facility with multiple redundancies for power, and communications infrastructure. The radio system has core control equipment in Vancouver and Kamloops to support radio system interconnectivity with full redundancy.

E-Comm provides quarterly full map updates and daily updates as required in the CAD system.

With E-Comm and BCAS operating a CAD from the same vendor they have a robust two-way interface that allows either service to request assistance by creating an incident on the other CAD platform.

Table 9: E-Comm Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Weaknesses Handles large fire departments and high call Fire Dispatch clients are mostly in the lower volume mainland Excellent technology support Highest cost vendor Excellent staff resources Meeting the proposed timetable may depend on completion of radio system upgrade being on time for completion in Q1 2017 Excellent radio infrastructure and failover Post disaster facility with good backup centre facility and multiple layers of redundancy Robust two-way CAD to CAD link with BCAS E-Comm stated that “the methodology used to determine the funding for Fire Dispatch Services is based on determination of the incremental call taking and dispatch staff required based on the volume of emergency and non emergency calls as well as the make ready costs for the network to backhaul the calls to the Vancouver communication centre and any incremental costs for furniture or technology. EComm normally operates under a Cost Recovery Not for Profit Model but as the RFP has stipulated a 5-

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year fixed price quotation our quotation will include a forecast of the annual levy rate plus a provision for economic or other unforeseen impacts�.6 E-Comm was asked to provide an annual price quote and this has been included along with the original fixed price included in their RFP response.

Table 10: E-Comm Financial Proposal

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The RFP was based on fixed pricing that had a contingency allowance included in the annual cost. E-Comm recommended that we consider annual pricing based on E-Comm levies and the revised pricing proposal is included below.

Table 11: E-Comm Revised Pricing Model

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4. Overall Analysis of Proposals This section includes summary information regarding different components of the RFP responses.

4.1. Scoring Matrix The RFP included a weighted scoring matrix and the completed matrix for all three proponents is in Table 12: Scoring Matrix below.

There was consensus of the scoring amongst all reviewers of the proposals.

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Table 12: Scoring Matrix

Factor

Weight Poor Marginal Fair Good Exc (100) (0.30) (.50) (.70) (.90) (1.0)

NI 911 Score

NI 911 Weighted Score

FSJ FIRE Score

FSJ Weighted Score

E-COMM91-1 Score

E-COMM9-1-1 Weighted Score

Completion/quality of RFP

5

0.9

4.5

0.9

4.5

0.9

4.5

Organization Experience

10

1

10

1

10

1

10

Technology capability

15

0.8

12

0.9

13.5

0.9

13.5

Dispatch Staff Resources

20

1

20

0.7

14

1

20

Support Staff Resources

10

0.9

9

0.7

7

1

10

Backup capability Ability to quickly respond to major events/fluctuations in call volume Standard compliance and quality assurance program

5

0.9

4.5

0.7

3.5

0.9

4.5

5

0.7

3.5

0.7

3.5

1

5

10

0.9

9

0.7

7

0.9

9

Price

20

1

20

0.8

16

0.7

14

Totals

100

8.1

92.5

7.1

79.0

8.3

90.5

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4.2. Radio Connectivity Consideration The radio interconnection proposals provided by all 3 proponents meet the minimum requirement to connect to the existing radio equipment at costs that range from $25,500 up to $83,270. In addition, each proponent has offered to enhance the radio system for the departments with telephone interconnect at a cost that ranges from $10,560 up to $30,000 or possibly more. The following table provides a comparison: Table 13: Summary of Radio Interconnection Proposals

Provider

Basic

Contingency

Enhanced

NOTES

Fort St. John

$24,500 $10,000

$350,000

Least expensive for connecting to the existing network Enhanced cost is a ballpark estimate for the upgrade of the entire radio system to a digital system including repeaters (which is out of scope)

NI 911 Corp

$35,400 $10,000

$30,000

More expensive solution, however it includes upgrading all current radio sites to Radio over IP (RoIP) Enhanced cost is for upgrading the 3 telephone interconnect departments to RoIP

E-Comm

$83,270 $23,210

$10,560

Very costly because it includes an expensive radio console at E-Comm (RoIP costs are similar to NI 911) Enhanced cost is for upgrading the 3 telephone interconnect departments

Both Fort St. John and E-Comm have included the cost of the interconnection equipment; however ongoing ownership and maintenance will be the responsibility of the PRRD. NI 911 has indicated that maintenance only will be the responsibility of PRRD, since they want to maintain control over the future replacement of the RoIP components (which is a significant savings for PRRD in the long run).

Overall, the radio proposal offered by NI 911 offers the best value in terms of the end result, which justifies the higher starting cost in comparison to Fort St. John. The E-Comm option is comparable in terms of interconnection within the Regional District; however, they require an expensive console in their system which makes it the least economical.

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4.3. Other considerations In their RFP response the City of Fort St. John stated in Section 4.1c) Funding Sources – that they intend to continue providing their own dispatch. “The contract with the PRRD is currently our only contract and because we are a small fire dispatch centre, losing the contract with the PRRD will have a financial impact on our operation, but in the overall picture the financial loss is less than 1% of the city’s operating budget. We value the importance and operational benefit that we gain by having our own dispatch service and in comparison, to a few smaller dispatch operations in the province, like the City of Vernon and the City of Prince Rupert, we intend on continuing to dispatch our own department”.7 As a result of this we asked the low cost proponent to reprice the solution for only the South Peace and the three departments dispatched currently by Fort St. John. North Island 9-1-1 was asked to provide a revised quote representing a 50% reduction in call volume and the revised quote is provided in Table 14. The quote has also been reduced to reflect the original radio interconnection costs for the Fort St. John Fire Department. “The pricing is contingent on the Peace River owned radio equipment remaining operational and in its current location in the Fort St. John Fire Station. In the event that the equipment has to be re-located additional contingency funding will be required to an amount dependent upon the new location”.8 Fort St. John also indicated, however, that they may charge for equipment that remains at their facility for use by another department, although no amount was specified.

7 8

City of Fort St. John response to RFP#8-2016 August 15, 2016 PRRD Remuneration Table – Revised September 7 2016 – North Island 9-1-1.

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5. Implementation All vendors indicated that they can implement the service in the timetable provided in the RFP. There is potential risk in the Fort St. John proposal that the Smart PTT upgrade is not completed by the time of transition and that will require interfaces to the existing Zetron radio equipment.

Previous studies by Pomax, which was also reiterated in the May 2016 Petron Communications report, indicated that the Zetron equipment is nearing end of life and should be upgraded. If the Fort St. John proposal is accepted, timelines for implementation of the new radio system should be established in the contract with a contingency plan in the event that the upgrade is delayed.

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6. Conclusion & Recommendation The stipulation from the City of Fort St. John that they will continue to provide Fire dispatch services to their fire department has made the vendor selection process more complicated and difficult. Baring that provision from the City, the best solution based on price, quality of the proposal, the services and technology provided, would be to enter into a five-year agreement with North Island 9-1-1.

However, given the stipulation by the City of Fort St. John, we believe there are three viable options as a result of this.

1. Award the Fire Dispatch contract to North Island 9-1-1 for the South Peace and the three departments currently dispatched by Fort St. John; leave Fort St. John to do dispatch for their fire department. There is no cost for the City of Fort St. John to continue dispatch services for themselves. The five-year total for NI 911 for SSAP Fire Dispatch services would be $368,059, with average annual cost of 73,612.

2. Award the contract to the City of Fort St. John for the North and South Peace, at a fiveyear cost of $1,282,195 including contingency, with annual average cost of $256,439.

This is still significantly less than the current expenditure for both Dawson Creek and Fort St. John dispatch services.

3. Negotiate with the City of Fort St. John with the goal to reach a financial amount that is similar in price to the North Island 9-1-1 proposal. Since Fort St. John has already committed to provide dispatch for their department, essentially with no financial obligation from the district, they may be willing to enter into a negotiated agreement that provides them some funding. As their proposal stands, if the regional district selects another proponent for the South Peace and the three departments dispatched by the City of Fort St. John, the costs to the district for FSJ fire dispatch service is eliminated.

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Glossary Acronyms used in this report are presented below for reference purposes.

ALI

Automatic Location Identification

ANI

Automatic Number Identification

CAD

Computer Aided Dispatch

DHHSI

Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Speech Impaired community

E9-1-1

Enhanced 9-1-1 (network configuration)

NENA

National Emergency Number Association

NFPA

National Fire Protection Association

NG9-1-1

Next Generation 9-1-1 (network configuration)

PSAP

Public Safety Answering Point

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APPENDIX A – FORT ST. JOHN IMPACT REPORT

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Peace River Regional District

REPORT To:

Committee of the Whole

Date: September 14, 2016

From:

Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services

Subject: City of Fort St John letter of impact

FOR DIRECTORS’ INFORMATION On February 29, 2016 the Peace River Regional District received a letter from the City of Fort St John in response to a request and direction from the Board to seek to understand what impacts may exist should the fire dispatch model change in the future. The following is a table of the key concerns outlined in Fort St John’s letter and a response to such.

Pomax is not in a position to comment on the history related to communications and the facilities. Below they provide comments on their concerns regarding the apparatus, training, technology and operational impacts.

Item Fort St John Concern Lack of Expressed that there has been a lack of Communication communication and consultation between the service delivery providers and PRRD. Fort St John was not consulted on the RCMP PSAP agreement and feel they were not sufficiently consulted as part of the 911/Fire Dispatch Review.

Concern raised that the exercise has been financially driven and not based on service delivery needs.

PRRD Staff Comment This stems from the lack of formal agreements put in place by both parties.

RCMP PSAP Agreement/MOU: The PRRD was invited to negotiate with the RCMP and other regional districts regarding the MOU that we currently operate under. There was no consultation with fire dispatch providers as the topics of negotiation were not related to the downstream of 911 calls to fire dispatch. To staff’s knowledge, no other regional districts consulted with their fire dispatch providers either.

911/Fire Dispatch Review: All fire departments and dispatch providers were consulted with directly and in person and were provided opportunity to provide comment to the consulting team and Regional District staff at any time.

Staff Initials:

Dept. Head:

CAO:

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They stated that having spoken with other fire departments that have gone through the change they have found those departments in worse position.

Concerns raised about loss of autonomy from having a local service embedded and attached to communities resulting in inefficient service delivery similar to that experienced by the ambulance service. They believe there are better solutions available that will be a win‐win solution for the funding partners and citizens.

There are a number of regional districts who receive fire dispatch from outside of their region. One good example is the Cariboo Regional District and Regional District of Bulkley Nechako who both receive fire dispatch service from Fraser Fort George via Prince George Fire. In consulting with these regional districts they are happy with the service they receive and report no significant issues as a result of receiving fire dispatch out of region.

The reality is that as costs continue to increase more regionalization of services will continue to occur.

Estimated Financial Impacts

Facilities $500,000: Fort St John has invested close to this amount to develop a post disaster facility. Security, redundant HVAC, emergency power supplies represent an investment of at least $350,000.

While Fort St John has made significant investments into their facility the Regional District, the Regional District through the rural fire protection area, contributed $1.2 million to the construction of the facility. Staff are not aware of being consulted on the construction of the facility or the Regional District’s long‐term plans for North Peace fire dispatch prior to commencement of the facility.

Item Estimated Financial Impacts

Fort St John Concern Apparatus $20,000: Estimated potential costs if another service provider is chosen and requires new business rules. This is the projected cost of changing apparatus numbering and naming or other potential “transaction costs”.

Pomax Comment The City identified the possibility, based on experience from another department that transitioned to another Fire Dispatch service provider, that there would potentially be costs up to $20,000 for the fire department to change apparatus numbering and naming to comply with a new service provider.

Most CAD systems are capable of allowing unique numbering and naming styles for stations and apparatus and that should not force

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a renumbering. It is possible that some service providers recommend a standard numbering scheme so there is familiarity for their dispatchers.

However, this normally does not involve a complete re‐numbering, and in most cases the costs for physically re‐numbering apparatus is typically $5,000 or less for 5 – 7 vehicles.

Estimated Financial Impacts

Training $20,000: Estimated training costs to review and align operations to a new provider.

Fort St. John identified that there may be additional training costs to align operations to the new provider.

It is expected that a good service provider will accommodate local requirements; however, it is possible that some local training and orientation may be required for fire suppression staff.

Estimated Financial Impacts

Technology $500,000: Projected costs if they have to change to a different Records Management System if a new provider does not support an interface to their FDM Records Management System.

They have been using FDM Records Management System for 10 years and if a new proponent does not use FDM they fear that there will be impacts on the department including the possibility of purchasing a new RMS or an interface to a new CAD platform.

Most CAD vendors allow export of incident records to an XML file (a computer exchange protocol) to allow the records to be imported into a different RMS. There is typically no cost for this although some mapping of record formats may be required by a programmer.

It is possible that if a direct link between the service provider CAD and the RMS is required, that there will be additional cost. We have seen interface costs range in price from $15,000 to $80,000 depending on

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the complexity and the vendors involved.

The City is replacing mobile data terminals based on specifications from the CAD and RMS vendor. FDM uses only windows operating system for its mobile devices, and all CAD vendors also use windows and are only now starting to make Apple and Android versions available for departments that want to use consumer grade tablets (typically encased in a protective shell).

Estimated Financial Impacts

On‐going Personnel costs $200,000: Represents the 2 FTE funding from the District for dispatch personnel.

If a new service provider is chosen, the Regional District could include interface costs in their 2017 budget as part of the implementation costs of the service.

Should Fort St John not be successful in becoming the fire dispatch provider for the region, they have stated that they will have a budget shortfall. The PRRD has to consider the rapidly increasing costs and impact for all residents of the PRRD. Fort St John notes in their proposal that this cost only represents 1% of the total City operating budget.

Operational Impacts

The city states that there are many no cost value‐added services that are provided for the betterment of fire service delivery in the North Peace.

They reference the integration with the other North Peace Fire Departments “May Day” protocol that ensures external stakeholders are in constant communication with dispatch during a major incident.

They have referenced other potential service shortfalls such as incomplete January 26, 2017

The City expressed concern about some value‐added services that they provide and the potential impact on fire service delivery. An example is integration with other fire departments for MAY DAY protocol with the other departments in the North Peace.

Experienced service providers commonly work with departments that provide mutual aid and commonly work across municipal boundaries so continuing this should

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benchmarking, mapping, mobile data terminals, records management system.

They also expressed concern about responder safety if they do not have in apparatus digital map displays; pre‐plans, and partner agency notification including Hydro, Gas, etc.

not be a problem. However, if Fort St. John does its own dispatch and another proponent does the balance of the North Peace it is a workable solution but probably less than ideal situation of having the largest department in the North Peace working with the other departments.

They had identified service shortfalls that may occur in incident reporting, mapping, mobile data terminals, mobile CAD, and Records Management System. The RMS system should not be impacted by a different service provider as noted in the Technology response. The other items are all standard offerings of modern CAD systems and fire dispatch providers and there should not be problems offering these for the North Peace, including importing mapping data into a different service provider’s CAD platform.

Another expressed concern is in regard to Responder Safety, as their existing CAD and Mobile CAD provider’s ability to dispatch apparatus with map displays and incident details. This service offering is standard from all major CAD vendors and with imported mapping data in the CAD system.

In addition, they rely on getting runtime mapping and routing, and also additional property alerts such as hazardous materials. These features are standard in all CAD systems and can be imported with information provided by the department. This does require time and effort from the department to ensure that a new Fire Dispatch

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service provider has the relevant local information.

Similarly, for partner agency notification such as Hydro, Gas, RCMP, BCAS and others, this is standard practice for service providers and notification protocols can be developed and adopted by the service provider.

STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: 1.2 The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services including 9‐1‐1 call services by 2018 to its residents.

1.2.1 Explore potential of entering into agreements with service providers to provide 9‐1‐1 call answer services and to implement appropriate response protocols for the handling of oil and gas emergency calls.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): none COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): none OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): none Attachments: •

Letter from City of Fort St John, February 29, 2016

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R-4 Office February 29/16 City of Fort St. John 10631 100 Street I Fort St. John, BC I VlJ 325 (250) 787 8150 City Hall (250) 787 8181 Facsimile

The Energetic City

Chair and Directors, Peace River Regional District Peace River Regional District PO Box 810, 1981 Alaska Avenue Dawson Creek, BC VlG 4H8

February 29, 2016

Re: Secondary Safety Answering Point Impacts to Fort St. John We thank you for the opportunity to respond to the request by the General Manager of Community Services, Trish Morgan, in which you invited the City to submit information that outlines potential impacts to our organization should the fire dispatch model change in the future. We have attempted to enumerate these areas of concern within the anticipated service delivery model but we are constrained by the lack of clarity that has been provided to date. Our comments should not be construed as criticism of the PRRD. They are simply a perspective from an end user and service provider. Your request included a response deadline of February 29, 2016.

Background One of the unfortunate features of the current model is the historical lack of communication between the service delivery providers, (Ft. St. John, Dawson Creek) and the PRRD. Although it is not intentional, it has led us to where we are today. A good example of this was the renewal of the PSAP contract with the RCMP OCC. There was no consultation with Fort St. John on the agreement, despite our role in delivering the service on behalf of the PRRD. This lack of due process seems to be at the heart of most of the issues we have collectively faced over.the years, and has served to stifle innovation and mutual problem solving. If a new service provider is engaged, this same issue will need to be kept in the forefront of discussions.

From the beginning of the PRRD led service review, there has been minimal contact with stakeholders and service providers for the purpose of discussing the needs of the end user. We are concerned that the exercise to date has been solely based on pricing and not service delivery . Since the City of Fort St. John is potentially one of the end users of a new SSAP service, we fully expected to be included in the discussion on how to move forward to meet our operational needs. The lack of consultation and meaningful input as a service receiver is concerning to us, as we seek to serve our citizens. At times a singularly cost reduction focus results in adverse long term effects and impacts community more than any savings realized. In addition, the feedback we received from other fire departments in the province having undergone this change is concerning. The trade­ off of costs vs. benefits have left these communities in a worse position than they were prior to the change.

Loss of autonomy The loss of autonomy with respect to a "local service" which is embedded in and attached to communities, has local knowledge and community support, has potential to create the same type of inefficient service delivery

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9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Services CLOSED MEETING PRESENTATION diverse. vast. abundant.

Presentation Agenda Closed Meeting 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Evaluation of proposals received Evaluation of costs Recommendation & Options Overall Budget Implication Questions & Discussion

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Evaluation of Proposals Agency

North Island 9‐1‐1 Corp

Pros

Cons

Lowest cost proponent

Currently provide fire dispatch services for 51 Excellent backup provision with local clients, however none of backup and failover service provided by them are outside of Nanaimo Fire and BC Ambulance in Victoria their catchment area in north Vancouver Island.

Long term plans to develop a seismically safe primary dispatch centre that is due to CAD system may require be completed in 3 years interface development to the FDM records By end of 2016 there will be full management system if a redundancy between the primary and direct link is required backup centre for both CAD & Radio. The future Telus upgrade will result in a separate feed to the primary and backup centres. This will result in creating two fully redundant centers for CAD, Radio & Telephone

Total Five Year Fixed Costs

Average Annual Costs

Maximum Contingency

$635,477

$127,095

$10,000

Strong technology support team All technology has been refreshed in the last five years and no capital outlay for new technology is expected in the next five years.

Strive to meet or exceed NFPA 1221 dispatch standards

Evaluation of Proposals Agency

Pros

City of Fort St. John

No change in service delivery methodology for the North Peace Fire Departments

Cons

Full backup provision is not yet determined. It has not been determined if the backup site equipment will be completely Cost is only slightly higher than independent of the primary site, what is currently being funded although the proposed radio to the North Peace but proposal system will be. includes both South and North Peace Departments Not the lowest cost vendor Do not have two dispatch personnel on duty. Relief is FSJ is funding new radio provided by other fire suppression consoles for the dispatch centre staff with on call staff available for at their own expense major incidents (considerable cost avoidance in comparison to upgrading the Do not use dedicated dispatch existing Zetron equipment) staff, they use regular firefighters; which is significantly more expensive and less efficient that FSJ already works with the using permanent dispatch staff existing radio support vendor Proposed radio console and digital radio infrastructure is a good solution

Total Five Year Fixed Costs

Average Annual Costs

Maximum Contingency

$1,282,195

$246,439

$50,000

Proposed radio console may not be operational until later in 2017 although the City clarified that their target is to be ready in time for the proposed May cutover

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E‐Comm

Handles large fire departments and Fire Dispatch clients are mostly in the lower high call volumes mainland Excellent technology support Highest cost vendor Excellent staff resources Meeting the proposed timetable may depend on Excellent radio infrastructure and completion of radio system failover upgrade being on time for Post disaster facility with good completion in Q1 2017 backup centre facility and multiple layers of redundancy

Total Five Year Costs

Average Annual Costs

Maximum Contingency

$1,351,290 (annual pricing model)

$270,258

N/A

$1,601,420 (fixed price model)

$293,884

$132,000

E‐COMM9‐1‐ 1 Weighted Score

Cons

E‐COMM 9‐ 1‐1 Score

Pros

FSJ Weighted Score

Evaluation of Proposals Agency

4.5

0.9

4.5

Robust two‐way CAD to CAD link with BCAS

Completion/quality of RFP Organization Experience Technology capability Dispatch Staff Resources Support Staff Resources Backup capability Ability to quickly respond to major events/fluctuations in call volume Standard compliance and quality assurance program Price Totals

5

0.9

NI 911 Weighted Score FSJ FIRE Score

NI 911 Score

Exc (1.0)

Good (.90)

Fair (.70)

Marginal (.50)

Poor (0.30)

Factor

Weight (100)

Evaluation of Proposals

4.5

0.9

10

1

10

1

10

1

10

15

0.8

12

0.9

13.5

0.9

13.5

20

1

20

0.7

14

1

20

10

0.9

9

0.7

7

1

10

5

0.9

4.5

0.7

3.5

0.9

4.5

5

0.7

3.5

0.7

3.5

1

5

10

0.9

9

0.7

7

0.9

9

20 100

1 8.1

20 92.5

0.8 7.1

16 79.0

0.7 8.3

14 90.5

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Evaluation of Costs Fire Dispatch Cost Comparison Agency

2017

2018

2019

PRRD Current Dispatch Model $ 453,900

$ 462,978

$ 472,238

$ 481,682

$ 491,316

$ 2,362,114

NI911 $ 139,400

$ 120,360

$ 122,767

$ 125,223

$ 127,727

$ 635,477

$ 280,000

$ 240,625

$ 246,390

$ 252,300

$ 262,880

$ 1,282,195

E‐Comm (Annual Pricing Model) $ 374,630

$ 232,520

$ 240,120

$ 247,960

$ 256,060

$ 1,351,290

E‐Comm (Fixed Pricing Model) $ 404,710

$ 271,670

$ 289,190

$ 307,920

$ 327,930

$ 1,601,420

Fort St John

2020

2021

TOTAL

Recommendation & Options Recommendation: That the Committee of the Whole support entering into a 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for a five year cost of $635,477 and that an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.

Discussion: • The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation provided the most cost effective service option to provide service to entire region • $ 635,476 over 5 years equates to a $1.73 million savings, a 73% cost reduction • Strongest proposal received • Currently provides service to 51 departments over a vast geographic area • Provides good options for backup redundancy

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Recommendation & Options Option 1: That the Committee of the Whole support entering into a 5 year agreement with the City of Fort St John for the provision of fire dispatch services for the entire region for an estimated 5 year cost of $1,282,195 and that an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.

Discussion: • Fort St John provided a sufficient proposal, although there are operational risks with their proposal due to a lack of backup redundancy, utilization of fire fighters for dispatch personnel and radio console may not be available by cutover date proposed • $ 1,282,195 over 5 years equates to a $1.08 million savings, a 45% cost reduction from the current model • Local service provider, has relationships with local fire departments and local knowledge

Recommendation & Options Option 2: That the Committee of the Whole recommend to the Board to authorize staff to negotiate with Fort St John for a lower rate to provide the service to the entire region.

Discussion: • In Fort St John’s proposal they state that they intend to continue to provide dispatch to their own department regardless of the Regional District’s decision • It may be possible to negotiate with Fort St John to provide the service to the rest of the region at a reduced cost such that it would offset the costs that they will incur by providing dispatch to their own department

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Recommendation & Options Option 3: • That the Committee of the Whole recommend to the Board to: • enter into a 5 year agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation for the provision of fire dispatch services for the South Peace and for the three North Peace Departments currently dispatched by Fort St John; • that an agreement with The North Island 9‐1‐1 Corporation be brought back to the Board for final authorization; and • that a letter be provided to the City of Fort St John clarifying that if they choose to provide dispatch services to their own department that costs for the 9‐1‐1 Telephone Service will continue to be apportioned according to the bylaw and Fort St John will continue to pay for fire dispatch service contracts under the purview of the Regional District.

• This option is NOT RECOMMENDED

Recommendation & Options Discussion – Option 3 Continued: • Regional District Cost = $368,059 for 5 years from NI911 for 10 of the 11 departments. Fort St John will pay the full cost of the service through their own budget to provide it to their department.

• Assumption: • If Fort St John is going to provide their own dispatch service even if unsuccessful in becoming the regional service provider, they will not want to pay into any contracts for the same service for the rest of the region • Problem: • The 911 Emergency Telephone Service is a regional service and participants cannot withdraw from a portion or line item in a service • If Fort St John withdraws from the service they would have to establish the 911 call taking service on their own and their municipality would pay 100% of the costs (trunk line, 911 call taking contract or personnel/training fees, capital and technology costs)

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Recommendation & Options Discussion – Option 3 continued: • Problem: • Participants may initiate a process to try to withdraw from an entire service under the Local Government Act • Withdrawal provisions are by design arduous and time consuming, resulting in costs for a service review and may result in facilitators or arbitrators becoming involved. In the end the Ministry of Community, Sport & Cultural Development will determine if withdrawal is appropriate.

• Regional districts were created to provide region wide services in order to find economies of scale, cost savings for taxpayers and eliminate unnecessary duplication of services

Recommendation & Options E‐Comm Proposal • Not recommended as an option due to elevated pricing scheme – both fixed and annual pricing models • 5 year fixed price is $1.6 million, almost $1 million higher than North Island 911 • 5 year annual pricing model estimate is $1.35 million, almost $700,000 higher than North Island 911

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Questions & Discussion

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9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Services

diverse. vast. abundant.

Presentation Agenda Open Meeting 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Background on the PRRD 911/Fire Dispatch function 911/Fire Dispatch Review & Strategic Plan Direction PRRD Equipment Overview & Recommendations Service “Review Process” & Examination of Options 911 PSAP Proposal & Recommendation Fire Dispatch Proposals – Fort St John’s Statement of Impact

Closed Meeting

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Service Establishment The 911 & Fire Dispatch service is a regional service that was established in 1999 by the Peace River Regional District.

The function provides for : • 911 emergency call answer services • fire dispatch for 11 fire departments • Radio and repeater systems to support fire dispatch

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Service Providers: 9‐1‐1 Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) •

The RCMP provides PSAP Services through the Operational Communications Centre in Prince George

$600,000 $500,000

•

•

In December 2013, the PRRD entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that expires March 31, 2017 to deliver the service RCMP service costs have increased: – –

358% since 2002 to 2015 (~100,000 to $440,000) 55% from 2010 to 2016 (~ $294,000 to $458,000)

$400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000

•

The RCMP handle approximately 17,000 calls per year

$‐

Service Providers: Fire Dispatch •

Dawson Creek Fire Department – –

•

Fort St John Fire Department – –

•

Provides dispatch for 7 fire departments & handles approximately 700 calls per year Cost increases: • 94% from 2002 to 2016 (~$122,000 to $238,000) • 22% from 2010 to 2016 (~ $186,000 to $238,000)

Provides dispatch for 4 fire departments & handles approximately 1,000 calls per year Cost increases: • 79% from 2002 to 2016 (~$122,000 to $220,000) • 20% from 2010 to 2016 (~ $186,000 to $220,000)

The PRRD has no formal agreement with the Cities of Dawson Creek or Fort St John for fire dispatch – –

Current funding formula is based on a letter of intent from 2000 which provides an annual fee for service based on the cost of two first year fire fighters (wages and benefits) to each department The PRRD pays for core dispatch equipment repair, maintenance and replacement

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Strategic Plan • Strategic Plan – –

2012 Strategic Plan identified that the Regional District should examine the 911/Fire Dispatch function for effectiveness and efficiency 2015‐2018 Strategic Plan: • The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services, including 911 call services, by 2018 to its residents.

• 911/Fire Dispatch Review – –

POMAX Consulting was contracted after a request for proposals was issued Purpose: determine the service effectiveness, efficiency and affordability of the 911 call answering service and fire dispatch service, and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings • conducted review in 2012 • updated the review in 2015 • presented recommendations to the Board in June 2015

Service “Review Process” & Examination of Options • POMAX Key Recommendations – PRRD Equipment • Standardize as many components in the system as possible.

• Adopt an equipment model such that the dispatch centres own and maintain all dispatch equipment and the PRRD owns and maintains equipment used to alert the fire departments (e.g., repeaters and base stations)

– 911 PSAP Services • Conduct a Request for Expressions of Interest process to determine if there are more cost effective options for the service

– Fire Dispatch Services • Conduct a Request for Expressions of Interest process to determine if there are more cost effective options for the service to help determine if: a) an alternative fire dispatch provider could provide the service OR/ b) a single combined fire dispatch provider could provide the service in the region

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PRRD Dispatch System Equipment Overview & Recommendations

Current Equipment Model • Currently the PRRD owns and maintains most of the equipment utilized for fire dispatching which includes: – Dispatch consoles in Dawson Creek and Fort St John – Repeaters – Base station radios and backup equipment at fire halls

• Fort St John owns and utilizes FDM software to supplement equipment provided by the PRRD

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Proposed Equipment Model • If approved by the Board: – All 911 PSAP equipment will be owned by the service provider – The Fire Dispatch Service provider will own and maintain all equipment at the dispatch centre – The PRRD will either: A. Own and maintain all base stations and repeaters OR/ B. Will own and maintain most base stations and repeaters. Some equipment may be owned and maintained by the service provider.

System Equipment Upgrades •

Important Note about PRRD equipment – In March 2016 Petron Communications examined the equipment owned and maintained by the PRRD “After completing the district wide inventory of emergency alert equipment there are a few obvious problems as follows: 1. There is a mixed bag of repeaters in service which are digital capable but not with each other.

2. None of the interconnect gear is digital or internet ready.

3. The privately owned radio gear of the volunteer fire departments is a variety of mostly old and some new. Pouce Coupe and Charlie Lake have the greatest number of digital ready MotoTurbo handheld radios. There is a sprinkling of newer digital capable mobiles throughout the district but very few.

4. The battery backup for the Arras repeater located at Bear Mountain should be replaced with new batteries and an intelligent battery charger.

5. Best practice going forward should be a homogenous digital repeater system with internet capabilities. Having the same equipment in each area allows for seamless movement of personnel between their respective areas. For a digital radio system, mixing different brands of repeaters and mobile/hand held radios will be problematic if not impossible.”

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System Equipment Upgrades •

Regardless of whether there is a change in service provider for fire dispatch, the PRRD must make upgrades to our current radio and repeater system.

•

In order to address the issues identified by Petron Communications, the estimated cost is $350,000

•

PRRD currently has $150,000 in capital reserves

•

The upgrading of equipment should commence soon after the new dispatch service provider is operable (mid 2017)

•

In 2015 POMAX recommended standardizing equipment

•

PRRD has budgeted funds in 2016 to develop a capital replacement and upgrade plan. A portion of this work has been completed by Petron Communications.

Service “Review Process” & Examination of Options

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Service “Review Process” & Examination of Options Step 1: Meet with Current Service Providers

Step 1: Meet with current service providers to discuss the process and request them to provide information on how they may be impacted by a change in service

Step 2: Issue Two “Requests for Expressions of Interest” 1) 9‐1‐1 Services 2) Fire Dispatch Services

Step 2: Request for Expressions Of Interest

Step 3: Review Step 3: Review Expressions of Interest Received

“Expressions Of Interest” received by service providers

Step 4: Bring forward report to the Board on the findings and options on how to proceed

Step 4: Report back to Board on findings & options

Service “Review Process” & Examination of Options Step 5:

Step 5: Request for Proposals

1) 9‐1‐1 Services – Invited E‐Comm and City of Fort St John to submit proposals 2) Fire Dispatch Services – issued public “Request for Proposals”

Step 6: Review Proposals Received

Step 7: Step 7: Bring forward Report back to report to the Board on the findings and Board on options on how to findings proceed & options

Step 6: Review “Proposals” received by service providers

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911 PSAP Request for Proposals

911 PSAP Request for Proposals • The Board invited both the City of Fort St John and E‐Comm to submit proposals for 911 PSAP • E‐Comm was the only proponent to respond with a proposal for this service

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Evaluation of E‐Comm Proposal PROS

CONS

E‐Comm currently handles 9‐1‐1 calls for Although backup systems are good and there over 3.5 million residents of BC representing is a failsafe with BCAS in Kamloops if there is 84% of the population base of the province a problem with telecommunications to the lower mainland, there is no ‘hot backup’, such as the 9‐1‐1 queue operating out of two separate facilities so that one centre can assume all traffic if necessary It is a cost effective proposal being When call volume exceeds the number of approximately 30% of the current cost of the available operators, calls are put into a Prince George OCC to provide the service queue to be answered by the next available operator. While the Prince George OCC also gets overwhelmed with peaks in call volume, the method of handling overflows may initially cause some concern

Evaluation of E‐Comm Proposal PROS

CONS

Annual increases in costs from E‐Comm have There may be some concern from residents been historically low, and not the significant that their calls are being answered at such a increases seen with the Prince George OCC distance and that Peace River calls represent a small fraction of their total call volume ‐‐ E‐Comm will work either on a fixed price model ensuring that all costs are known for the 5‐year duration of the contract, or based on their annual pricing model

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Evaluation of E‐Comm Proposal PROS

CONS

‐‐ Excellent information technology and telecommunications engineering expertise on staff

Very large pool of call taking staff on duty at all times. Provides ability to respond to large increases in call volume due to unplanned events

‐‐

Onsite 24/7 management

‐‐

Have an established Quality Assurance (QA) Program

‐‐

E‐Comm is fully involved in next generation 9‐1‐1 planning at the provincial and federal level

‐‐

Evaluation of E‐Comm Proposal • Cost: – As per the request for proposals E‐Comm originally provided a “fixed” five year price quote for the provision of 911 call taking – 5 year Fixed Price Contract = $921,520 plus $89,500 in maximum contingency – E‐Comm also offered to provide a quote based on their annual pricing model that they offer to other local governments – 5 year Annual Pricing Model = $741,780 (no contingency)

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Evaluation of E‐Comm Proposal • Cost Comparison: – RCMP estimated cost over 5 years is over $2.4 million Agency RCMP

2017 $ 467,357

2018

2019

2020

2021

TOTAL

$ 476,605 $ 486,044 $ 495,765 $ 505,680 $ 2,431,451

• If contract with RCMP until May 17, 2017 and then switch to E‐Comm, the 5 year estimated cost is $865,864 Agency RCMP E‐Comm total cost

2017 2018 2019 $ 175,259 $ 110,295 $ 138,710 $ 142,870 $ 285,554 $ 138,710 $ 142,870

2020

2021

$ 147,160 $ 151,570 $ 147,160 $ 151,570

TOTAL

$ 865,864

• This represents a savings of $1.56 million over 5 years, a 64% cost reduction

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911 PSAP Recommendation • That the Committee of the Whole support entering into a 5 year agreement with E‐Comm for the provision of 9‐1‐1 Primary Safety Answer Point services based on the annual pricing model provided in their proposal and that an agreement be brought back to the Board for final authorization.

Fire Dispatch Request for Proposals

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Fort St John’s Letter of Impact • On February 29, 2016 the PRRD received a letter from the City of Fort St John on the potential impacts to Fort St John should the PRRD choose to change the current fire dispatch service model Item

Comment

Lack of communication

Expressed that there has been a lack of communication and consultation between the service delivery providers and PRRD. Concern raised that the exercise has been financially driven and not based on service delivery needs.

Loss of autonomy

They stated that having spoken with other fire departments that have gone through the change they have found those departments in worse position.

Concerns raised about loss of autonomy from having a local service embedded and attached to communities resulting in inefficient service delivery similar to that experienced by the ambulance service. They believe there are better solutions available that will be a win‐win solution for the funding partners and citizens.

Fort St John’s Letter of Impact Estimated financial impacts

Facilities $500,000

The City has invested close to this amount to develop a post disaster facility. Security, redundant HVAC, emergency power supplies represent an investment of $350,000

Apparatus $20,000

Estimated potential costs if another service provider is chosen and requires new business rules. This is the projected cost of changing apparatus numbering and naming or other potential “transaction costs”.

Training $20,000

Estimated training costs to review and align operations to a new provider.

Technology $500,000

Projected costs if they have to change to a different Records Management System if a new provider does not support an interface to their FDM Records Management System.

On‐going Personnel costs $200,000

Represents the 2 FTE funding from the District for dispatch personnel.

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Fort St John’s Letter of Impact Operational concerns

The city states that there are many no cost value‐added services that are provided for the betterment of fire service delivery in the North Peace.

They reference the integration with the other North Peace Fire Departments “May Day” protocol that ensures external stakeholders are in constant communication with dispatch during a major incident.

They have referenced other potential service shortfalls such as incomplete benchmarking, mapping, mobile data terminals, records management system.

They also expressed concern about responder safety if they do not have in apparatus digital map displays; pre‐plans, and partner agency notification including Hydro, Gas, etc.

Fire Dispatch Request for Proposals • The Board authorized staff to publicly advertise for proposals for the provision of fire dispatch services • Three proposals were received: – E‐Comm – North Island 911 Corporation – City of Fort St John

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Closed Meeting on Fire Dispatch Options & Recommendations

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R-4 Handout C-5

Received DC Office June 21/16

June 23, 2016 January26, 2017

R-4 Peace River Regional District REPORT To: Chair & Directors

Date:

March 16, 2016

From: Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services Subject: Secondary Safety Answer Point/ Fire Dispatch Request for Expressions of Interest Results and Recommendation

RECOMMENDATION(S): 1) That the Regional Board authorize that the following organizations be invited to submit proposals for fire dispatch services: • City of Fort St. John • North Island 9-1-1 Corporation • Fraser Valley Regional District • E-Comm 9-1-1 • City of Kelowna 2) That Pomax Consulting be utilized to assist in the process of writing and evaluating the request for proposals for fire dispatch services and that an evaluation of options based on information received be presented to the Board.

3) That, upon receipt and evaluation of the fire dispatch proposals, that a Committee of the Whole meeting be held to review options for service.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: On June 11, 2015 the Board directed staff to prepare Requests for Expression of Interest (RFEI) for the provision of Primary Safety Answer Point (PSAP) 911 call answer services and Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) Fire Dispatch services in accordance with the recommendations brought forward through the 911/Fire Dispatch Review conduct by Pomax Consulting. The purpose of the RFEI’s was to gather general information about what organizations are available and interested in providing the service to the PRRD and to gain a basic understanding of their capabilities. An RFEI does not obligate the PRRD to make any changes to our current service arrangements.

Prior to issuing the SSAP/fire dispatch RFEI, the Board directed staff to meet with Dawson Creek and Fort St John stakeholders to ensure they had input and to discuss any potential impacts that may result. This meeting occurred on September 16, 2015 at which time both cities requested that the SSAP/fire dispatch RFEI be released in February 2016 which would give them the necessary time to: 1) Consider and provide comment on the potential impact to their operations should the fire dispatch model change; and 2) Prepare a competitive response to the RFEI.

Staff Initials:

Dept. Head:

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CAO:

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Report – Chair and Directors March 16, 2016

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Both cities were also invited to submit an impact statement in writing to help inform the process and decision making going forward.

The SSAP/fire dispatch service provider RFEI was issued February 1, 2016. The scope of work for bidders included in the RFEI included the option to propose: • Becoming the SSAP/fire dispatch service provider for the whole PRRD region (North and South) OR • Become the SSAP/fire dispatch service provider for either the North or South PRRD Region.

This would require the successful bidder to: 1) Answer all calls for service as transferred to them from any PSAP/911 call centre.

2) Ensure all relevant information is gathered in regards to the call before the call is terminated.

3) Maintain a call answer standard from a recognized agency.

4) Have a standard set of protocols and operating guidelines in place that are followed and enforced.

5) The SSAP/fire dispatch provider must be able to provide “Call Answer” for approximately 1,700 annual calls originating within the service area. Depending on the Level of Service option, the SSAP/fire dispatch provider must be able to dispatch 7 Fire Departments in the South Peace area and/or 4 Fire Departments in the North Peace area.

6) Work with Fire Departments to provide for efficient and effective customer service.

7) Develop a positive and effective working relationship with PRRD Staff.

The RFEI closed on February 29, 2016 with a total of 6 responses received as follows: • North Island 9-1-1 Corporation • Fraser Valley Regional District • E-Comm 9-1-1 • City of Kelowna • City of Fort St. John • Four Star Communications Two of the respondents were late, likely due to a misunderstanding about the change in time zone, these were Four Star Communications and Fraser Valley Regional District. However, all proposals were reviewed including the late responses. It is recommended that if the RFP proceeds the closing date will be indicated as being local time (PST if conducted this spring).

The RFEI submission requirements had to meet the following requirements: 1. Relevant Company Experience This section must include: a. A list of the relevant experience to a SSAP and Fire Dispatch Center and number of years acting in this capacity; b. List of current SSAP contracts.

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Report – Chair and Directors March 16, 2016

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2. Personnel This Section must include: a. Identification and brief description of experience of key company personnel and related staff; b. Total staff complements (Fulltime, Part time, support staff, number of dedicated SSAP operators).

3. Resources This Section must include: a. Identification of hardware used within the centre; b. Identification of software applications used and the current status of the software; c. Software and hardware replacement schedule; d. Availability of IT staff (contracted or internal); e. List of radio equipment and connectivity plan for communicating with Fire Departments.

4. Other a. List of standards followed in the call center (NENA, Priority Dispatch, NFPA etc.) b. Brief description of the contractors plans in regard to implementing next generation 911. c. Additional services available such as working alone monitoring and after hours call answering for the PRRD. d. Ability of the contractor to maintain lists of, or locate local resources and dispatch these 3rd party resources as requested by the Fire Department. (tow truck, BC Forestry, cranes etc.) e. Ability of the contractor to adjust their protocols to meet the needs of the PRRD. (ie. One department requires unit based dispatching but another wants general dispatching).

The submissions were reviewed against the above requirements and scored using the matrix shown below.

Factor

Weight (100)

Compliance with REFI

10

Company Experience

20

Personnel Experience

30

Resources

30

Quality of RFEI response

10

Totals

100

Poor (0.30)

Marginal (.50)

January 26, 2017

Fair (.70)

Good (.90)

Exc (1.0)

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Report – Chair and Directors March 16, 2016

Page 4 of 6

As a result of the review and a scoring of just 30 weighted points, the response from Four Star Communication was deemed not to be compliant with the submission requirements. Their proposal did not appear to offer actual Fire Dispatch service nor did it provide information about how radio communications would be achieved. Our recommendation is that Four Star Communications not be invited to proceed further.

Of the five remaining proponents, all appear to be in compliant to various degrees with the requirements stated and provided credible proposals. The range of scoring of the proposal for the remaining 5 proponents was from 64 to 100.

The City of Fort St. John also provided an impact statement that detailed the potential impact of losing the existing service that they provide as well as the benefits to keeping the service in the region. These impacts and benefits will be further examined within context of all of the RFP’s when received and when considering cost/benefits, pros/cons and impacts/opportunities of all options and service providers. This is valuable information that will be carried forward for further examination and discussion with the Board.

Based on the results of the RFEI it is felt that there are sufficient operators capable of providing this service and it is recommended proceeding to the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage with the five public sector proponents being invited to respond, excluding Four Star Communications. The RFP will allow the PRRD to gather more detailed information about the organization and their abilities to meet our needs will be outlined as well as costs for the provision of the service.

The RFP for SSAP/fire dispatch service will be issued concurrently with the RFP for 9-1-1 PSAP service.

In 2012 Pomax conducted a review the Peace River Regional District’s 911 and fire dispatch system and provided the Board with a presentation on the review in June 2014 recommending a RFEI and RFP process to further evaluate options. In January the Board authorized that we utilize Pomax to develop the request for proposals for 911 PSAP services and then conduct an evaluation of those proposals. It was the intention of staff to also include the fire dispatch portion as well, however, in error this was missed, as such we are now asking for formal approval. Going forward the next steps in the process in considering our options for both 911 PSAP and fire dispatch will be very technical and their expertise and knowledge will be crucial in evaluating and presenting all options to the Board for consideration.

STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: “The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services, including 911 call answer services by 2018 to its residents.”

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): The cost of 911 PSAP services in 2016 is approximately $455,000, with the cost of SSAP/fire dispatch services being approximately $455,000 as well.

The cost of utilizing Pomax Consulting to develop, evaluate and present the proposals will be included in the 2016 911 budget and is anticipated not to exceed $30,000 (for both 911 and fire dispatch).

January 26, 2017

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Report – Chair and Directors March 16, 2016

Page 5 of 6

COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): The RFP will be sent by invitation only to the following agencies: • City of Fort St. John • North Island 9-1-1 Corporation • Fraser Valley Regional District • E-Comm 9-1-1 • City of Kelowna OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): The following are motions that the Board has approved in 2015 and 2016 with regard to this process: June 11, 2015 COW Chris Kellett of POMAX Consulting provided a review of 911 and fire dispatch. Topics included: • Analysis of current fire dispatch • Industry standards and best practices • Fire dispatch options with current providers • 911 emergency service function and bylaw • 911 civic addressing process and systems • Alternative service delivery considerations • Home owner insurance

June 11, 2015 Regional Board Meeting 1) a) That staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing 9-1-1 Public Safety Answer Point Service (PSAP); and b) That, upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed based on the findings.

2) a) That staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing fire dispatch services; and b) That the “Request for Expressions of Interest” document provide for the flexibility of an agency to express their interest in providing fire dispatch services for either the North Peace, the South Peace or the entire Peace Region; and c) That upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, that staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed.

3) That staff be authorized to organize a meeting with service providers, and further, provide a report on the implications of changing 911 and Fire Dispatch service providers.

October 15, 2015 Regional Board Meeting That staff be authorized to delay the release of the request for expression of interest (RFEI) in regard to the Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) (fire dispatch) until February 1, 2016.

January 26, 2017

Report – Chair and Directors March 16, 2016

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January 14, 2016 Regional Board Meeting 1) That the City of Fort St John and E-Comm be invited to submit proposals for 911 Primary Safety Answer Point services.

2) That Pomax Consulting be contracted to assist in the process of writing and evaluating the request for proposals for 911 Primary Safety Answer Point services and that an evaluation of options based on information received be presented to the Board.

3) That, upon receipt and evaluation of the 911 Primary Safety Answer Point proposals, a Committee of the Whole meeting be held to review options for service.

January 26, 2017

R-4 Peace River Regional District REPORT To:

Chair & Directors

Date: October 15, 2015

From:

Dan Ross, Protective Services Manager

Subject: Primary and Secondary Safety Answer Point Request for Expressions of Interest

RECOMMENDATION: That the Board authorize staff to delay the release of the request for expression of interest (RFEI) in regards to the Secondary Safety Answer Point (SSAP) (fire dispatch) until Feb 1, 2016.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: On June 11, 2015 the Board directed staff to prepare requests for expression of interest for the provision of PSAP and SSAP services in accordance with the recommendations brought forward through the 911/Fire Dispatch Review conducted by Pomax Consulting.

The Board directed staff to meet with Dawson Creek and Fort St John stakeholders prior to the release of the RFEI’s to ensure they had input and to discuss any potential impacts that may result.

On September 16, 2015 representatives from Dawson Creek and Fort St John met with PRRD staff to discuss the draft RFEI’s. Representatives from both cities requested that the SSAP RFEI be released in February 2016 which would give them the necessary time to: 1) consider and provide comment on the potential impact to their operations should the fire dispatch model change; and 2) prepare a competitive response to the REFI. It was also recommended that the RFEI for PSAP services be posted as soon as possible as neither municipality has an interest in providing PSAP services. Identifying a new PSAP provider is time sensitive as the contract with the current provider (RCMP) expires in 2017. Based on current supplier timelines it can take up to 1 year to get 911 services moved to a new provider, to meet timelines the PSAP portion of the RFEI process is time sensitive.

STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: “The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services, including 911 call answer services by 2018 to its residents.”

Staff Initials:

Dept. Head:

January 26, 2017

CAO:

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Report – Chair and Directors October 15, 2015

Page 2 of 2

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): None at this time COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): The PSAP REFI will need to be advertised on BC Bid, CivicInfo, the PRRD website and BC Fire Chiefs Association website.

OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): None

January 26, 2017

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9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Services

diverse. vast. abundant.

R-4 3.2

Service Establishment The 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch service is a regional service that was established in 1999 by the Peace River Regional District.

The function provides for : • 9‐1‐1 emergency call answer services • fire dispatch for 11 fire departments

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Services

January 26, 2017

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January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Service Providers: 9‐1‐1 Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) •

The RCMP provides PSAP Services through the Operational Communications Centre in Prince George

$500,000 $450,000

•

In December 2013, the PRRD entered into a 5 year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver the service after 18 months of “contract” negotiation –

The MOU may be terminated be either party by giving 12 months written notice

$400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000

RCMP service costs have increased:

•

343% since 2002 to 2015 (~100,000 to $440,000) 46% from 2010 to 2015 (~ $301,000 to $440,000)

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

$‐ 2011

– –

$50,000 2010

•

The RCMP handle approximately 17,000 per year

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Services

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Service Providers: Fire Dispatch •

Dawson Creek Fire Department – –

•

Fort St John Fire Department – –

•

Provides dispatch for 7 fire departments & handles approximately 700 calls per year Cost increases: • 83% from 2002 to 2015 (~122,000 to $225,000) • 21% from 2009 to 2015 (~ $186,000 to $225,000)

Provides dispatch for 4 fire departments & handles approximately 1,000 calls per year Cost increases: • 75% from 2002 to 2015 (~$122,000 to $215,00) • 11% from 2009 to 2015 (~ $186,000 to $225,000)

The PRRD has no formal agreement with the Cities of Dawson Creek or Fort St John for fire dispatch – –

Funding formal is based on a letter of intent from 2000 which provides an annual fee for service based on the cost of two first year fire fighters (wages and benefits) to each department The PRRD pays for core dispatch equipment repair, maintenance and replacement

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Services

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

911/Fire Dispatch Review • 2012 Strategic Plan identified that the Regional District should examine the 911/Fire Dispatch function for effectiveness and efficiency • RFP was issued in 2012 and Pomax was the successful proponent

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Peace River Regional District Results from the Review of 9-1-1 Call Answer & Fire Dispatch Services

June 11, 2015 January 26, 2017

3.2 R-4

Background

July 5, 2012: the PRRD Board approved contracting with Pomax

Consulting to conduct a review with the following scope of work: ¾ Determine service effectiveness, efficiency, and affordability of the 9-1-1 call answering service and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings; ¾ Determine service effectiveness, efficiency, and affordability of the fire dispatch services and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings; and, ¾ Examine the possible use of 9-1-1 call answering as a point to report oil and gas emergencies.

8 January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Background (continued) ƒ August through November 2012: the consulting team

completed this review using the following research and evaluation methodology: 9 collect, review and evaluate legislation, industry guidelines, existing reports, operating data, technologies, finances, and more; 9 interview stakeholders and visit sites; 9 prepare progress reports and perform onsite reviews with Peace River Regional District staff; and prepare a baseline report. ƒ March 2015: Pomax Consulting completed a review and update of the 2012 Baseline Report with updates regarding 9-1-1 and technology given recent changes in 9-1-1 service in BC. 9 January 26, 2017

Findings: 9-1-1 Call Answer

R-4 3.2

During the review, the consulting team determined that the

contracted 9-1-1 service is delivered in an effective manner by the RCMP, however costs have risen to $445,000 annually (see Appendix ‘E’).

At the time of writing the initial report, contracting an alternative 9-1-1 service provider had technical and resulting financial constraints; however in the interim TELUS has made it possible for 9-1-1 calls to be answered anywhere in the province. As a result, E-Comm (Vancouver) has recently assumed 9-1-1 call answer services for the majority of the province, including most areas that were previously handled by the RCMP. These important changes provide a new opportunity for seeking competitive alternatives.

10 January 26, 2017

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Findings: 9-1-1 Call Answer (cont’d)

3.2

ƒ The Peace River Regional District addressing process and system

are state of the art, and could serve as an example for many regional districts. Some immediate process improvements are required throughout the province in order to get the best possible location information for emergencies services (Section 2.8). ƒ During the initial review Pomax identified efforts that could be undertaken to improve notification and response to oil and gas emergencies. The notification steps may be more difficult with an alternative 9-1-1 Call Answer provider, however a coordinated effort between emergency services and industry can still be undertaken to look at safer response options.

11 January 26, 2017

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Key 9-1-1 Considerations

3.2

The RCMP have clearly stated that 9-1-1 is not part of their core

business; as a result, in 2014 four regional districts moved from the RCMP to E-Comm; several others are evaluating alternative options at this time.

Contracting for 9-1-1 Call Answer Services is less expensive then paying for the current RCMP requirement of 3.4 FTE employees.

Next Generation 9-1-1 requires extensive in-house support for new networks, equipment, and changes to operational procedures; choosing a service provider that already has these capabilities and is prepared for the future will result in offsetting a significant portion of future costs.

12 January 26, 2017

Recommendations: 9-1-1 Call Answer

R-4 3.2

Pomax recommends that the Regional District conduct a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) process to determine if there are more cost effective options for the provision of 9-1-1 Call Answer service upon conclusion of the existing contract or sooner if the provisions of the contract permit.

2. Have the civic addressing team take a lead role provincially to coordinate the improvement of addressing information for 9-1-1 call answer and emergency services dispatch; As well, immediate action should be taken to rectify the differences between provincial and regional district road names.

3. Collaborate on ways to improve notification and response to Oil and Gas emergencies.

1.

13 January 26, 2017

Findings: Fire Dispatch

R-4 3.2

ƒ During the review, the consulting team determined that the

contracted fire dispatch services are delivered in an effective manner. ƒ In comparison to alternative fire dispatch providers from outside the Peace River Regional District, the current model is very expensive. Costs could be mitigated by moving to one fire dispatch for the region, however, this still would be considerably more expensive in comparison to other options e.g. a Fee for Service contract. ƒ Responsibility for Fire Dispatch equipment and maintenance; two Models have been detailed in the report, however the choice is dependent on the future direction for Fire Dispatch Services.

14 January 26, 2017

Findings: Fire Dispatch (continued)

R-4 3.2

The industry standard for fire dispatch centres in North America is the

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems.

The Peace River Regional District does not address any performance standards for call answer and dispatch with its current fire dispatch service providers.

NFPA 1221 requires service providers to have an alternate communications centre, that when staffed, can perform the same functions as the primary communications centre; the ability for real-time redundancy/back-up must be a priority.

Regular and coordinated review and feedback from the communities served by Fire Dispatch services needs to occur in the future.

15 January 26, 2017

Key Fire Dispatch Considerations

R-4 3.2

Options to consider (per Appendix ‘F’ in the report): ¾

¾

¾

Continue with current 2 Dispatch Centre model with improvements i.e. formalized contract for service (per page 31), meet NFPA standards for performance and back-up, and review the costs to provide dedicated dispatchers; Consolidate to 1 Dispatch Centre in the Region with the same improvements noted above.

Fee for Service contract with a provider outside the Region.

Existing dispatch centre equipment is reaching end of life and will need to

be replaced in the next 1 to 3 years. Currently the regional district owns and maintains the equipment; estimated future costs are between $500,000 and $750,000 if fire dispatch remains in the region; cost reduction or avoidance is possible with a Fee for Service contract.

Finding and maintaining dispatch staff will be a challenge.

16 January 26, 2017

Recommendations: Fire Dispatch

R-4 3.2

Pomax recommends that the Regional District pursue the option of contracting an alternative fire dispatch provider with full-time dispatchers to replace both the South and North Region fire dispatch centres; OR alternatively, create a combined, single regional fire dispatch centre with full-time dispatchers at one of the existing centres.

2. Develop and implement a service contract with either the city of Fort St. John or an alternate service provider structured such that the contractor is responsible for all aspects of the fire dispatch service delivery, including the supply and maintenance of all equipment, technology and performance standards. If the PRRD is to keep fire dispatch locally, Fort St. John is better suited to this role in terms of facilities and equipment than Dawson Creek.

3. In order to determine which direction to follow, a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) process would assist.

1.

17 January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Questions?

18 January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Next Steps: 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch Step 1: Issue Two Step 1: Request for Expressions Of Interest

“Requests for Expressions of Interest” 1) 9‐1‐1 Services 2) Fire Dispatch Services

Step 2: Review Expressions of Interest Received

Step 3: Report back to Board on findings & options

Step 3: Bring forward report to the Board on the findings and options on how to proceed

Step 2: Review “Expressions Of Interest” received by service providers

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Next Steps: Civic Addressing

1 2 3

Work with Northwest Tel to require civic addresses for landline installations Work with Ministry of Transportation on road naming and signage Consider working towards sharing our addressing processes to help lead a discussion with other agencies across the provide to develop guidelines and standards for GIS addressing provincially

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2

Questions?

______________________________________________________________________ PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT | 9‐1‐1 & Fire Dispatch

January 26, 2017

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ITEM #2

3.2

Peace River Regional District

EMERGENCY 9-1-1 CALL ANSWER SERVICE AND FIRE DISPATCH SERVICE REVIEW

March 23, 2015

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2 Table of Contents I.

Executive Summary .................................................................................i i. ii. iii. iv.

1.

Introduction .................................................................................................... i Methodology................................................................................................... i Findings ........................................................................................................... i Recommendations ..........................................................................................ii

Overview ................................................................................................ 1 1.1.

1.2.

1.3.

1.4.

2.

Purpose of this Review ................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ................................................................................................ 4 Review of the Scope of Work ....................................................................... 4

Findings and Discussion .......................................................................... 6 2.1. Analysis of Current Fire Dispatch ................................................................. 6 2.2. Industry Standards and Best Practices ....................................................... 13 2.3. Fire Dispatch Redundancy/Back-up ........................................................... 13 2.4. Overall Fire Dispatch Analysis and Options with Current Providers .......... 14 2.5. Review of Fire Dispatch Equipment Current Inventory ............................. 19 2.6. Responsibility for Equipment Purchase and Maintenance ........................ 22 2.7. Analysis of 9-1-1 Emergency Service Function and Bylaw ......................... 24 2.8. 9-1-1 Civic Addressing Process and Systems .............................................. 26 2.9. Analysis of Existing Contracts ..................................................................... 30 2.10. Alternative Service Delivery Considerations .......................................... 32 2.11. New 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point .............................................. 34

3.

Conclusions and Recommendations ...................................................... 35 3.1. Conclusions ................................................................................................. 35 3.2. Recommendations...................................................................................... 36

Appendices ......................................................................................................... 2 Appendix A—Acronyms ....................................................................................... 2 Appendix B—NFPA Alarm Time Line ................................................................... 3 Appendix C—9-1-1 Call Flow and Statistics ......................................................... 4 Appendix D—Peace River Regional Population Projections – 2014-2023 .......... 5 Appendix E—Escalating RCMP 9-1-1 Services Contract Estimates...................... 6

January 26, 2017

R-4 3.2 Appendix F—Cost Comparison Between Fire Dispatch Models ........................ 10

Figure 1. Emergency call routing .................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre (2012) ........................................................................ 7 Figure 3: North Peace Fie Dispatch Centre (2015) ....................................................................... 11

January 26, 2017

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Peace River Regional District Building in Dawson Creek

January 26, 2017

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2 I. Executive Summary i.

Introduction

This report presents a review of the Peace River Regional District 9-1-1 call answering and fire dispatch services as completed by the Pomax consulting team.

The purpose of the review was to: (1) determine service effectiveness, efficiency, and affordability of the 9-1-1 call answering service and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings, (2) determine service effectiveness, efficiency, and affordability of the fire dispatch service and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings, and (3) examine the possible use of 9-1-1 call answering as a point to report oil and gas emergencies.

The options and recommendations presented by the consulting team were tempered with the understanding that the Peace River Regional District is striving to achieve an enhanced level of service delivery at an acceptable cost to the public, especially considering the recent significant cost increases for both 9-1-1 and fire dispatch full-time equivalent personnel.

ii.

Methodology

The consulting team completed this review using the following research and evaluation methodology: (a) collect, review and evaluate legislation, industry guidelines, existing reports, operating data, technologies, finances, and more; (b) interview stakeholders and visit sites; (c) prepare progress reports and perform onsite reviews with Peace River Regional District staff; and (d) prepare a baseline report.

iii.

Findings

Through this review, the consulting team has determined that the current contracted 9-1-1 and fire dispatch services are delivered in an effective manner.

At the same time—in comparison to alternative fire dispatch providers from outside the Peace River Regional District—the current model is also very expensive. Costs could be mitigated by moving to a "single fire dispatch system" for the region. This change, however, would still be considerably more expensive in comparison to other systems.

The predicted growth in the region does not change the future economics for local fire dispatch in the region.

The future fire dispatch contract should include a requirement for meeting NFPA 1221, as well as a requirement for the delivery of real-time redundancy/backup.

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2 The inventory of fire dispatch equipment is in very good condition. The consulting team recommended a minimal number of replacements or upgrades.

Since the time of the writing of this report, significant changes by TELUS for the interconnection of 9-1-1 switching equipment has made it possible for 9-1-1 calls to be answered anywhere in the province. As a result, E-Comm has recently assumed 9-1-1 call answer services for the majority of the province, including most areas that were previously handled by the RCMP. The Peace River Regional District has entered into a new five year contract with the RCMP for 91-1 Call Answer. We recommend that the Regional District conduct a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) to determine if other 9-1-1 Call Answer centres in the province may be interested in providing contracted 9-1-1 call answer service at the conclusion of the existing contract period or sooner if the contract termination provisions permit.

The Peace River Regional District addressing process and system are state of the art, and could serve as an example for many regional districts. The Peace River Regional District team should take a lead in the province to make this happen.

iv.

Recommendations

The consulting team recommends the following: Fire Dispatch Services For fire dispatching services, the Peace River Regional District should: 1. Pursue the option of contracting an alternative fire dispatch provider with full-time dispatchers to replace both the South and North Region fire dispatch centres, or alternatively, create a combined, single regional fire dispatch centre with full-time dispatchers at one of the existing centres. The contract should be structured such that the contractor is responsible for all aspects of the fire dispatch service delivery, including the supply and maintenance of all fire dispatch centre related equipment and technology.

2. Ensure that new fire dispatch service contracts include conditions that the service provider meets NFPA 1221 requirements including real-time redundancy/backup and service delivery standards.

3. Ensure the regional fire chiefs’ meetings (held twice a year) include a specific activity to address fire dispatch. (This activity should utilize the same format the Pomax Consulting team followed during the fire departments meeting on August 27, 2012.)

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2 Fire Equipment Inventory For fire equipment inventory, the Peace River Regional District should: 1. Adopt Model B for future equipment purchase and maintenance, including any new or upgraded equipment for the dispatch centre. See Equipment Purchase and Maintenance—Model B. 2. Replace the Zetron dispatch communications consoles, which will be 10 years old in 2016.

3. Upgrade or replace the current inventory of system equipment with a focus on standardization.

4. Ensure appropriate budgeting is maintained for system equipment and technology replacement or upgrades on an approximate ten-year service life cycle.

Pomax Consulting has not reviewed the status of the fire dispatch equipment inventory with respect to any changes or upgrades that may have occurred since the writing of the original report except NICE and Zetron equipment.

9-1-1 Services The Peace River Regional District should: 1. Conduct a Request for Expression of Interest process to determine if other 9-1-1 Call Answer centres can provide this service for the region at the conclusion of the existing 5 year contract or sooner if the contract termination provisions permit.

2. Undertake the two-staged collaboration process detailed in the section entitled, “A Staged Approach to Creating an Oil and Gas Emergency Call Response System." However having the 9-1-1 centre answer Oil and Gas Emergency calls may preclude a possible move to another 9-1-1 Call Answer centre as other centres may consider the oil and gas industry as outside their scope.

3. Have the civic addressing team take a lead role provincially to coordinate the improvement of 9-1-1 addressing information.

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2 1. Overview 1.1.

Purpose of this Review

This report presents the findings of a review of the Peace River Regional District 9-1-1 call answering and fire dispatch services as completed by the Pomax Consulting team.

The purpose of the review was to determine service effectiveness, efficiency, and affordability of the call answering and fire dispatch services and propose operating options for improvement and cost savings. The review also examined the possible use of 9-1-1 call answering as an oil and gas emergency reporting point. The "Review of the Scope of Work" section provides a detailed description of the work completed for these elements.

The results of this review should enable stakeholders to: (1) see the current state of operation of the 9-1-1 call answering and fire dispatch services, and (2) review informed options for improving the services.

1.2.

Background

Description of Government and Demographics The Peace River Regional District provides local government services to approximately 60,000 people in seven incorporated municipalities and four electoral areas covering a geographic area of 120,000 km2. Sixty-five percent of the population resides in the urban municipalities of Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Hudson’s Hope, Taylor and Pouce Coupe.

The remaining 33% percent of the population is distributed across the vast unincorporated area of the regional district, plus 2% in First Nations areas.

The Peace River Regional District is a federation of both urban and rural areas governed by a 12-member board consisting of eight directors appointed by seven municipalities and four electoral directors elected by voters in four electoral areas. Each municipality or electoral area participates in a variety of regional or local services, paid for through numerous individual budgets and a variety of cost sharing formulas.

Current Call Answering Services Currently, the Peace River Regional District coordinates addressing and trunk-line communications with TELUS and Northwest Tel to provide enhanced emergency 9-1-1 call answering service. The Peace River Regional District contracts with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (hereafter referred to as RCMP) to be the public safety answering point located in Prince George, BC, which receives, on average, 17,000 calls per year.

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2 Emergency calls are routed through different dispatch services depending on the location and type of emergency response required. Policing calls (65 percent) are dispatched through the RCMP Prince George dispatch centre. Ambulance calls (20 percent) are dispatched through BC Ambulance’s Kamloops dispatch centre. Fire calls (5 percent) are screened to determine if they are within the fire protection service area, then screened and routed to either North Peace (Fort St. John Fire Hall Dispatch) or South Peace (Dawson Creek Fire hall) which then dispatch the 11 fire departments shown in Figure 1 on page 3.

Future Involvement of Oil and Gas Commission Following a natural gas pipeline leak in November 2009 near the community of Pouce Coupe, public concern identified the need for a quick, efficient, and easy-to-remember way for the public to contact the Oil and Gas Commission emergency response team 24/7. The Peace River Regional District offered the Oil and Gas Commission the opportunity to examine whether the enhanced emergency 9-1-1 call answering service, funded by the Peace River Regional District, could be used to receive calls from the public reporting oil and gas emergencies (i.e., gas leaks, sour gas smells, etc.). Although there are no formal agreements in place to provide for this service, the public on occasion has dialed 9-1-1 to report unusual noises and odors believed to be from oil and gas activity. The Peace River Regional District feels this service could be provided through a public safety answering point but needs the Oil and Gas Commission to identify if they see value in being part of the emergency call answer service.

Ownership of Dispatch Equipment Dawson Creek Fire Rescue provides dispatch for seven fire departments in South Peace, while Fort St. John Fire Rescue provides fire dispatch service for four fire departments in North Peace.

The Peace River Regional District owns and currently maintains, through a service contract with a third party, the equipment utilized by Dawson Creek Fire Department and Fort St. John Fire Department to receive public safety answering point calls and dispatch these calls. The Peace River Regional District also owns most of the equipment to provide dispatch services for ten of the eleven fire departments.

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

Figure 1. Emergency call routing

911 Calls

911 Dispatch in Prince George Ambulance calls

BCAS in Kamloops

Ambulance Stations closest to incident site  Chetwynd  Dawson Creek  Fort St. John  Hudson’s Hope  Tumbler Ridge

Police calls

Fire calls South Peace

North Peace

Dawson Creek Fire Dept.

Fort St. John Fire Dept.

Fire Dept. / Fire Society in  Arras  Chetwynd  Dawson Creek  Moberly Lake  Pouce Coupe  Tomslake  Tumbler Ridge

RCMP Vehicles or Detachment closest to incident site

Fire Dept. / Fire Society for  Beryl Prairie  Charlie Lake  Fort St. John  Hudson’s Hope  Taylor

Incident Site

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Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

1.3.

Methodology

Given the above background, the consulting team completed this review using the following research and evaluation methodology: 1. Collect, review and evaluate: a. Current administrative, organizational, legislation, guidelines and industry standards b. Existing reports, studies, and relevant literature c. Available dispatch call data and statistics d. Current computer aided dispatch, geographic information system, radio, telephone and recording systems e. Current financial information f. Aspects of existing emergency service dispatch resources 2. Interview and consult with stakeholders 3. Complete site visits of dispatch centres 4. Prepare progress reports 5. Perform on-site reviews with Peace River Regional District staff 6. Prepare a baseline report

1.4.

Review of the Scope of Work

The scope of work can be analyzed into three main sections: fire dispatch services, 9-1-1 call answering services, and using 9-1-1 services for oil and gas emergency reporting.

Fire Dispatch Service  Review the fire dispatch services provided by the City of Fort St. John and the City of Dawson Creek.  Identify industry standards and best practices.  Make recommendations for fire dispatch redundancy.  Identify and inventory fire dispatch equipment; make recommendations for equipment replacement or upgrades.  Review and provide recommendations on who has the responsibility for equipment purchase and maintenance in relation to fire dispatch.  Review the Peace River Regional District’s 9-1-1 emergency service function and bylaw.

9-1-1 Call Answering Services  Seek the RCMP input in inspecting, reviewing and evaluating the existing memorandum of understanding with the RCMP to provide a public safety answering point through the 4|Page January 26, 2017

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 





Prince George Operational Communications Centre. Since the original report was completed the PRRD has entered into a new 5 year contract with the RCMP for 9-1-1 call answer.

Identify possible deficiencies in existing contracts as compared to industry standards.

Examine 9-1-1 addressing processes and systems to identify possible shortfalls; Comment specifically on the Geographical Information Systems and Development Services Department role and processes for ensuring accurate mapping and addressing data for emergency response providers [additional detail added during Scope of Work clarification process].

Identify possible alternative service providers when compared to existing cost and quality, while maintaining the same (or increased) level of service, reliability and redundancy. At the time of writing the original report, technology limitations made geographically distant alternate 9-1-1 call answer service providers very difficult to justify because of the cost of telephone connections. Those limitations have been largely removed making service from distant providers more competitive with closer sources.

Make recommendations which include scope of operations, quality of work, performance standards, and budget requirements.

9-1-1 Call Service for Oil and Gas Emergency Reporting  Examine whether the 9-1-1 public safety answering point could be effectively utilized to report oil and gas emergencies from a legal and practical point of view.  Propose processes, systems, and equipment needed to respond to oil and gas emergency calls.  Recommend how to implement a 9-1-1 call system to report oil and gas emergencies.

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2. Findings and Discussion 2.1.

Analysis of Current Fire Dispatch

South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre—Dawson Creek Overview The Dawson Creek Fire Department operates the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre, located in the Dawson Creek Fire Station at 10101-12A Street in Dawson Creek. The city of Dawson Creek provides fire dispatch services to the Peace River Regional District through a proposal letter that was approved in May 2000. The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre provides emergency call answer and dispatch service for: —Dawson Creek Fire Department —Arras Volunteer Fire Department —Chetwynd Volunteer Fire Department —Moberly Lake Volunteer Fire Department —Pouce Coupe Volunteer Fire Department —Tomslake and District Fire Department —Tumbler Ridge Volunteer Fire Department

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Figure 2: South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre (2012)

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Facility Description The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre is part of the fire hall administration and reception area at the front entrance of the building. During regular business hours a receptionist/dispatcher looks after the dispatch centre and reception. Telephone calls can be answered at one other location in the fire hall, but all dispatch activities must be performed from the dispatch centre.

The radio communications equipment rack, which the consulting team observed to be orderly and relatively free of dust and debris, is located in the fire dispatch centre adjacent to the TELUS 9-1-1 equipment. Since 2012, the fire dispatch centre has been secured from public access by way of a locked door with key pad entry access. Additionally, the entire fire station has emergency back-up power that automatically starts in the event of a power disruption.

Technology and Equipment The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre is a relatively well equipped centre using industry standard fire dispatch and communications equipment. The centre does not use a computer aided dispatch application but does use a FirePro® records management system. Since they do not have a computer aided dispatch system, the shift captain documents incidents using a paper incident capture system; these details are subsequently manually input into the FirePro® records management system by the receptionist/dispatcher.

Fire department alerting and communications are handled using a Zetron® communication and dispatch console. Telephone and radio communications are recorded and archived using the NICE© audio recorder. A Zetron® instant recall recorder is used to for instant audio replaying needs.

Operations Primary dispatch and voice communications between the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre and the various agencies are handled via direct land-mobile radio communications or a CSI 9800 telephone interconnect with satellite backup system. Dispatches to Chetwynd, Moberly Lake, and Tumbler Ridge are completed using CSI 9800 telephone interconnects. The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre is not connected to these departments throughout the incident; instead, the department is disconnected from the dispatch centre. Once disconnected, the agency can reconnect with the dispatch centre via the telephone interconnect system but some departments choose to call the dispatch centre via cell phone. Once these departments become disconnected from the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre, their radio communications are no longer recorded.

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Staffing The South Peace Fire Dispatch is staffed by a receptionist/dispatcher between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and by a firefighter/dispatcher during other hours. The receptionist/ dispatcher spends most of her time in the centre during regular business hours. In addition to answering emergency calls and dispatching fire departments, the receptionist / dispatcher also performs administrative and clerical duties for the city of Dawson Creek Fire Department.

Firefighter/ dispatchers perform typical firefighter station duties (such as training, equipment checks, maintenance, etc.) and are only required to be in the dispatch centre when answering emergency calls and dispatching fire departments. When the centre is staffed by a firefighter/dispatcher and a call is received for the Dawson Creek Fire Department, the firefighter/dispatcher remains in the dispatch centre performing all required support functions and answering and dispatching other emergency calls.

The Peace River Regional District funds two full-time-equivalent positions at a 100 percent firstclass firefighter rate to provide fire dispatch service.

Training The receptionist / dispatcher is trained to the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials fire service communications level. All new firefighters receive six week of fire department training involving 13 components. As part of this training, five of the components relate to fire dispatching.

Workload The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre handles 680 calls for service annually (5 year average).

Policies and Procedures The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre does not have any policies or procedures for the dispatch nor do they have a formalized, structured quality assurance program in place. Issues or problems related to incidents are investigated as they arise.

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3.2 North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre—Fort St. John Overview The Fort St. John Fire Department operates the North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre which is located in the Fort St. John Fire Station at 9312 - 93 Avenue in Fort St. John. The city of Fort St. John provides fire dispatch services to the Peace River Regional District through a proposal letter that was approved in May 2000. The North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre provides emergency call answer and dispatch service for: —Fort St. John Fire Department —Charlie Lake Fire Department —Hudson Hope Fire and Rescue Service (includes Beryl Prairie area) —Taylor Fire Rescue

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3.2 Figure 3: North Peace Fie Dispatch Centre (2015)

Facility Description The fire dispatch facility is located at the front of the building next to the shift captain’s office and adjacent to the main entrance. The dispatch centre is separated from the rest of the facility and access is controlled by way of an electronically locked door. The dispatch centre is staffed by a firefighter/dispatcher. There are 12 firefighters trained as dispatchers that regularly rotate through the position. Telephone calls can also be answered at four other locations in the fire station but all dispatch activities must be performed from the dispatch centre. 

The radio communications equipment rack and TELUS 9-1-1 equipment are located in the equipment room located on the second floor of the fire station. While the equipment installation was not viewed in person, the Fort St. John Fire Department provided photographs of the equipment room and the equipment installation and the room appears to be spacious, clean, and well-organized.

Technology and Equipment The North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre is a well-equipped centre using industry standard fire dispatch and communications equipment.

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North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre uses FDM Software® computer aided dispatch and records management systems. Agencies dispatched by the North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre are unit dispatched, meaning that the dispatcher identifies the initial fire apparatus that are to respond to an incident based on agency specific protocols that are pre-determined for each incident type.

Fire department alerting and communications are handled using a Zetron® communication and dispatch console. Telephone and radio communications are recorded and archived using the NICE© audio recorder and a Zetron® instant recall recorder is used to for instant audio replaying needs.

Operations All primary dispatch and voice communications between the North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre and the various agencies are handled via direct land-mobile radio communications with telephone interconnect as a backup. When a department is actively working an incident, the North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre is connected and available to the agency throughout the incident and all telephone and radio communications are recorded.

Staffing The dispatch centre is staffed at all times by a firefighter/dispatcher. When not actively engaged in dispatch activities, firefighter/dispatchers perform typical firefighter station duties (such as training, equipment checks, maintenance, etc.) and are only required to be in the dispatch centre when answering emergency calls and dispatching fire departments. When a call is received for the Fort St. John Fire Department, the firefighter/dispatcher remains in the dispatch centre performing all required support functions and answering and dispatching other emergency calls.

The Peace River Regional District funds two full-time-equivalent positions at a 100 percent firstclass firefighter rate to provide fire dispatch service.

Training New firefighters receive an 8-week orientation course, approximately 4 weeks of that training is focused on the computer aided dispatch system, records management system, and fire dispatching. They do have course curriculum material; however it was not available for review.

Workload The North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre handles 920 calls for service annually (5 year average).

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Policies and Procedures The North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre does not have any policies or procedures for dispatching nor do they have a formalized, structured quality assurance program in place. Issues or problems related to incidents are investigated as they arise.

2.2.

Industry Standards and Best Practices

The industry standard for all fire dispatch centres in North America is the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems.

NFPA 1221 provides prescriptive performance requirements for the answering of emergency calls and the total time for the dispatching of emergency calls. These performance metrics are as follows:  

Call Answer—95 percent of calls are to be answered in 15 seconds or less, and 99 percent of calls are to be answered in 40 seconds or less (NFPA 1221 Section 7.4.1).

Dispatching—80 percent of events are to be dispatched in 60 seconds or less, and 95 percent of incidents are to be dispatched in 106 seconds or less (NFPA 1221 Section 7.4.2).

NFPA 1221 is an extremely comprehensive standard that covers operational and technical aspects of fire dispatch centre operations. This standard has been adopted by most, if not all, fire dispatch centres in British Columbia.

The Peace River Regional District does not address any performance standards for call answer and dispatch with its current fire dispatch service providers.

With respect to an industry standard regarding an appropriate fire dispatch service model, NFPA does not provide any direction on this. However, current best practices for fire dispatch involve a comprehensive end-to-end service where the dispatch centre maintains a communication link with responding firefighters throughout the entire incident, providing all agency-required and requested support and resourcing.

2.3.

Fire Dispatch Redundancy/Back-up

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221 requires service providers to have an alternate communications centre, that when staffed, can perform the same functions as the

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primary communications centre1. NFPA 1221 states that alternate communications centres should:  Be physically/geographically separated from the primary communications centre  Have formalized plans for the maintenance and operations of the alternate centre  Have the ability to reroute incoming emergency calls to the alternate communication centre  Complete operational independence from the primary communication centre

2.4.

Overall Fire Dispatch Analysis and Options with Current Providers

The Importance of Dispatching and Emergency Communication Emergency call answer, dispatch, and communications are critical aspects to an effective and functional public safety system. Timely receipt and dispatch of emergency responders to emergency incidents is vital to the preservation of life in emergency medical incidents and in mitigating property loss due to fire spread. In addition, two-way voice communication between emergency responders and a dispatch centre is one of the most important safety tools available to the responders. The significant negative consequences of untimely or improper dispatch and communication have driven the prescriptive performance standards for emergency call answering and dispatch times. Furthermore, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the United States identified that improper communications is one of the top five leading causes of firefighter fatalities2.

As part of the investigations of fire loss, very detailed reviews are conducted involving a thorough incident analysis, commencing with the time the emergency call was received in the dispatch centre, when the fire department was alerted, and the timeline associated with these actions.

Stakeholder Consultation Process While onsite in August 2012, a Pomax representative met with representatives of the majority of the Peace River Regional District fire departments, including the fire chiefs of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, and Trish Morgan, Manager of Community Services for the Peace River Regional District. The purpose of the meeting was to provide the fire departments with an overview of the project as well as to: 1

NFPA 1221 Section 4.1.5 and 4.1.5.1 NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, Leading Recommendations for Preventing Fire Fighter Fatalities, 1998-2005. Department of Health and Human Services, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

2

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—Determine their satisfaction with the dispatch services provided —Determine their satisfaction with the communication system —Gather information on improvements or changes they would like to see in the systems With respect to the fire dispatch services, the majority of the fire departments were pleased with the services being provided by the South and North Peace Fire Dispatch Centres. As a result of the meeting and follow-up with some departments, some concerns were identified: 

Those departments dispatched by South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre that use telephone interconnects as their primary connection are not able to stay connected throughout the emergency incident. The telephone interconnect automatically disconnects, as a safety feature, after 180 seconds.



One department stated that there have been instances where off going shift dispatchers at the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre have not advised the oncoming shift that their department was on a call. As such, when the department attempted to communicate with the dispatch centre via radio, there was no one in the dispatch centre and the radio call went unanswered forcing the department to have to call them by cell phone (if coverage available).



There has been no fire department training on the use of the satellite backup communication systems.



The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre does not have a computer aided dispatch system.



The fire departments would like a dedicated telephone number for contacting the dispatch centres.



One fire department noted they are not comfortable with a firefighter/dispatcher model.



Civic addressing is a problem throughout the region; one of the largest issues is a discrepancy between fire dispatch and British Columbia Ambulance Service addressing information.

Comparison to Industry Standards The current fire dispatch model for the Peace River Regional District does not meet the industry standard for the operation of fire dispatch centres in some areas. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency 15 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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Services Communications Systems is the peer reviewed, industry standard that specifies all aspects of a fire dispatch centre operation. It is a very detailed and prescriptive standard and some of the key areas of the standard are call answer and dispatch performance metrics, quality assurance, and dispatch centre security. As the standard is very detailed and prescriptive, it is generally recognized that many fire dispatch centres do not meet all of the requirements of NFPA 1221, but there are a number of requirements that centres typically strive to meet.

Both the North Peace and South Peace Fire Dispatch Centres are generally well equipped centres with respect to fire department alerting and voice communications systems. However, there are some operational practices that need to be addressed in order to increase efficiency, performance, and compliance with NFPA 1221:   

Adoption of NFPA 1221 performance times Establishment of fully-functional back up dispatch centres Implementation of a monthly quality assurance program

In order to address the deficiencies with respect to NFPA 1221, the Peace River Regional District has three options: 1. Maintain the current model of North and South Peace Fire Dispatch Centres with applicable staffing and technology upgrades in each centre 2. Consolidate the North and South Peace Fire Dispatch Centres into one of the existing centres with applicable staffing and technology upgrades 3. Contract fire dispatch services with an alternative service provider that is able to meet the NFPA 1221 requirements (refer to "2.9 Analysis of Existing Contracts" for additional information) With respect to the first two options, in order to increase the service levels and efficiencies of the North and South Peace Fire Dispatch Centres, there are a number of technical and operational issues to be addressed. These are described below.

Option 1—Maintain North and South Peace Fire Dispatch Centres Both centres have indicated that they have not adopted the performance standards of NFPA 1221 with respect to emergency call answer and dispatching and that they do not have a quality assurance program. For both centres, one of the primary issues is the ability to quickly and effectively answer the emergency call and complete the dispatch process. Neither centre has dedicated staff in the centre, and emergency calls can be answered from locations other 16 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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than the dispatch centre. Yet all dispatching must be done from the centre. This operational model can cause delays in dispatching fire departments and negatively affects the dispatch centre’s ability to meet the requirements of NFPA 1221.

Additionally, the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre does not use a computer aided dispatch system. Instead the centre relies on the Automatic Number Identification/Automatic Location (ANI/ALI) of the received 9-1-1 call and a hard copy of the Peace River Regional District web based map viewer in order to determine the location of the incident and the appropriate responding fire department. A paper-based map system can add additional time in the dispatch process as the dispatcher must manually determine the location of the emergency incident and the appropriate responding fire department.

In order to reasonably achieve the NFPA 1221 benchmark performance standards, a staffing model change should be considered for both centres, and consideration should be given to the implementation of a computer aided dispatch system in the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre.

The current staffing models in the North and South Peace Dispatch Centre reasonably allow for the answer of emergency calls per the NFPA 1221 standard. However, without the use of a computer aided dispatch system at all times, not all call data is entered in a database immediately upon receipt of the call. Therefore it is not possible to determine if the centres are meeting the call answer standard. In addition, having dispatch staff dedicated to the dispatch would allow for increased fire department dispatch efficiencies and would reasonably ensure that the NFPA 1221 standard for dispatching is met.

The respective call volumes of the North and South Peace Dispatch Centres only require one dispatcher. A dedicated staffing model would require one dispatcher per shift as well as additional staffing to cover holidays, other scheduled leave, and sick time. In order to meet this staffing level, a relief factor is applied to the number of full time dispatcher positions; the relief factor identifies the additional staff required to maintain one full-time position per shift. The relief factor for public safety dispatch centres is between 1.4 and 1.7; therefore, a minimum of 5.6 full-time equivalent positions are required to staff one full time dispatcher position. It is reasonable to use properly trained firefighters to provide meal and rest breaks for the dedicated dispatchers during regular shifts.

With respect to a computer aided dispatch system for the South Peace Dispatch Centre, budgetary pricing for a single position license from FDM SoftwareÂŽ, including full mapping, the ANI/ALI service, and implementation is approximately $110,000. Training costs are extra.

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The Peace River Regional District owns and maintains the same Zetron® common control units and dispatch consoles in both centres. The consoles were purchased in 2006 and 2007 and are at the end of their service life. The replacement costs would be $80,000 for Fort St. John and $96,000 for Dawson Creek. The Dawson Creek console costs more because it provides interfaces for seven fire departments, while Fort St. John provides interfaces for five fire departments.3 Option 1 would also require the continued ongoing support and annual maintenance of the dispatch communication consoles.

Option 1 would require a total of 11.2 full time equivalent dispatcher positions between the North and South Peace Dispatch Centres, the addition of computer aided dispatch for the South Peace Dispatch Centre, and the continued maintenance of duplicate dispatch console and communication technology.

Option 1 is not recommended due to the high costs involved (see “Appendix F—Cost Comparison Between Fire Dispatch Models” for details).

Option 2—Consolidate North and South Peace Fire Dispatch Centres Based on the total call volume of the North and South Peace Dispatch Centres of approximately 2,000 annual calls for service, this call volume can be handled with one full time dispatcher.

However, in order to reasonably meet the performance objectives of NFPA 1221, a dedicated dispatcher staffing model should be considered.

As per Option 1, one full time dispatcher per shift as well as additional staffing to cover holidays, other scheduled leave, and sick time would be required. In order to meet this staffing level, the relief factor is applied to the number of full time dispatcher positions. Using the same relief factor considerations as per Option 1, a minimum of 5.6 full-time equivalent positions are required to staff one full-time dispatcher position. It is reasonable to use properly trained firefighters to provide meal and rest breaks for the dedicated dispatchers during regular shifts.

3

These console replacement costs and the one for Option2 are based on quotes from Zetron, who based their quotes on the initial system identification numbers. The number of actual radio, telephone and paging interfaces provided in the quotes does not exactly match the equipment inventory provided by Glentel, so Pomax has added a 15% contingency. The discrepancy could be due to equipment added following the initial installation. The Zetron USD quotes are converted to Canadian currency using an exchange rate of 0.75. Additionally, Zetron was supposed to provide pricing for upgrading the current equipment if possible. However, Zetron only provided the replacement costs. Pomax has determined it could be possible to upgrade the current equipment at approximately 50% of the replacement cost. However, given that the equipment will be ten years old next year, Pomax recommends replacing the equipment.

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With respect to computer aided dispatch, the North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre currently uses FDM Software® computer aided dispatch application. In addition, the North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre also uses FDM Software® records management systems. These applications are fully integrated and provide for a seamless and efficient transfer of fire department incident data from computer aided dispatch to the records management system. FDM Software® dispatch and records management applications are fully scalable and can easily handle the additional fire departments in the South Peace region.

As indicated above the existing Zetron® dispatch communications consoles are at the of their service life and need to be replaced. The cost of a dispatch console to handle the interfaces for all the fire departments from a single centre, would cost $130,000.3It should be noted that Pouce Coupe and Tomslake fire departments, which are currently dispatched directly via radio from Dawson Creek, will require remote links – such as, telephone interconnect or Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) – because Fort St. John will be too distant for a direct radio link. The telephone interconnect and the RoIP terminal will cost approximately $2,500 per link.

Option 2 would require a total of 5.6 full time equivalent dispatcher positions; minimal costs to program the additional South Peace agencies into the computer aided dispatch and records management systems; and continued maintenance of one of the Zetron® dispatch console and communication systems (see “Appendix F—Cost Comparison Between the Different Models of Fire Dispatch” for details).

Option 3 – Fire Dispatch Services Alternatives The option of an alternative fire dispatch service provider is addressed in the section 2.10 area entitled, "Fire Dispatch Services Alternatives."

2.5.

Review of Fire Dispatch Equipment Current Inventory

Pomax representatives met with Glentel to review and discuss the equipment currently used as part of the Peace River Regional District fire dispatch system. Glentel noted that the majority of the system-related equipment has been upgraded in the last 6 to 7 years. In addition to this meeting, an independent review was completed of the fire dispatch equipment inventory that was provided to Pomax4.

The following comments and recommendations are provided with respect to the Peace River Regional District fire dispatch system equipment:

4

th

PRRD Equipment Inventory list provided by Glentel Inc. September 20 , 2012

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As indicated above the Zetron® 4020 Common Control Units and 4217B dispatch workstations are at the end of life, especially since the underlying version of the operating system is no longer supported and should be replaced. NICE© recording equipment is end of life and should be upgraded or replaced as part of future workstation upgrades or replacements.



The Motorola TRBO repeaters are first generation repeaters but the equipment is fully software-and firmware-upgradeable to the most current releases. These repeaters can be operated in digital, analog, or a mix mode. These repeaters are very reliable and do not require replacement, but the software and firmware should be upgraded.



The Tait TB8100 (base station/repeater) is current technology and does not require any upgrades.



The Tait TB710 (base station/repeater) is current technology and does not require any upgrades.



The CSI9800 telephone interconnects are current technology; however, they have a limitation of only staying connected for 180 seconds. So, they should be replaced with other telephone interconnect equipment which does not have this limitation – such as, the Zetron Model 45 (see further detailed discussion below).



The base station equipment identified on the equipment inventory list is narrow-band capable and as such, is considered current technology. All of the Motorola products are still available. For Kenwood products, the TK-780HK is no longer in production and has been replaced with the TK-7810 or NX-700. However, support is still available for the TK-780 and replacement is not recommended at this time.



The antennas and duplexers are all current equipment, but replacement is based on age and condition.



The majority of the satellite communication technologies are MSAT G2, which is current technology. Departments served with Westinghouse satellite products should be upgraded to MSAT G2.

In general, except for the Zetron consoles, the condition of the system equipment is current and up to date and does not require any immediate replacements. However, there is a technical limitation with the CSI9800 telephone interconnects. Chetwynd Volunteer Fire Department, Moberly Lake Volunteer Fire Department, and Tumbler Ridge Volunteer Fire 20 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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3.2 Departments rely on telephone interconnect as their primary connection and communication with the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre. The telephone interconnects are programmed with a time out timer that automatically disconnects the fire department for the dispatch centre after several minutes. This timer is set as a safety feature to ensure there is no unintentional system lock-up.

However, as a result of this time-out timer, the fire departments lose their voice communication link with the South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre and must rely on alternate forms of communication, such as cellular telephone, to communicate with the dispatch centre. As radio communications are the critical link for firefighters, this technical limitation is a safety risk for these departments. In order to mitigate this risk, it is recommended that the current telephone interconnect technology be replaced with technology that will allow the dispatch centre to stay connected with the fire department throughout the incident.

Due to the design of the CSI9800, it cannot be programmed to remove the time out feature and still work effectively and safely as part of the system; therefore, the CSI9800 telephone interconnects should be replaced (for the reason noted above) with different technologies that do not disconnect the responding fire department from the dispatch centre. One option is to replace these units with the ZetronÂŽ Model 45 telephone interconnect, which can be configured to be remotely reset in the event that it becomes locked up. Cost of a ZetronÂŽ Model 45 is approximately $2,500. The Peace River Regional District would require three and one spare. Another possible option would be Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) for those areas that have appropriate bandwidth. The cost of using RoIP is similar per link, at approximately $2,500.

The current system consists of a mix of manufacturers. While the various equipment used in the system is all industry standard and reliable public-safety-quality equipment, standardizing the system components as much as possible allows for ease of equipment replacement, efficient hardware integration of the system, and a less complicated system. For example, using one type of telephone interconnect, one type of repeater, one type of base station etc. allows equipment to be changed much more efficiently improves equipment inventory management.

In order to effectively maintain and support a public safety fire dispatch system, an inventory of spare equipment is required to ensure timely and efficient replacement of equipment.

According to the maintenance contractor, the Peace River Regional District does not have an inventory of spare equipment.

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3.2 Recommended Equipment Upgrades and Replacements The Pomax team recommends the following action items and equipment upgrades: 

Have the maintenance contractor complete a comprehensive review and evaluation of all antennas and duplexers. Replace deteriorating or damaged equipment.



Upgrade the Motorola Turbo repeaters to the current software and firmware release.



Replace satellite communication devices that are not MSAT G2 to this technology.



Replace the CSI 9800 telephone interconnect with a Zetron® Model 45 telephone interconnect (or similar two-line interconnect technology) or RoIP.



Establish and maintain a spare equipment inventory of critical equipment.



Standardize as many components in the system equipment as possible, including but not limited to, repeaters, base radios, telephone interconnects, satellite communication equipment, and backup power supplies.

2.6.

Responsibility for Equipment Purchase and Maintenance

For purposes of discussion, fire dispatch equipment and technology will be considered in three parts: (1) fire dispatch centre equipment and technology, (2) system equipment and technology, and (3) user equipment.

Fire Dispatch Centre Equipment and Technology—Refers to equipment and technology used in, and part of, the fire dispatch centres for the purposes of call receipt, fire department alerting, and two-way voice communications. Fire dispatch centre equipment and technology includes, but is not limited to, telephones, computer systems and applications (such as computer aided dispatch), communications console, and audio recording devices.

System Equipment and Technology—Refers to equipment and technology used in, and part of, the system used to transmit all fire department alerting and two-way voice communications between the dispatch and the fire departments. System equipment and technology includes, but is not limited to, radio transmitters and receivers (base radio and repeaters), antennas, cabling, tuners, filters, batteries, chargers, and communications sites.

User Equipment—Refers to all equipment and technology used by dispatched fire departments in the receipt of dispatch alerts from the fire dispatch centre and for two-way voice communication with the fire dispatch centre. User equipment includes, but is not limited to,

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mobile radios, portable radios, pagers, mobile data terminals/laptops, personal mobile devices (smart phones), and incident dispatch (rip and run) printers.

Models of Equipment Ownership In British Columbia, there is no standard with respect to purchase, ownership, and maintenance of equipment related to the fire dispatch system; rather there are two typical models that are followed: Equipment Purchase and Maintenance—Model A The Peace River Regional District purchases, owns, and maintains all equipment related to the fire dispatch service, including all equipment and technology used in the fire dispatch centre(s) Equipment Purchase and Maintenance—Model B The Peace River Regional District purchases, owns, and maintains the equipment that is exclusive of the fire dispatch centre and the fire dispatch service provider purchases, owns, and maintains all equipment and technology associated with the provision of the fire dispatch service.

Analysis of Models A and B Under Model A, the Peace River Regional District would be responsible for the purchases, ownership, and maintenance of fire dispatch centre equipment and technology and system equipment and technology. Model A allows the Peace River Regional District to have complete management over the equipment supplied and the maintenance of that equipment.

Under Model B, the Peace River Regional District would be responsible only for system equipment and technology and the fire dispatch service provider(s) would be responsible for the fire dispatch centre equipment and technology.

Ultimately, the Peace River Regional District is the 9-1-1 call answer and fire dispatch service provider. As such, it is reasonable that the Peace River Regional District would be considered responsible for the fire dispatch system in the event of a system failure or similar event that resulted in some form of loss. Given these circumstances, it is in the best interests of the Peace River Regional District to have clearly defined responsibilities and expectations with respect to dispatch centre and system equipment.

Both models are used throughout British Columbia and there is no industry standard or best practice for one model over the other. The decision regarding an equipment ownership model is based on a number of factors such as accountability, system control, and liability. Under Model A, the Peace River Regional District would be responsible for all equipment and would 23 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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3.2 therefore be able to best manage equipment purchases, maintenance, upgrades and/or replacement schedules, new technology advancements, and all other aspects of the system.

This model would allow the Peace River Regional District to have greater management of the system and could possibly reduce its potential liability with respect to system failures.

Under Model A, the Peace River Regional District would provide all of the equipment and technology to be used in one or more of the fire dispatch centres; including equipment replacement, repair, troubleshooting, and concerns and complaints from end users.

Under Model B, the contracted fire dispatch service provider would be solely responsible for the purchase and maintenance of all equipment required to deliver the service. This would include all equipment (i.e. dispatch consoles) and technology (i.e. computer aided dispatch); namely all of the fire dispatch centre related equipment and technologies. The Peace River Regional District would be responsible for all of the equipment and technology used to deliver the alerting signal and voice messages to the fire departments. However, to ensure that an appropriate level of service is being provided by contracted fire dispatch centre, the Peace River Regional District would need to specify the level of service that is required and ensure that the contractor is able to achieve that service. Pomax recommends the adoption of Model B. We understand that Fort St. John is reviewing the viability of the current fire protection agreement with the Peace River Regional District. This review is part of a larger regional services review being conducted by the city and the results of the review are expected to be completed later in 2015. As such, Pomax Consulting has not reviewed or updated those sections of the report that address fire dispatch services or equipment, and the original recommendations remain as stated.

2.7.

Analysis of 9-1-1 Emergency Service Function and Bylaw

The Peace River Regional District 9-1-1 emergency service and service establishment bylaw appear appropriate and are comparable to those of other Regional District 9-1-1 service provider’s in British Columbia.

The Peace River Regional District 9-1-1 service has the same administrative and operational functionality as many of the 9-1-1 services in British Columbia in that the district is the local government service provider with the legal authority to provide, and tax for, a 9-1-1 service across the Peace River Regional District. The 9-1-1 operational model is that the RCMP is the contracted primary public safety answering point (receipt and transfer of 9-1-1 calls), a member municipality fire department is the contracted service provider as the secondary safety answering point for fire calls, and the Emergency Health Service Commission (British Columbia 24 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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Ambulance Service) is a secondary safety answering point for medical calls (as a provincially operated service, there is no fee-for-service required for medical call answer and dispatch). This is a typical model throughout British Columbia where a regional district is the 9-1-1 service provider.

The Peace River Regional District’s establishment bylaw provides for an extended service with the boundaries of the service being all of the district’s electoral areas as well as all member municipalities. Furthermore, the bylaw provides for cost recovery, on improvements only, by way of requisition as per the Local Government Act. In addition to the service establishment bylaw, the Peace River Regional District adopted a reserve fund bylaw for the purchase of capital and major purchases. The establishment of a capital major purchase reserve fund is entirely appropriate for this service as it allows the district the ability to financially plan for upgrades and equipment replacement required as part of a functional public safety communication system.

Reviews of various service establishment bylaws in other jurisdictions for an extended 9-1-1 service indicate that the bylaws are essentially the same. The only real difference is that at the time of the bylaw enactment, each regional district selected a cost recovery model as per the Local Government Act that best suited their specific needs or political situation. Bylaws can be amended as service delivery and financial implications change.

Since the implementation of 9-1-1 service in British Columbia, 9-1-1 call answer typically has been a function of a municipal police or RCMP communications centre. Historically, RCMP operational communications centres have been the contracted 9-1-1 service providers to local governments because the RCMP has taken the position that this model was necessary for reasons of public safety. However, recent changes in interconnection rates by TELUS has allowed a significant change in call answer services across the province. E-Comm in 2014 assumed call answer service for the north part of Vancouver Island, as well as most of the Northern, Central and Southern interiors of the province. As such, the Peace River Regional District could consider other 9-1-1 service delivery options in the future.

However, contracting a different 9-1-1 Call Answer provider may preclude the provision of call answer services that include Oil & Gas emergency reporting, although E-Comm as one potential provider has indicated that they can handle these calls.

As a result of this change the consulting team recommends that the PRRD conduct an Request for Expression of Interest process as soon as practical. The contract with the RCMP for 9-1-1 25 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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call answer has a one year escape clause, however it is also possible that the RCMP may allow for an earlier exit if another viable service provider is found.

2.8.

9-1-1 Civic Addressing Process and Systems

An effective 9-1-1 civic addressing program is vital to operating a safe and reliable 9-1-1 system.

In November of 1999, the Peace River Regional District retained the services of UMA Engineering to research and develop a rural addressing system.

Current Addressing Program The Peace River Regional District 9-1-1 addressing program is similar to that of many other regional district models for rural addressing; namely, addresses are assigned based on the location of the driveway intersection with the street. Addresses are interpolated based on the predetermined minimum and maximum range of the street.

Representatives of Pomax met with Peace River Regional District Geographical Information Systems and Development Services Department, which is responsible for the creation, issuance, and maintenance of rural addressing. (Civic addressing in the Peace River Regional District member municipalities is the responsibility of the various individual municipalities.)

The Peace River Regional District uses the industry-standard geographic information system (GIS) technology (ESRI ArcGIS and AcrGISExplorer) for creating, maintaining, and viewing rural addressing. The Peace River Regional District civic addressing program is effective and efficient as new addresses are updated in the web-based system the next business day after issuance.

The Peace River Regional District is an active participant in Address BC, an initiative of the Integrated Cadastral Information Society. The Peace River Regional District automatically updates their address data to the Address BC site on a weekly basis. The Address BC initiative is very effective as it serves as a central repository of address data created by local governments which can be accessed and downloaded by other Address BC participants. As the central point for address sharing, agencies such as the British Columbia Ambulance Service and the RCMP are able to access this data to update their computer aided dispatch systems.

The Disparate Address Problem and Solution The issue of disparate civic address data with the British Columbia Ambulance Service and the RCMP appears to be a function of the time required for these agencies to update the GIS data in their provincial computer aided dispatch systems. Peace River Regional District provides timely updates, but the British Columbia Ambulance Service and RCMP GIS update information annually. This causes address discrepancies in incident location.

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This issue, as well as the lack of Provincial GIS address standardization, are common for many local governments in British Columbia and have been identified by the Association of 9-1-1 Service Providers of British Columbia. A significant gap has been identified between old names used by the Ministry of Transportation and the proper address assignments by the Peace River Regional District; it is important the proactive action be taken to address this as soon as practical. In addition, we recommend that the Peace River Regional District work with the Association of 9-1-1 Service Providers to explore options and implement an effective solution.

A sub-committee was previously created to address this issue however did not move forward because the organizer left the association. It will be tabled at the spring 2015 meeting and PRRD should ensure that this issue is brought forward again by the association.

Telephone Companies and Master Street Address Guide Important to the 9-1-1 addressing process is ensuring that TELUS local exchange carriers (the telephone companies) receive timely updates of new or changed addresses. The Peace River Regional District 9-1-1 system receives service from two telephone companies: NorthwesTel and TELUS. The telephone companies rely on the accuracy of the civic address data in the Master Street Address Guide to properly route 9-1-1 calls to the correct 9-1-1 call answer centre which, in turn, transfers them to the right fire and ambulance dispatch centres. The Master Street Address Guide contains a comprehensive list of all of streets and address ranges in the 91-1 service area, and the guide is used as part of the TELUS address verification process for 9-11 calls. The address of the calling number is reconciled against the Master Street Address Guide to determine a caller’s location. After identifying a caller's location, the call can be relayed to the correct 9-1-1 call answer centre.

However, because it is not mandatory that a house have a registered address, it is incumbent on the property owner to apply for a civic address. As such, the PRRD should consider changing the bylaws to require mandatory civic addressing, as has been done with other jurisdictions when 9-1-1 has been implemented in other regions without the service. One area of concern that needs to be addressed with NorthwesTel is ensuring they assign a proper civic address when a landline is installed by them. Currently they use the addressing information that is provided to them by the Region, and there is potential ambiguity in the provided addresses as they may indicate “Mile 11 Alaska Highway”, for example. But NorthwesTel has indicated that they can extract the address data that they currently have and provide this to the Regional District so that discrepancies between the data sets can be determined. While the region could provide the spatial data set to the telcos, the existing MSAG data is a simple flat file and the telcos do not have established extraction procedures to convert the spatial data to the flat file format of MSAG. If the PRRD can provide proper civic addressing and address potential 27 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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discrepancies in the data sets NorthwesTel will update the MSAG using the revised address information.

However, when an existing address is corrected, the local exchange carriers need to be advised promptly so the Master Street Address Guide can be updated. Although the Peace River Regional District has agreements with NorthwesTel and TELUS which state that the Regional District will maintain and update the Master Street Address Guide and provide these updates to the telephone companies on an annual basis, the telcos will update the MSAG on an as needed basis and policies should be implemented to provide updates to the telcos on a more frequent basis.

Current Response to Oil and Gas Emergencies As detailed in the introduction to this report: Following a natural gas pipeline leak in November 2009 near the community of Pouce Coupe, public concern identified the need for a quick, efficient, and easy to remember way for the public to contact the Oil and Gas Commission emergency response team 24/7. The Peace River Regional District offered the Oil and Gas Commission the opportunity to examine whether the enhanced emergency 9-1-1 call answering service operated by the Peace River Regional District, could be used to receive calls from the public reporting oil and gas emergencies (i.e., gas leaks, sour gas smells, etc.). Although there are no formal agreements in place to provide for this service, the public on occasion has dialed 9-1-1 to report unusual noises and odors believed to be from oil and gas activity. The Peace River Regional District feels this service could be provided through a public safety answering point but needs the Oil and Gas Commission to identify if they see value in being part of the emergency call answer service or not.

An analysis by Pomax in 2012 of the current practice for handling oil and gas emergencies shows the majority of calls are related to hydrogen sulfide odours (rotten eggs smell), the sound of a leak (described as sounding like a jet engine), or a pipeline or facility fire. This is not a common occurrence; however, when it does happen, the right resources need to be deployed as soon as practical.

Different companies in the Peace River Regional District have resorted to door-to-door delivery of refrigerator magnets that have 10-digit emergency contact numbers for each of the companies in the area. In some places, there can be as many as seven different companies.

Expecting the public to determine whose pipeline/facility is leaking and calling the correct 28 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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company is unlikely to be successful so it is very likely they will call 9-1-1. Follow-up with the RCMP North Region operational communications centre confirmed that the current practice is to dispatch the police to do an initial check on the issue and report back; continuing this practice is not recommended.

The oil and gas companies have their own (or contracted) emergency response teams that are extremely well equipped to deal with this type of emergency in a quick and effective manner.

The challenge is how to get them notified and responding each time this type of incident occurs.

In 2012, the Oil and Gas Commission representative, Mike Burzek, was well aware of the above issues and has been investigating solutions to better handle emergencies in the future.

E-Comm, as a 9-1-1 call answer service provider that currently handles 80% of the provincial 9-1-1 call volume and as a potential service provider for the Peace River Regional District, has indicated that they could accept emergency calls related to oil and gas emergencies and transfer them to the EMBC Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre in Victoria. E-Comm does do not anticipate answering the 9-1-1 call differently, so it would be answered as “9-1-1 Do you want Police, Fire or Ambulance?” However they will know the call originates in the Peace River catchment area and while oil and gas is not stated they will quickly ascertain the nature of the call and transfer the call appropriately.

Discussion and Ideas about Service Options The Peace River Regional District has discussed possible service options with the Oil and Gas Commission representative, and the following list presents activities for consideration: 

A call answer/dispatch centre that would: o Answer 9-1-1 calls o Dispatch fire and police o Transfer to British Columbia Ambulance Service o Receive and transfer oil and gas emergency calls o When calls for oil and gas emergencies are received through this system they could be:  Transferred to the Oil and Gas Commission, and  Notifications could be made to the potential companies operating in the area as reported by the caller or by known location, the local authority, MOTI, EMBC, etc.

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

The service could also include an alert/notification system that could be held by the Peace River Regional District that would integrate TELUS phone numbers with 9-1-1 locations and mapping provided by the Peace River Regional District and industry. For instance, if there was a gas release along a pipeline, someone at the Peace River Regional District or dispatch would receive the location information. Based on the mapping that was provided by one of the local oil and gas companies for their emergency preparedness zone, this centre could send a call out to those in the affected area to tell them to shelter in place while the responsible stakeholder(s) work on the release and dispatches.

The service could also be available in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for other emergencies such as forest fires or floods to provide evacuation alerts and orders via telephone

A Staged Approach to Creating and Oil and Gas Emergency Call Response System The costs associated with creating a single centre (entity) to implement the above items would be significant and may not be justifiable for the number of oil and gas emergency calls received each year. However, if the Regional District wishes to explore the idea further it may be practical to put a staged approach to implementation in place to create a more effective and reliable system for reporting oil and gas emergencies: For example, the Oil and Gas Commission, the Peace River Regional District, and applicable emergency services could develop a working group to examine the feasibility of an on-line centre to provide secondary support related to response and notification systems.

As well, the Peace River Regional District, RCMP North Region Operational Communication Centre, and the Oil and Gas Commission can consider collaborating on the creation of a new standard operating procedure to deal with oil and gas emergency calls routed through 9-1-1, ensuring that they are transferred directly to the Oil and Gas Commission duty officer (available on a 24-hour basis).

2.9.

Analysis of Existing Contracts

When 9-1-1 service was considered for implementation in the Peace River Regional District, the initial concept was to establish one centralized fire dispatch centre in Dawson Creek. The rationale was that the primary public safety answering point was the RCMP communication centre in Dawson Creek; therefore, it was deemed reasonable that the centralized fire dispatch centre would be established there. In the end, the Regional Board decided to establish two fire dispatch centres with Dawson Creek serving the South Peace area and Fort St. John serving the 30 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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3.2 North Peace area. [Note: analysis of the 9-1-1 Services provided by the RCMP is covered in the "Analysis of 9-1-1 Emergency Service Function and Bylaw" section.]

Based on a feasibility study, staffing levels for the Dawson Creek and Fort St. John fire dispatch centres were identified as requiring two full-time equivalent positions at each centre. In May of 2000, the cities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John jointly proposed a staffing model to the Peace River Regional District for each centre to have:    

Two full-time firefighter/dispatchers Wages based on 100 percent of a first class firefighter Annual increase calculated on the consumer price index Additional communications or audible devices installed in building

The proposal was approved by a Peace River Regional District Board resolution in May of 2000.

Other than the May 2000 proposal letter to the Peace River Regional District, there does not appear to be any contract documentation for the provision of fire dispatch services.

Deficiencies The current letter among the Peace River Regional District and the cities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John identifies the required number of fire dispatch positions and a loose funding formula. The letter does not address issues such as performance, indemnity, or a number of the other critical issues that should be addressed in a formal, fee-for-service agreement.

Comments If the Peace River Regional District decides to continue with the current fire dispatch service delivery model, we recommend that a formalized contract for service be developed and signed with the cities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. If the Regional District elects to implement a different fire dispatch service delivery model, it is recommended that a formalized contract for service be developed and signed with their service provider.

A formalized contract for service should include items such as:     

Description of facilities and infrastructure and the responsibilities of each party with respect to provision and maintenance thereof Detailed description of the services provided including standards of service Staffing model Description of operations Annualized fees for term of contract 31 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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    

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Insurance and indemnification Dispute resolution Term of contract Termination considerations

2.10. Alternative Service Delivery Considerations Fire Dispatch Services Alternatives With the changes in the TELUS 9-1-1 network, the Peace River Regional District has the option for fire dispatch service to be provided by a service provider that is located anywhere in the Province of British Columbia.

As a result of this change in technology, some of the larger centralized fire dispatch centres actively market their dispatch services to clients throughout the province. Alternative providers for fire dispatch service that meet or exceed the existing quality of level of service, reliability, and redundancy would include, but is not necessarily limited to, the Regional District of FraserFort George, Kelowna Fire Department, Surrey Fire Services, E-Comm Fire Dispatch and Kamloops Fire Rescue. Other dispatch centres in British Columbia would also be interested in providing this service. If the Peace River Regional District decided to pursue alternate service providers, an expression of interest or request for proposal process would be appropriate and allow interested parties to be identified by the Peace River Regional District.

An alternate dispatch fire dispatch service model utilizing dispatch services from a remote dispatch centre will need to address connectivity to the different fire departments’ radio systems. It will not be possible, as done currently, from Fort St. John to connect to the different fire departments directly via Land Mobile Radio, and as done from Dawson Creek for four of the seven fire departments. The radio systems of all 12 fire departments will have to be connected from the remote dispatch centre. Two options include: 1. Telephone-radio interconnect; and, 2. Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP).

Assuming a telephone-radio interconnect option that provides connectivity throughout the incident (such as the Zetron radio-interconnect), both options are operationally viable. The estimated capital cost for both options is the same at $2,500 per link (for a total cost of $30,000). The operating cost for the telephone-radio interconnect option will involve long distance telephone costs. The RoIP connection can be implemented using the public Internet or 32 | P a g e January 26, 2017

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using a data service from a service provider (e.g., using Multiprotocol Label Switching5 data service from Telus). Dispatch centres are currently using the public Internet for fire dispatch without any issues (e.g., E-Comm dispatches the Sea-to-Sky fire departments using the public Internet). This option does require adequate Internet data rates at the different radio base station locations, but does not involve any data service ongoing operating costs. Using data service such as MPLS does require ongoing operating costs.

It is expected that the centres listed above, and other possible centres, would meet the quality and level of service required by the Peace River Regional District while operating reliable systems with the required redundancy. As each service provider has specific costing formula— and as many of the alternative service providers require regional board or municipal council authorization to enter into preliminary costing discussions—if the Peace River Regional District was interested in exploring this option further, an expression of interest to provide centralized fire dispatch services would be necessary.

The estimated annual cost for centralized fire dispatch by an alternative service provider is $250,000 per year.

Different Contracted 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point Service Provider Since service implementation in June of 2001, the contracted 9-1-1 primary answering point has been an RCMP Operational Communications Centre. Dawson Creek Operational Communications Centre started the process and in 2004 many operational communication centres were amalgamated to the North Region Operational Communications Centre in Prince George. As detailed in the "Analysis of 9-1-1 Emergency Service Function and Bylaw" section, this is a common arrangement throughout the province (with the exception of E-Comm 9-1-1 in Metro Vancouver).

At the time of writing the previous report, contracting an alternative 9-1-1 service provider had technical and resulting financial constraints. Recent changes by TELUS now allow interconnection between the 9-1-1 switching centres without the fees for dedicated trunk lines that previously made this cost prohibitive. This change has made alternate 9-1-1 service provider solutions possible without prohibitive trunking charges. As a result E-Comm is now actively offering their call answer services to other jurisdictions.

5

Commonly referred to as MPLS, this is a network process that allows data to be directed in a much more timely manner using a variety of different network protocols

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Further, in 2013 the RCMP revised their costing formula for the provision of PSAP services. This revision, which is part in parcel to the MOU signed in 2013 between the RCMP and the Regional District, resulted in a cost increase of over $100,000 per year.

2.11. New 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point As noted in the "Analysis of 9-1-1 Emergency Service Function and Bylaw" section, one of the possible options being discussed between the Peace River Regional District and the Oil and Gas Commission representative is the creation of a new 9-1-1/dispatch service provider. This could be accomplished by creating a new centre that would be established, implemented, and staffed as a new entity within the Peace River Regional District operations; or an RFP could be issued inviting one of the existing fire dispatch centres to take on the 9-1-1 primary call answer service on behalf of Peace River Regional District.

The challenges with either approach are as follows: 

Costs—The volume of calls versus staffing/training requirements does not come close to justifying the expense in comparison to the existing arrangement with the RCMP.



Liability—Being directly responsible for 9-1-1 has an extensive list of additional requirements that must be met to legally protect the Peace River Regional District.

A further review of 9-1-1 service provider options should occur given that recent changes in the Telus architecture has resulted in a reduction of major provincial PSAPs.

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3. Conclusions and Recommendations The purpose of this review was: (1) to examine the 9-1-1 service for effectiveness, efficiencies and affordability, looking at processes, systems and equipment to deliver emergency 9-1-1 call answer service, (2) to look at the integration of fire dispatch services to 11 fire departments, and (3) suggest solutions for public reporting of emergencies related to oil and gas activities through the primary public safety answer point service area.

In forming these recommendations, Pomax considered that the Peace River Regional District is striving to achieve an enhanced level of service delivery at an acceptable cost to the public, especially considering the recent dramatic cost increases for both 9-1-1 and fire dispatch fulltime equivalent personnel.

3.1.

Conclusions

Through this review, the consulting team has determined that the current contracted 9-1-1 and fire dispatch services are delivered in an effective manner.

In comparison to alternative fire dispatch providers from outside the Peace River Regional District, the current model is very expensive. Costs could be mitigated by moving to one fire dispatch for the region, however, this still would be considerably more expensive in comparison to other systems.

The predicted growth in the region (see "Appendix D—Peace River Regional Population Projections – 2014-2023") does not change the future economics for local fire dispatch in the region.

The future fire dispatch contract should include a requirement for meeting NFPA 1221, as well as a requirement for the delivery of real-time redundancy/backup. Specific contractual details have been included in "Appendix F—Cost Comparison Between Fire Dispatch."

The inventory of fire dispatch equipment is in very good condition. Pomax recommends just a few replacements or upgrades. A model for future equipment purchase and maintenance responsibilities has been included, reference Equipment Purchase and Maintenance—Model B With the changes in the TELUS 9-1-1 network, Pomax recommends that the Regional District conduct a Request for Expression of Interest process to determine if there are more cost effective options for the provision of 9-1-1 Call Answer service upon conclusion of the existing contract or sooner if the provisions of the contract permit.

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The Peace River Regional District addressing process and system are state of the art, and could serve as an example for many regional districts. Some immediate process improvements are required throughout the province in order to get the best possible location information for emergencies services. The Peace River Regional District team should take a lead in the province to make this happen.

3.2.

Recommendations

The consulting team recommends the following.

Fire Dispatch Services For fire dispatching services, the Peace River Regional District should: 







Pursue the option of contracting an alternative fire dispatch provider with full-time dispatchers to replace both the South and North Region fire dispatch centres, or alternatively, create a combined, single regional fire dispatch centre with full-time dispatchers at one of the existing centres.

Ensure that new fire dispatch service contracts include the service provider to meet NFPA 1221 requirements including real-time redundancy/backup and service delivery standards.

Develop and implement a service contract with either the city of Fort St. John or an alternate service provider structured such that the contractor is responsible for all aspects of the fire dispatch service delivery, including the supply and maintenance of all equipment and technology. If the PRRD is to keep fire dispatch locally, Fort St. John is better suited to this role than Dawson Creek.

Ensure the regional fire chiefs’ meetings, that occur twice a year, include a specific activity to address fire dispatch (utilizing the same format the Pomax consulting team followed during the fire departments meeting on August 27, 2012).

Fire Equipment Inventory For fire equipment inventory, the Peace River Regional District should:  



Adopt Model B for future equipment purchase and maintenance, including any new or upgraded equipment for the dispatch centre.

Upgrade or replace the current inventory of system equipment with a focus on standardization. (See the section entitled, “Recommended Equipment Upgrades and Replacements.”)

Ensure appropriate budgeting is maintained for system equipment and technology replacement or upgrades on an approximate ten-year service life cycle.

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9-1-1 Services For 9-1-1 services, the Peace River Regional District should:   



Conduct an RFEI to determine if there are other potential 9-1-1 Call Answer providers and the approximate cost.

Undertake the two-staged collaboration process detailed in the section entitled, “A Staged Approach to Creating an Oil and Gas Emergency Call Response System".

Have the civic addressing team take a lead role provincially to coordinate the improvement of addressing information for 9-1-1 call answer and emergency services dispatch; As well, immediate action should be taken to rectify the differences between provincial and regional district road names.

Work with NorthwesTel to ensure they provide a proper civic address for landline installations in the areas they serve.

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Appendices Appendix A—Acronyms Acronyms used in this report are presented below for references purposes.

ALI ANI CISC CRTC E9-1-1 ECNS EMS ESWG FCC GIS ICLU NENA NFPA NG9-1-1 RCMP T9-1-1

Automatic Location Identification Automatic Number Identification CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission Enhanced 9-1-1 Enhanced Community Notification System Emergency Medical Service Emergency Services [E9-1-1] Working Group Federal Communications Commission Geographic Information System In-Call Location Update [aka Rebid] National Emergency Number Association National Fire Protection Association Next Generation 9-1-1 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Text from 9-1-1

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3.2 Appendix B—NFPA Alarm Time Line

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Appendix C—9-1-1 Call Flow and Statistics 911 Calls

911 Dispatch in Prince George Ambulance calls

BCAS in Kamloops

Ambulance Stations closest to incident site  Chetwynd  Dawson Creek  Fort St. John  Hudson’s Hope  Tumbler Ridge

Police calls

Fire calls South Peace

North Peace

Dawson Creek Fire Dept.

Fort St. John Fire Dept.

Fire Dept. / Fire Society in  Arras  Chetwynd  Dawson Creek  Moberly Lake  Pouce Coupe  Tomslake  Tumbler Ridge

Fire Dept. / Fire Society for  Beryl Prairie  Charlie Lake  Fort St. John  Hudson’s Hope  Taylor

Incident Site

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RCMP Vehicles or Detachment closest to incident site

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Appendix D—Peace River Regional Population Projections – 2014-2023 Year

Projected Population

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

65,316 66,365 67,543 68,746 69,896 70,947 71,936 72,813 73,676 74,463

January 26, 2017

R-4

Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

Appendix E—Escalating RCMP 9-1-1 Services Contract Estimates

January 26, 2017

R-4

Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

January 26, 2017

R-4

Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

January 26, 2017

R-4

Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

January 26, 2017

R-4

Peace River Regional District Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review Update 2015

3.2

Appendix F—Cost Comparison Between Fire Dispatch Models

Fire Dispatch Model Comparison Current Model—No Change (including recommended dispatch technology upgrade)

Current Model—full-time dispatchers (including recommended dispatch technology upgrade)

Combined Single Regional Fire Dispatch Centre—full-time dispatchers (using the Fort St. John facility)

Combined Single Regional Fire Dispatch Centre—full-time dispatchers (using the Dawson Creek facility)

Brand new Regional Fire Dispatch and 9-1-1 Centre with support for Oil and Gas Emergencies Contract an Alternative Fire Dispatch Centre with full-time dispatchers from outside the Peace River Regional District

Staffing (full-time equivalent)

4.0*

Annual Operating Costs ($)

475,000

11.2*

1,176,000

5.6*

588,000

One-Time Capital Cost Computer aided dispatch for South Region—$200,000 Upgrade of Zetrons at both location = $176,000 Computer aided dispatch for South Region—$200,000 Upgrade of Zetrons at both location = $176,000

Upgrade of Zetrons at location = $130,000 Computer aided dispatch for South Region—$200,000

Total, (1st year only ) ($)

851,000

1,552,000

718,000

5.6*

588,000

11.2*

1,176,000

2 Positions— $200,000**

1,376,000

Not Applicable

250,000

$125,000 to interface

375,000

Upgrade of Zetrons at both location = $130,000

818,000

* Using estimated annual full-time dispatcher full-time equivalent cost of $105,000 ** Assumes utilizing relocated existing fire dispatch equipment from both north and south locations

January 26, 2017

ITEM # 3

R-4 3.2

Security Classification/Designation

Royal Canadian Gendarmerie royale Mounted Police du Canada

Rick GREENWOOD, Inspector Max XIAO, Regional Director Finance E Division RCMP Headquarters 14200 Green Timbers Way, Surrey, BC V3T 6P3 Trish Morgan Manager of Community Services P0 Box 810, 1981 Alaska Ave Dawson Creek, BC, V1G 4H8

Your File

Our File

2013-09-06 Dear Sir/Madame 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (9-1-1 PSAP) Service Delivery ‘et al’ RCMP

Further to the meeting on 201 3-08-15, the purpose of this letter is to provide a summary of the RCMPs position to assist you in informing your 9-1-1 Governance Board.

At the meeting, Max XIAO, RCMP Regional Director of Finance confirmed the financial schedules are final, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is almost final and the number of resources required to provide the service is still up for discussion.

He provided a historic and corporate overview as well as a ‘road map” for the 0CC Program to continue or terminate supplying 9-1-1 PSAP service on behalf of the 9-1-1 Governing Authority. This is summarized below. that Overview: The RCMP had a 20 year contract with the Province of British Columbia was renewed in 2012. Historically, the RCMP was characterized as being too ‘reactive’ in their operations while ‘accommodating’ multiple demands. The 2006 Brown Report characterized the RCMP as operating outside their capacity with an “inability to say NO”. Other organizational influence included the Federal Treasury Board’s Deficit Reduction Plan and years of zero growth at the provincial level. Other recurring themes te during the contract renewal were calls for standardization (consistency), core manda rency. (scope creep), accountability (fairness) and transpa 0CC Context: PSAP service is outside of the ROMP mandate and is not a police function or core duty. It has synergies with police dispatch and there are benefits through partnering and integration.

If the ROMP is to continue to provide PSAP Service, we must follow the terms prescribed by ROMP and National HQ in Ottawa. The basis of recovery is consistent Page

January 26, 2017

of 2

Canad

R-4

Security Classification/Designation

Policing Service Agreement (PPSA) but is not a result of the PPSA nor is it caused by any provincial direction or influence.

3.2

As PSAP is outside the RCMPs mandate, we will only continue PSAP service on a full cost recovery basis at appropriate staffing levels within our existing service delivery model. We have been providing information to all stakeholders since July 2012 as the RCMP wants transparency for our costing model and our financial reporting. The ROMP has incorporated input and good advice from many of the Regional Districts with developing the financial schedules. The financial schedules are in their final form and the basis for issuing invoices for the new 2013 calendar year. Invoices for January March 2013 have already been issued.

-

Road Map: The RCMP and the Representatives discussed a road map to provide a date for various milestones and key decision points. At this cross road there are 2 options for the 9-1-1 Governing Authorities to consider: 1) Continue to partner with ROMP OCOs and sign the MOU. 2) Begin the process to exit and transition to a new PSAP Service Provider.

The MOU is in its final or near final version that cannot be a ‘contract’. ROMP seeks a Qth, 2013, however, 3 written decision on signing the MOU. The date proposed was Sept many requested time to properly inform their respective 9-1-1 Governance Boards. The ROMP will agree to a new date of December 31, 2013. If no response is received by that date, the ROMP will provide 12 months notice and implement a formal exit process to terminate PSAP service delivery.

Further, for full transparency, the MOU decision is step 1.

Step 2 will ensure proper resourcing for the COOs to continue to provide PSAP service.

The lack of clarity for the responsibility of abandoned wireless 9-1-1 calls and existing unmeasured workload may further impact PSAP resourcing requirements. The ROMP will require adequate resources and in all likelihood, additional resources, than currently funded for. These are considerations that should form part of your decision making criteria on the signing the new MOU with the ROMP. If an agreement can’t be reached, the ROMP will exit out of the PSAP Service and support and facilitate the execution of your decision professionally regardless of your choice. The ROMP encourages the 9-1-1 Governing Authority to do their due diligence to ensure that PSAP service delivery is cost effective for the tax payer.

Kind re

E Div COO Program Management

ax XIAO Regional Director Finance

Page 2 of 2

January 26, 2017

Peace River Regional District - Budget Working Paper - Page 42 Service Fund Category

Regional General Operating - 01 2500 911 Emergency Telephone System

2015

Acct

Category

#

See Note

3.2 R-4

2014 Budget

Account Name

REVENUE 2500 911 Emergency Telephone System 01-1-2500110 Requisition - electoral 01-1-2500111 Requisition - municipal 01-1-2500120 Grants-in-lieu 01-1-2500157 3 Recovered costs 01-1-2500190 Unappropriated surplus Total Category Revenue Tax Rates (based on current year assessments)>>

Total Amount to Requisition: 1,050,900 Prior Year Requisition: 926,255 Change from Prior Year 124,645

2014 Actual

2014 Variance

628,246 298,009 120,000 4,000 151,601

628,246 298,009 107,141 5,384 151,601

-12,859 1,384 -0

1,201,856

1,190,381

-11,475

0.046 Change from LY

0.003

926,255 120,000

151,601 4,000

1,201,856 EXPENDITURES 2500 911 Emergency Telephone System 01-2-2500210 10 Travel, Meals, Train, Conf, Wkshp 5,000 01-2-2500218 Memberships 350 01-2-2500230 Phones 2,000 01-2-2500244 5 911 Review & Implementation & RDFFG Project5,000 01-2-2500260 Insurance 4,900 01-2-2500261 Administration Fees 22,366 01-2-2500301 8 Equipment 90,000 01-2-2500303 2/4 Radio Towers 16,000 01-2-2500327 7 Licenses 4,000 01-2-2500329 Satellite Service (Infosat) 6,000 01-2-2500362 Supplies - Office & Computer 2,500 01-2-2500519 4 Contracts - Glentel 25,440 01-2-2500521 Interconnect Service (Telus + NWTel) 112,000 01-2-2500522 1-a Contract - Dispatch (RCMP) 414,000 01-2-2500523 1-b Contract - Dispatch (DC) 217,300 01-2-2500524 1-c Contract - Dispatch (FSJ) 250,000 01-2-2500603 9 Transfer to Capital Reserve 25,000

Total Category Expenditures

ITEM #4

Portfolio Chair Staff Manager of Community Services 6 Requisition Exhibit (Used same, 2% inflation, or actual) Adopted March 26, 2015

1,201,856

Surplus (deficit) carry forward

Requisition/Parcel Tax Grants Borrowing Proceeds Trsf. From Reserves Prior Year Surplus Other

2015 Budget

710,070 340,831 120,000 4,000 17,064

2016

2017

2018

2019

Budget

Budget

Budget

Budget

705,464 338,620 122,400 4,000 -

714,252 342,839 124,848 4,000 -

726,802 348,862 127,345 4,000 -

1,191,964 1,170,484 1,185,939 1,207,009 0.049

0.049

0.049

4,000

4,000

4,000

1,191,964 1,170,484 1,185,939 1,207,009

2,410

4,896 22,366 51,260 4,529 5,336 64 27,221 118,125 434,685 241,784 235,642 25,000 1,173,318 17,064

-2,590 -350 -2,000 -5,000 -4 -38,740 -11,471 -4,000 -664 -2,436 1,781 6,125 20,685 24,484 -14,358 -28,539 Change from

10,000 700 2,000 7,000 4,700 46,924 30,000 10,000 4,000 6,000 2,500 30,240 120,000 445,000 232,900 215,000 25,000

10,000 714 2,040 5,000 4,700 46,924 30,600 10,200 4,080 6,120 2,550 30,845 122,400 420,613 237,558 211,140 25,000

10,000 728 2,081 4,794 46,924 31,212 10,404 4,162 6,242 2,601 31,462 124,848 427,809 242,309 215,363 25,000

1,229,511

0.050

1,050,900 1,044,084 1,057,091 1,075,664 122,400 124,848 127,345 120,000

17,064 4,000

740,285 355,334 129,892 4,000 -

10,000 743 2,122 4,890 46,924 31,836 10,612 4,245 6,367 2,653 32,091 127,345 435,355 247,155 219,670 25,000

1,191,964 1,170,484 1,185,939 1,207,009

0.051

1,095,619 129,892

4,000 1,229,511 10,000 758 2,165 4,988 46,924 32,473 10,824 4,330 6,495 2,706 32,733 129,892 444,062 252,098 224,063 25,000 1,229,511

(9,892) -0.82%

LY Budget Budget Notes: RCMP, Prince George: 3.4 FTE (wages & benefits & Facility Overhead). Per 5-year schedule. This year $420,613. Rounded to $421,000 1-a

1-b

Dawson Creek: 2 Full time Firefighters (wages & benefits). Received from City of DC Jan. 24/15 ($232,814.40 rounded to $232,900)

1-c

Fort St. John: 2 Full time Firefighters (wages & benefits). Received from City of FSJ Dec. 29/14 ($214,934.40 rounded to $215,000)

2 3 4 5 6 7

Includes tower rental, tower maintenance and hydro Includes revenue from Blueberry, Doig, Halfway, Saulteau and West Moberly Reserves for 911 service (approx. $3,400) - Plus PRIS tower rental Contract for preventative maintenance only and satellite service and tower rental.

Continue to implement recommendation of study ($5K). Plus $2K to do a 911 Options for Northern BC in partnership with RDFFG Accounting requirement to show interest earned on reserves (In/Out) with no tax effect. Recording purposes only - no budget.

Includes Industry Canada radio licenses.

8

Equipment includes cost for equipment replacement, repair and maintenance for items outside of Glentel's preventative maintenance contract. Also includes battery replacement.

Building a Capital Reserve for two reasons. One is that all functions that have capital equipment should have a capital reserve for replacements (ideally 9 it should be equal to the accumulated depreciation). The second reason is that CRTC will soon be requiring a change over to a new system that will allow for text and video transmissions which will result in a higher capital cost. This could happen at any time.

10 Protective Services Manager will be required to attend Provincial 911 meetings.

As of Dec. 31, 2014 Fund

38

Tangible Capital Assets Machinery & Equipment

Original

Accu. Dep.

210,143

160,760

Total

210,143

Annual Depreciation Expense

21,014

160,760 Equity

Net Value No Debenture

49,383 49,383 Capital Reserve Balance Dec. 31 70,397

January 26, 2017

25,114

R-4 3.2

Peace River Regional District - Budget Working Paper - Page 43 EXHIBIT

6 Category

911 Emergency Telephone Services

1-2500

Converted Hospital Assessment - Improvements ONLY

Basis of Apportionment:

None Tax Rate or Other Limitations: LGA s. 800 (2) (f) Bylaw 1263, 1999 Adopted March 26, 2015

Requisition Amount

Tax Rate Per 1000

Figures for Apportionment

Percent

Prior Year Adjustment

Adjusted Requisition

Tumbler Ridge

40,875

0.049

83,103,072

3.89%

Dawson Creek

84,159

0.049

171,104,350

8.01%

Hudson's Hope

16,493

0.049

33,531,264

1.57%

153,729

0.049

312,546,709

14.63%

8

153,737

16,423

0.049

33,388,961

1.56%

(31)

16,392

3,911

0.049

7,950,659

0.37%

(16)

3,894

Fort St. John Taylor Pouce Coupe Chetwynd

(108)

40,767

7

84,167

(171)

16,321

25,536

0.049

51,917,159

2.43%

17

25,553

Area B

333,598

0.049

678,239,208

31.74%

(176)

333,422

Area C

76,561

0.049

155,656,387

7.29%

(0)

76,561

Area D

169,576

0.049

344,764,647

16.14%

900

170,475

Area E

130,041

0.049

264,387,164

12.37%

(429)

129,612

Total

1,050,900

0.049

2,136,589,580 100.00%

(0)

1,050,900

Area E - Jurisdiction 759 Area E - Jurisdiction 760

128,400 1,641 130,041

See Area E Jurisdiction Split Below

Municipal Requisition Electoral Requisition Total Requisition

261,050,325 3,336,839 264,387,164

98.74% 1.26% 100%

(424) (5) (429)

127,976 1,636 129,612

340,831 710,070 1,050,900 After Prior Year Adj

Last Year Requisition Assessment Tax Rate

926,255 2,000,428,456 0.046 Class 1 - Residential

Change % 13.5% 6.8% 6.2%

Change $ 124,645 136,161,124 0.003

Total All Other Classes

400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 Tumbler Ridge

Dawson Creek

Hudson's Hope

Fort St. John

Taylor

Pouce Coupe

Chetwynd

Area B

Area C

Area D

Area E

January 26, 2017

R-4 ITEM #5 3.2

PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT 9‐1‐1 CALLS 911 Call Count History 2002 Total % Calls

2003

2005

2004

Total Calls %

17,944

Total Calls %

Total Calls %

Total Calls %

2011 Total Calls

2012 Total % Calls

2013 Total % Calls

2014 Total Calls %

15,746

15,492

17,830

18,835

16,738

17,736

70%

9,655

69%

13,191

74%

9,501

63%

10,370

63%

8,717

61%

9,000

59%

9,507

60%

9,358 60% 11,267

BC Ambulance

2,126

15%

2,324

17%

2,443

14%

3,082

20%

3,001

18%

2,952

21%

3,385

22%

3,397

22%

3,174 20%

3,440

Dawson Creek Fire Dispatch Dawson Creek Fire * Chetwynd Fire Tumbler Ridge Fire Pouce Coupe Fire Tomslake Fire Moberly Lake Arras Fire

329 340 75 50 18 16 30 17 546

2% 62% 14% 9% 3% 3% 5% 3%

354 347 83 58 16 7 26 8 545

3% 64% 15% 11% 3% 1% 5% 1%

332 326 109 27 16 6 19 7 510

2% 64% 21% 5% 3% 1% 4% 1%

353 407 82 46 25 2 18 4 584

2% 70% 14% 8% 4% 0% 3% 1%

666 430 123 85 20 13 50 12 733

4% 59% 17% 12% 3% 2% 7% 2%

400 410 89 81 19 4 21 6 630

3% 65% 14% 13% 3% 1% 3% 1%

550 420 97 124 21 16 18 7 703

4% 60% 14% 18% 3% 2% 3% 1%

468 408 80 110 24 21 20 5 668

3% 61% 12% 16% 4% 3% 3% 1%

491 3% 397 58% 94 14% 134 20% 20 3% 15 2% 13 2% 8 1% 681

384 388 105 172 27 14 9 7 722

Fort St. John Fire Dispatch Fort St. John Fire * Charlie Lake Fire Taylor Fire Hudson's Hope Fire Wildfire Management

324 192 33 79 20

2% 59% 10% 24% 6%

317 479 46 59 13

2% 80% 8% 10% 2%

417 606 71 72 23

2% 78% 9% 9% 3%

391 645 30 123 21

3% 79% 4% 15% 3%

609 816 55 138 39

4% 78% 5% 13% 4%

435 577 41 112 26

3% 76% 5% 15% 3%

561 666 57 90 24

4% 80% 7% 11% 3%

478 649 58 109 47

3% 75% 7% 13% 5%

475 3% 717 78% 57 6% 112 12% 38 4%

339 1037 49 111 26

TOTAL North Peace Fire Calls

324

924

1223

1048

15,355

2010 Total % Calls

9,800

819

14,349

Total Calls %

2009 Total % Calls

RCMP

772

16,527

2008

14,075

597

15,051

2007

Total 911 Calls

TOTAL South Peace Fire Calls

13,943

Total Calls %

2006

756

837

863

11,362 60% 3,893 21% 483 391 127 194 27 11 14 9 773

3% 51% 16% 41% 3% 22% 11% 17%

471 3% 807 78% 51 5% 127 12% 52 5% 1037

57%

4,017 24%

4,163

23%

2% 51% 17% 25% 3% 19% 9% 20%

511 428 129 159 30 9 16 8 779

3% 55% 17% 20% 4% 1% 2% 1%

432 3% 784 76% 63 6% 140 14% 46 4%

431 812 145 81 53 19 1110

2% 73% 13% 7% 5% 2%

77

0.4%

380 367 121 178 26 12 13 9 726

1033 51

Non‐PSAP Agency Abandoned

9,743 58% 10,122

1,496

11%

1,293

9%

1,561

9%

1,724

11%

1,881

11%

1,845

13%

1,859

12%

1,896

12%

1,994

13% 2,400

2,626

14%

2,119

0.3%

13% 2,432

* Not all fire response calls go through the 9‐1‐1 Call Centre, eg.auto‐dialer fire alarm systems, old community dialup service, therefore there may be some variance between the total number of calls a fire department responded to if they were not provided assistance from dispatch ** 911 system was implemented June 2001

January 26, 2017

14%

R-4 ITEM #6 3.2

911/Fire Dispatch Costs: Historical & Projected 911 PSAP Cost per Call

2002 Contract Amount (estimated 2016 & 2017) $ 100,000 Actual # calls from 2002 and 2009 to 2014 (average # calls from last 5 years from 2015 to 2017) 14,075 Cost Per Call $ 7.10

Dawson Creek Fire Dispatch (SSAP)

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 $ 350,414 $ 294,800 $ 305,600 $ 301,073 $ 398,633 $ 430,625 $ 443,398 $ 450,155 $ 457,269 15,746 15,492 17,830 18,835 16,738 17,736 17,326 17,326 17,326 $ 22.25 $ 19.03 $ 17.14 $ 15.98 $ 23.82 $ 24.28 $ 25.59 $ 25.98 $ 26.39

2002 Contract Amount Dawson Creek (estimated 2016 & 2017) $ 122,901

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 $ 186,468 $ 190,200 $ 191,130 $ 205,390 $ 216,300 $ 220,626 $ 225,039 $ 229,539 $ 234,130

Actual # calls from 2002 and 2009 to 2014 (average # calls from last 5 years from 2015 to 2017) 546 Cost per South Peace call through DC Dispatch $ 225.09

668 681 722 773 726 779 645 645 645 $ 279.14 $ 279.30 $ 264.72 $ 265.71 $ 297.93 $ 283.22 $ 348.90 $ 355.87 $ 362.99

Fort St John Fire Dispatch (SSAP)

2002 Contract Amount Fort St John (estimated 2016 & 2017) $ 122,901

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 $ 193,646 $ 183,600 $ 183,514 $ 183,600 $ 240,000 $ 211,140 $ 215,363 $ 219,670 $ 224,063

Actual # calls from 2002 and 2009 to 2014 (average # calls from last 5 years from 2015 to 2017) 324 Cost per call North Peace through FSJ Dispatch $ 379.32

863 924 1,223 1,037 1,033 1,110 977 977 977 $ 224.39 $ 198.70 $ 150.05 $ 177.05 $ 232.33 $ 190.22 $ 220.43 $ 224.84 $ 229.34

TOTAL Cost Per Call for Fire Dispatch (SSAP)

2002 Contract Amount Fort St John & Dawson Creek (estimated 2016 & 2017) $ 245,802

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 $ 380,114 $ 373,800 $ 374,644 $ 388,990 $ 456,300 $ 431,766 $ 440,402 $ 449,209 $ 458,193

Actual # calls from 2002 and 2009 to 2014 (average # calls from last 5 years from 2015 to 2017) 870 Cost per call through DC & FSJ Dispatch $ 282.53

1531 1,605 1,945 1,810 1,759 1,889 1,686 1,686 1,686 $ 248.28 $ 232.90 $ 192.62 $ 214.91 $ 259.41 $ 228.57 $ 261.21 $ 266.43 $ 271.76

TOTAL 911/Fire Dispatch Budget (includes equipment, TelCo Charges, etc.)

2002

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

$550,500

$956,194

$964,966

$917,166

$967,766

$1,114,366

$1,201,856

$1,191,964

$1,407,484

$1,215,939

Comparison Costs per call RDFFG 911 PSAP $ 11.46 Fire Dispatch $ 136.00

January 26, 2017

% Increase last 7 years (2009 to 2015)

% Increase from 2002 to 2015

27%

343%

% Increase last 7 years (2009 to 2015)

% Increase from 2002 to 2015

21%

83%

% Increase last 7 years (2009 to 2015)

% Increase from 2002 to 2015

11%

75%

% Increase last 7 years (2009 to 2015)

% Increase from 2002 to 2015

16%

79%

% Increase last 7 years (2009 to 2015)

% Increase from 2002 to 2015

25%

117%

ITEM #7

R-4

January 26, 2017

3.2

Peace River Regional District REPORT To: Chair & Directors

Date:

R-4 3.2

June 4, 2015

From: Trish Morgan, Manager of Community Services Subject: Authorization to proceed with a Request for Expressions of Interest for 9-1-1 Public Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services

RECOMMENDATIONS: (1) That the Committee of the Whole recommend to the Regional Board that: A. staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing 9-1-1 Public Safety Answer Point Service (PSAP); and B. upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, that staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed based on the findings.

AND/ (2) That the Committee of the Whole recommend to the Regional Board that: A. staff be authorized to issue a “Request for Expressions of Interest” to identify agencies and organizations who may be interested in providing fire dispatch services; B. that the “Request for Expressions of Interest” document provide for the flexibility of an agency to express their interest in providing fire dispatch services for either the North Peace, the South Peace or the entire Peace Region; and C. upon receipt and review of the expressions of interest, that staff develop a report for the Regional Board with options on how to proceed.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: In 2012 the Regional District contracted Pomax Inc. to: 1. Determine service effectiveness, efficiency and affordability of the 9-1-1 call answering services and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings; 2. Determine the service effectiveness, efficiency and affordability of the fire dispatch service and propose operating options for service improvement and cost savings; and 3. Examine the possible use of 9-1-1 call answering as a point to report oil and gas emergencies.

Pomax updated their review in 2015 and two of the key recommendations are as follows: 1) Conduct a “Request for Expressions of Interest” (RFEI) to determine if there are potential 9-1-1 Call Answer providers and the approximate cost. (P. 37) 2) Pursue the option of contracting an alternative fire dispatch provider with full-time dispatchers to replace both the South and North Region fire dispatch centres, or alternatively, create a combined, single regional fire dispatch centre with full-time dispatchers at one of the existing centres. (P. 36) Staff Initials:

Dept. Head:

January 26, 2017

CAO:

Page 1 of 3

Report – Chair and Directors June 4, 2015

Page 2 of 3

R-4 3.2

It is important to recognize in the Pomax report that although “the current contracted 9-1-1 and fire dispatch services are delivered in an effective manner” (p. 35), that the Regional District is facing rapidly increasing costs to provide the service, and as a result of Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), it will continue to increase substantially in the future (as much as 30%). Alternative service providers may be able to provide the same level of service at a reduced cost due to economies of scale and may be positioned better to manage the increasing work load, costs and management of changing technology and equipment, risk management/liability and records management that will follow with the implementation of NG911.

Following the recommendations in the Pomax report, staff is suggesting that the Regional District move forward with issuing two separate “Requests for Expressions of Interest” – one for 9-1-1 Primary Safety Answer Point Services and one for fire dispatch services. This strategy will provide the Regional District the opportunity to identify potential service providers but does not obligate the Regional District to make any changes at this time. It will also provide an opportunity for our current contract service providers to consider if they are still interested in providing the service in the future.

What is a “Request for Expressions of Interest” (RFEI)?

An RFEI is used to determine whether or not there is sufficient market interest to proceed to a competitive bidding process in the future for a particular service. There is no evaluation, ranking, or selection of vendors as a result and it is not be used to pre-qualify or screen vendors for a subsequent competitive bidding process. In the event there is sufficient interest in providing the particular service, the Regional District may, but is not obligated to, initiate a competitive bidding opportunity.

Note that the Regional District Purchasing Policy does not discuss RFEI’s as an option, as a RFEI is not a purchasing tool, but simply a tool to explore whether there may be a provider of a service (or goods) in the market place. If there is sufficient interest in providing a service, the Board may direct staff to issue a “Request for Proposal”, which would follow the Regional District’s Purchasing Policy.

STRATEGIC PLAN RELEVANCE: “The PRRD will provide cost effective access to protective and emergency services including 911 call services by 2018 to its residents.”

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION(S): costs of advertising the RFEI. COMMUNICATIONS CONSIDERATION(S): The two “Requests for Expressions of Interest” will be advertised on/in: - the Regional District website - Northeast News - CivicInfo - BC Bid Information will also be sent directly to our current contract service providers (RCMP, City of Dawson Creek, City of Fort St John) to ensure that they have an opportunity to consider and respond with an expression of interest, if they so choose.

January 26, 2017

Report – Chair and Directors June 4, 2015

Page 3 of 3

R-4 3.2

OTHER CONSIDERATION(S): please see the following: 1) Presentation on 9-1-1 & Fire Dispatch Services 2) Emergency 9-1-1 Call Answer Service and Fire Dispatch Service Review: March 2015 (Pomax Inc.) 3) Letter from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, September 6, 2013 4) 2015 Budget Working Paper for “9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System” 5) 9-1-1 Call Count History 6) 9-1-1/Fire Dispatch Historical & Projected Costs 7) 9-1-1 & Fire Dispatch Diagram 7 will also be provided at the Committee of the Whole Please note that items 3 through 6 meeting in paper format.

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R-4 North Island 9-1-1 Corporation serving the regional districts of Alberni-Clayoquot, Comox Valley, Mt. Waddington, Nanaimo (School District #69), Powell River, and Strathcona

File: 9-FOI December 20, 2016 Sent via email: chris.cvik@prrd.bc.ca Chris Cvik Chief Administrative Officer Peace River Regional District PO Box 810 – 1981 Alaska Ave Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 Dear Chris: Re:

Access to information request for North Island 9-1-1 Corporation

Thank you for your recent consultation request received by the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation (NI911) on December 15, 2016. In my opinion it would be best that no information regarding our NI911 proposal for provision of fire dispatch services be released until after the official award of the service agreement has occurred and subsequent rise and report motion.

It is my understanding that approval for award of this service agreement is scheduled to occur at the January 12, 2017 Peace River Regional District (PRRD) in-camera board meeting. It would be reasonable in my view that disclosure of our request for proposal (RFP) happen after this date. I trust that this would still be within the allowable 30 business day response period under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act as it appears that from the time of receipt of the request to the PRRD this date is estimated to be on or about the 24 of January, 2017.

When making our RFP document available please remove all proprietary information under section 21(1)(a)(ii) The head of a public body must refuse to disclose to an applicant information that would reveal commercial, financial, labour relations, scientific or technical information about a third party.

A copy of our recent proposal for the provision of fire dispatch services with suggested redacting has been attached for your review.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely, Debra Oakman, CPA, CMA Secretary Enclosure:

NI911 Proposal (severed)

als\ 600 Comox Road, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 3P6 Telephone (250) 334-6000 • Fax No. (250) 334-4358 TOLL FREE: 1-800-331-6007

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North Island 9-1-1 Corporation serving the regional districts of Alberni-Clayoquot, Comox Valley, Mt. Waddington, Nanaimo (School District #69), Powell River, and Strathcona

Proposal from The North Island 9-1-1 Corporation for the provision of Fire Dispatch Services to the Peace River Regional District RFP SSAP Fire Dispatch No. 8-2016 Proponent:

North Island 9-1-1 Corporation 600 Comox Road Courtenay, BC V9N 3P6 Contact Person: Marie Lapp Email: mlapp@comoxvalleyrd.ca Phone: 250-334-6000

Closing Location:

Peace River Regional District PO Box 810 - 1981 Alaska Ave Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8

Closing Date and Time: August 15, 2016 1400hrs (PST)

Contact Person:

Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services Prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca

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North Island 9-1-1 Corporation serving the regional districts of Alberni-Clayoquot, Comox Valley, Mt. Waddington, Nanaimo (School District #69), Powell River, and Strathcona

CONFIDENTIAL August 10, 2016

Peace River Regional District PO Box 810 - 1981 Alaska Ave Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 Attention: Trish Morgan – General Manager of Community& Electoral Area Services Dear Ms. Morgan, Re:

Expression of Interest - fire dispatch services

Please find enclosed a cost proposal from the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation to deliver fire dispatch services to the Peace River Regional District. The information contained in in the attached proposal is valid for a period of Ninety (90) days commencing August 15, 2016. We ask your consideration in keeping the enclosed information confidential.

Any inquiries or follow up questions can be directed to Marie Lapp at 250-334-6000 or mlapp@comoxvalleyrd.ca. Additional information about the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation can be found at www.ni911.ca

Sincerely,

Brian Pearson Senior manager of IS & GIS, Comox Valley Regional District Deputy Secretary, North Island 9-1-1 Corporation

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R-4 PRRD Fire Dispatch RFP #8-2016

Table of Contents Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 4 4.1 Organization Overview ................................................................................................................. 5 4.1 (a) Technology Evolution Plan............................................................................................... 5 4.1 (b) Current Potential Risks and Mitigation Strategies ............................................................ 5 4.1 (c&d) Funding Sources and risks associated with loss of key clients .................................... 6 4.1 (e) Union certification for call takers and dispatchers if applicable ..................................... 6 4.1 (f) List of current SSAP Fire Clients....................................................................................... 6 4.1 (g) References ....................................................................................................................... 6 4.2 Personnel Details of Key personnel............................................................................................ 6 4.2 (a) Details of initial and remedial or ongoing call taker and dispatcher training .................... 7 4.2 (b) Certifications Required or achieved by call takers and dispatchers ................................. 7 4.2 (c) Job Descriptions of call takers and dispatchers See Appendix C .................................... 7 4.2 (d) Job Descriptions of management staff See Appendix D .................................................. 7 4.2 (e) Staffing levels by time of day and night............................................................................ 7 4.2 (f) Capacity to Add additional Staff during major planned or unplanned emergency or special events .............................................................................................................................. 7 4.2 (g) Any changes in staffing that would occur with the provision of this service ..................... 8 4.3 Proposal Impact on Current Operations ....................................................................................... 8 Will any additional operational or technical staff be hired?.......................................................... 8 Any project managers or other technical resources? .................................................................. 8 Any new equipment or upgrades required? ................................................................................. 8 Any enhancements to physical space? ....................................................................................... 8 4.4 Resources..................................................................................................................................... 8 4.4. (a) Hardware......................................................................................................................... 8 4.4 (b) Software ........................................................................................................................... 8 4.4 (c) Software & Hardware Replacement Schedule ................................................................. 9 4.4 (d) Availability of IT Staff ........................................................................................................ 9 4.4 (e) Radio Equipment and Connectivity Plan for communicating with fire departments ......... 9 4.5 Facility Details............................................................................................................................. 10 4.5 (a) Primary Facility Details ................................................................................................... 10 4.5 (b) Details of Back-Up (Contingency) Planning ................................................................... 10 4.6 Fire Dispatch Equipment ............................................................................................................ 11 4.6 (a) The radio system used for the required interconnection to maintain or improve the existing radio equipment and underlying functionality as per appendix A & B .......................... 11 4.6 (b) The Alerting system to demonstrate required functionality ............................................ 11 4.6 (c) The CAD system and RMS links to demonstrate required functionality ......................... 11 4.6 (d) The recording system to demonstrate required functionality ......................................... 11

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4.6 (e) Mapping capabilities to demonstrate required functionality ........................................... 11 4.8 (f) Age of current relevant dispatch equipment and lifecycle span for replacement ............ 12 4.7 Pricing ......................................................................................................................................... 12 See Appendix A for remuneration schedule to connect to existing infrastructure ..................... 12 See Appendix B for remuneration schedule to enhanced performance and redundancy ......... 12 4.8 Other Details ............................................................................................................................... 12 4.8 (a) List of Standards - Operational Ability ............................................................................ 12 4.8 (b) Next Generation 911 Considerations ............................................................................. 12 4.8 (c) Available Optional Services............................................................................................ 12 4.8 (d) Resource Lists –3rd Party Resources ............................................................................. 12 4.8 (e) Dispatch Protocols – Custom Response Plans .............................................................. 13 4.8 (f) Estimated Transition Schedule or Timeline ..................................................................... 13 Appendix A – Remuneration for Connecting to Existing Network ..................................................... 14 Appendix B – Recommended Enhancements to Network Performance and Redundancy .............. 15 Appendix C – Alarm Room Operator Job Description ...................................................................... 16 Appendix D – Dispatch Manager Job Description ............................................................................ 17

Introduction The North Island 9-1-1 Corporation (NI 911 Corp) is pleased to submit this proposal to the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) for the provision of Fire Dispatch Services. NI 911 Corp, which is a local government partnership comprised of six regional district shareholders, has been delivering professional 9-1-1 fire call answer and “full service” fire dispatch services using state of the art equipment to client fire departments since 1996. Our dispatch centre operations and the associated fire dispatch network that we have developed are both recognized as leading examples in the industry, and that we are well positioned for the future of E 9-1-1 fire call answer and fire dispatch service delivery.

Our proposal is to deliver “full service” 9-1-1 fire call answer and fire dispatch services that meet or exceed National Fire Protection Association Standard 1221. To achieve this, NI 911 Corp will purchase, install and configure all necessary equipment on behalf of the PRRD in order to connect to the existing radio network within the proposed service area. The result will be a robust and seamless 24/7 push-to-talk primary IP based radio system.

Fire departments within the PRRD service area can expect to receive a high level of service that exceeds their expectations from an organization that has both the experience and technical capability to deliver reliable and proven, enhanced fire dispatch services. This includes access to the latest technologies that are intended to improve information delivery and situational awareness that supports fire department operations before, during and after incidents.

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4.1 Organization Overview The North Island 9-1-1 Corporation (NI 911 Corp) was established on January 5, 1995 to provide and manage emergency 911 services to six regional districts on the North Island.

NI 911 Corp currently operates and maintains a fire dispatch centre and the necessary communications and mapping systems for dispatching 51 fire departments in a service area covering approximately 56,000 square kilometres. This full-service dispatch centre was established in April 1996 and continues to operate as a state-of-the-art facility meeting and exceeding the National Fire Protection Association Standards. The centre typically processes 10,000 fire and medical calls annually. Based on the current technology and staffing model the upper capacity of the dispatch centre is 19,000 calls annually.

4.1 (a) Technology Evolution Plan North Island 9-1-1’s primary dispatch technology has undergone a full replacement over the last four years and is considered state-of-the-art. As a fully IP based system with sufficient capacity to meet and exceed current and future needs, and no foreseen replacement requirement over the next ten years, North Island 9-11 is well positioned for the ongoing delivery of reliable services now and in the future.

The Avtec Scout radio system is expandable and has sufficient capacity, as well as multiple capabilities for current and future radio technologies. Analog, digital, P25, and trunking capable systems can be interfaced with the existing system seamlessly to provide a robust and versatile dispatching solution.

The Eventide recording system was purchased in conjunction with the radio system and provides reliable IPbased recording of all dispatch channels and telephone lines associated with the fire dispatch centre. All network hardware is replaced on a rotating 5-year schedule or as required, while radio technology is scheduled for replacement after 10-years or as necessary.

The Tritech InformCAD system is robust and full-featured computer-aided-dispatch system, providing mapping based on address point or centerline data and direct interconnection for ANI/ALI, CAD to CAD, CAD to RMS, SMTP paging and mobile client server. We continue to enhance our service delivery by including additional functionality of the various modules that come available from the vendor.

With no major projects scheduled in the five-year capital plan and a scheduled asset management and replacement plan, North Island 9-1-1 is well positioned for the future of fire dispatching services.

4.1 (b) Current Potential Risks and Mitigation Strategies An identifiable potential risk is that the primary dispatch center in Campbell River is not currently a seismically safe building. The City of Campbell River is in the planning stages of constructing a new post disaster facility to be completed in approximately 3 years. Mitigation strategies are that NI 911 Corp has developed sound business continuity plans through the development of a “hot secondary� dispatch center and a regional back up plan whereby BC EHS and City of Nanaimo can dispatch on behalf of NI 911 Corp.

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4.1 (c&d) Funding Sources and risks associated with loss of key clients The NI 911 Corp recognizes revenue based on assessments issued to the regional districts in its service area. These assessments are issued on an annual basis to meet the expenditures of the corporation. At present there are no non-shareholding clients external to the corporation therefore there are no risks relating to losing clients or funding.

4.1 (e) Union certification for call takers and dispatchers if applicable The dispatchers are represented by Local 1668 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

4.1 (f) List of current SSAP Fire Clients Alert Bay Bamfield Beaver Creek Bow Horn Bay Campbell River CF METR CFB Comox Cherry Creek Coal Harbour Comox

Coombs Hilliers Cortes Island Courtenay Cumberland Dashwood Deep Bay Denman Island Errington Fanny Bay Gillies Bay

Gold River Holberg Hornby Island Hyde Creek Malaspina Nanoose Bay Northside Oyster River Parksville Port Alberni

Port Alice Port Hardy Port McNeill Powell River Quadra Island Qualicum Beach Quatsino Savary Island Sayward Ship’s Point

Sliammon Sointula Sproat Lake Tahsis Tofino Ucluelet Yuu-Thlu-Ilth- At Union Bay Woss Van Anda Zeballos

4.1 (g) References References are available from any one of the fire chiefs from the 51 fire departments listed above. In addition please contact Fire Chief Gord Schreiner from the Comox Fire Department who is the Chair of the Fire Dispatch Advisory Committee for the North Island service area.

Contact may also be made with any one of the Administration Committee members representing each one of the regional districts, with the exception of Comox Valley Regional District, that make up the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation. Wendy Idema – Regional District of Nanaimo, David Leitch – Strathcona Regional District, Russ Dyson – Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, Greg Fletcher – Regional District of Mt. Waddington & Alan Radke – Powell River Regional District.

4.2 Personnel

Details of Key personnel

NI 911 Corp is administered and supported by key people within the Comox Valley Regional District who have been involved since inception in 1996. A contract with the City of Campbell River is in place for the purpose of operating NI 911 Corp owned equipment. The Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief for the City of Campbell River have a combined 19 years of experience managing fire dispatch services on the North Island. The Fire Chief is a certified Emergency Number Professional as recognized by the National Emergency Number Association. Operations are supported by NI 911 Corp’s Technology Manager who has 8 years’ experience in the current position and 17 years in the industry.

The management team has a proven track record for positive performance in the areas of risk management and service delivery

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Staffing plan 4.2 (a) Details of initial and remedial or ongoing call taker and dispatcher training New dispatchers receive approximately 200 hours of direct training prior to be permitted to work as the second dispatcher. There are monthly, quarterly and annual skill maintenance training assignments provided to each dispatcher by the fire dispatch manager.

4.2 (b) Certifications required or achieved by call takers and dispatchers There are currently ten dispatchers on staff who are certified by APCO International in the areas of Public Safety Tele-communicator 1and Fire Service Communications. The dispatchers also meet or exceed the professional requirements listed by the National Fire Protection Association Standard 1061 “Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

4.2 (c) Job Descriptions of call takers and dispatchers See Appendix C 4.2 (d) Job Descriptions of management staff See Appendix D 4.2 (e) Staffing levels by time of day and night There are currently ten dispatchers on staff (8 full time and two part time). Minimum staffing levels are two dispatchers in the primary centre 24 hours a day, seven days a week

4.2 (f) Capacity to Add additional Staff during major planned or unplanned emergency or special events There are five dispatch consoles in the primary centre and three in the back-up centre. Additional consoles are staffed as necessary for large scale events. Staffing levels can be increased to a maximum of eight operators working at the same time.

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R-4 PRRD Fire Dispatch RFP #8-2016 The primary fire dispatch centre is located at 675 13th Ave (Firehall #1) in the City of Campbell River. The back-up centre is located 3.2 road kilometers south of the primary centre at 311 South Dogwood.

There are four dispatch consoles in the primary centre and three in the back-up centre. Additional consoles are staffed as necessary for storm and wild land fire events. Staffing levels can be increased to a maximum of seven operators working at the same time.

4.2 (g) Any changes in staffing that would occur with the provision of this service There are no anticipated changes in staffing that would occur with the provision of this service.

4.3 Proposal Impact on Current Operations The North Island 9-1-1 Fire Dispatch center has an operating capacity to process 19,000 events per year and the potential to perform 25,000 or more through some capital improvements. The center is currently processing an average of 10,000 events per year; therefore the addition of approximately another 2,000 events per year will not have any negative impacts.

Will any additional operational or technical staff be hired?

There will be no additional operational or technical staff hired.

Any project managers or other technical resources?

North Island 9-1-1 employs its own technical staff to ensure round the clock availability of the resources required to support, maintain, and configure the systems

Any new equipment or upgrades required?

NI 911 Corp would be installing radio hardware to enable interconnections as illustrated in Appendix A

Any enhancements to physical space?

No enhancements are required

4.4 Resources 4.4. (a) Hardware Radio system - Hardware North Island 9-1-1 maintains a radio communications network and radio dispatch system that was purchased in 2014 The Avtec Scout Radio Console system is a state-of-the-art IP-based radio control system that can interface with any conventional analog or digital radio systems. The system is also fully scalable and has the capacity to take NI 911 Corp well into the future.

4.4 (b) Software Computer Aided Dispatch – Software NI 911 Corp purchased a new computer aided dispatch system in 2011 from TriTech Software Systems www.tritech.com TriTech Software Systems is a leading provider of public safety software. TriTech’s combined customer base includes some of the most highly-regarded police, fire, and EMS agencies who protect and serve more than 250 million people in 10 countries throughout the world. Version upgrades occur on a regular basis as recommended and supplied by the software vendor at no additional cost to NI 911 Corp. Current version is version 5.5 with a planned upgrade to version 5.7 in Q2 2016.

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R-4 PRRD Fire Dispatch RFP #8-2016 The North Island 911 Corp maintains a virtual private network (VPN) data connection with BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) for the delivery of first responder/ rescue incidents.

4.4 (c) Software & Hardware Replacement Schedule NI 911 Corp maintains a capital equipment reserve fund for the ongoing maintenance and replacement of its current assets. Within the last four years all major components have been upgraded and/ or replaced.

Systems currently in use are considered state of the art and next generation 9-1-1 ready. Both the radio control and computer aided dispatch systems are supported by vendors who are pro-active in the preparation, readiness and supply of next generation 9-1-1 technology. As the current systems consist of the latest and emerging technologies and are continually being upgraded by the vendor there are no plans for replacement for the foreseeable future.

4.4 (d) Availability of IT Staff The NI 911 Corp Technology Manager is on call 24/7/365, except for approved leave, with the ability to provide remote access servicing to all aspects of the dispatch network. During times of approved leave the Fire Dispatch Manager and the Senior Manager of Information & Technology of the Comox Valley Regional District provide support services as necessary. NI 911 Corp also maintains a number of contractors who are available to respond as required.

4.4 (e) Radio Equipment and Connectivity Plan for communicating with fire departments Radio Service Delivery Model - If presented with the opportunity to provide fire dispatch services to the PRRD, the NI 911 Corp would expand its communications network by installing hardware to connect to existing infrastructure within the PRRD service area. The intent would be to provide the same professional level of radio services that are currently delivered to our existing service areas.

Details of connections to existing radio base station equipment and repeaters – Each existing dispatch center has four base radios and the most simple cost effective approach is to connect to each of those radios using a Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) connection. Internet connectivity to each existing dispatch center will be established through local internet service providers and will be secured using Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnelling. Connection status will be monitored in real-time and the equipment installed is capable of self-recovery in the event of an outage. The existing secondary telephone interconnect systems will continue to be used for three of the departments.

The intent is to provide a reliable 24/7 push-to-talk radio interconnection to the eight existing fire departments through existing equipment and leave the remaining four on telephone-interconnect until such time that the governing body elects to enhance the system. Recommendations for enhancements can be found in Appendix B.

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4.5 Facility Details 4.5 (a) Primary Facility Details The primary dispatch centre is located at 675 13th Ave (Fire Hall #1) in the City of Campbell River. This is a restricted access facility, unauthorized entry or interruption of operations is mitigated through keypad locks, security barriers, intercom and video systems as well as multiple dedicated Uninterruptable Power Supplies & generator systems throughout the network.

4.5 (b) Details of Back-Up (Contingency) Planning Back–up Facility Details At a secure site, there is a fully functional seismically safe (hot) back-up centre with three operating consoles located 3 kilometres away from the primary center.

NI 911 Corp has a fully functional seismically safe (hot) back-up centre with three operating consoles. This centre can be activated and staffed by any dispatcher and can be used for extended durations or operational periods. To maintain skills, each dispatcher is required to activate, operate from and deactivate the back-up centre for a minimum of two hours every three months. During these times full fire dispatch services are continuously and seamlessly provided from the back-up centre to fire department clients.

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4.6 Fire Dispatch Equipment 4.6 (a) The radio system used for the required interconnection to maintain or improve the existing radio equipment and underlying functionality as per appendix A & B The radio system is an IP-based console/server system which is supported by two redundant servers of which one is located at the Fire Dispatch centre and the second is located at the backup Fire Dispatch centre. Each server has the ability to run the system in absence of the other server and failover is automatic and instant.

The two centres are linked by both a microwave link and an independent wireless bridge giving redundancy to the connectivity providing the link for both the radio and the CAD system. The servers are the hosts for six radio consoles with three located at each of the centres and all consoles are operational 24/7.

The console system communicates with analog and/or digital radios over IP and remote links are connected via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for sites utilizing Radio over IP (RoIP) as their primary system. This methodology provides seamless 24/7 push-to-talk capability to all of the fire departments and provides the users with the ability to call-in to dispatch at any time. All communications on the Dispatch Channels are recorded whether in Select, Monitor, or Mute mode.

4.6 (b) The Alerting system to demonstrate required functionality Alerting - Two tone paging and radio dispatched over a 24/7/365 push-to-talk radio network supplemented by email or text messages to phones or third party applications.

4.6 (c) The CAD system and RMS links to demonstrate required functionality Records Management - NI 911 Corp provides client fire departments with the opportunity to import .xml files into their proprietary records management system from a hosted FTP site. NI 911 Corp also provides real time administrative or operational view of CAD data for fire dispatch clients through remote web access.

4.6 (d) The recording system to demonstrate required functionality Recording systems –Eventide's NexLog IP-based NexLog communications recorders are specifically designed for Mission Critical 24/7 operation in emergency call-taking. NexLog recording systems capture and archive media from a wide range of communications systems. The resulting recordings are available immediately for instant recall, forensic replay, incident reconstruction, burn to CD, and export.

Call records are stored in a state-of-the-art SQL relational database, and NexLog recorders feature an embedded Linux operating system for maximum reliability and compatibility with your existing network infrastructure.

The Secondary recorder (Back Up) is a ComLog CVDS system.

4.6 (e) Mapping capabilities to demonstrate required functionality Mapping - NI 911 Corp maintains in house expertise to support CAD mapping through ESRI GIS custom layers using both address point data & digital road atlas information supplied by regional districts, municipalities and the Province.

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4.8 (f) Age of current relevant dispatch equipment and lifecycle span for replacement The Tritech Inform CAD application was purchased in 2012 and the annual maintenance of the software includes ongoing version upgrades. The Avtec Scout radio control and Eventide recording systems were purchased in 2014 and both have an estimated life cycle exceeding ten years.

4.7 Pricing See Appendix A for remuneration schedule to connect to existing infrastructure See Appendix B for remuneration schedule to enhanced performance and redundancy

4.8 Other Details 4.8 (a) List of Standards - Operational Ability The NI 911 Corp fire dispatch centre endeavours to meet or exceed the requirements of the latest NFPA 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems, as well as, the professional requirements listed by the National Fire Protection Association Standard 1061 “Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunicators” and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) standards as referenced by our radio, CAD and telephone vendors.

4.8 (b) Next Generation 911 Considerations As stated in the Resources (Hardware, Software) and the Hardware and Software Replacement Schedule NI 911 Corp has strategically positioned itself to be ready for all next generation 9-1-1 demands as they are presented. Additional considerations for next generation 9-1-1 are 9-1-1 call routing and network security. NI 911 Corp is waiting on Telus to upgrade the 9-1-1 lines into the primary fire dispatch center as are many other centers in the province. Network security has already been addressed for the CAD and radio systems for many years as managed by NI 911 Corp network administrators. Security issues created by the Telus upgrade will be easily managed by those same personnel through the existing security hardware already in place.

4.8 (c) Available Optional Services Monitor working alone and after hours call answering - NI 911 Corp has the capability to monitor municipal workers in the field and provide after-hours call answer services for the PRRD. Operating guidelines/ procedures are currently in place and in regular use by the fire dispatchers.

Mobile CAD - Inform Mobile is a wireless PC-based mobile fleet application that seamlessly extends computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems to tablets, in-station and in-vehicle computers. NI 911 Corp currently supports more than 60 client devices including both in-station and in-vehicle installations.

4.8 (d) Resource Lists –3rd Party Resources Fire dispatchers currently maintain a comprehensive catalogued list of 3rd party contact information for all client fire departments. PRRD fire departments who are interested would simply forward their information to NI 911 Corp and when necessary they would have the ability to request that a 3rd party in the list be contacted on their behalf during an incident.

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4.8 (e) Dispatch Protocols – Custom Response Plans Fire Dispatch provides customized response plans for all client fire departments. This enables fire dispatch to provide unit based, single hall, multiple hall and multiple fire department dispatching. Other options include automatic mutual aid response plans for specific addresses, geographic areas or jurisdictions.

4.8 (f) Estimated Transition Schedule or Timeline RFP Closing date

August 15, 2016

Proposal review, clarification, negotiation (as required)

August 16-23, 2016

RFP evaluation completed

September 9, 2016

Preferred vendor negotiation, written agreement finalized

October 21, 2016

NI 911 Corp Board Approval to proceed obtained

October 21, 2016

NI 911 Corp to advise shareholders of new agreement

TBD

PRRD Board approval to proceed obtained

November 10, 2016

PRRD & NI 911 Corp joint press release

TBD

NI 911 Corp staff to travel to PRRD – Verify hardware requirements in each fire station

November 14-17, 2016

NI 911 Corp to determine supplier(s) of hardware

January 9, 2017

Internet connections ordered

January 16, 2017

Mapping centerline data conversion for PRRD area

February 5-14, 2017

Mapping data layers imported from PRRD

February 15-28, 2017

Hardware pre-build and configuration

March 1-14, 2017

Hardware delivery

March 15, 2017

Hardware installation at fire department sites

March 15-30, 2017

Geographic/ community familiarization training for dispatchers

March 15-30, 2017

Determine Telephone Interconnect numbers and program dispatcher console contact listing Build graphical user interface (GUI) pages in radio console system

April 1, 2017

Installation testing & system verification

April 15-20, 2017

Fire dispatch service cutover

May 5, 2017

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Appendix A – Remuneration for Connecting to Existing Network A

B

Contract Year: Year 1 (May 16 to Dec 31, 2016

C

Project Management Direct Costs

D

Capital Upgrade Direct Costs

Section 22 harmful to personal privacy

Description

System Maintenance

Operating Costs

E

F

Total Annual Fixed Cost (Sum of Columns B, C,

Maximum Contingency Allowance

Section 21 harmful to third party business

Service Delivery (8 months) System Maintenance

Year 2

Section 21 harmful to third party business

Service Delivery System Maintenance Service Delivery

Year 3

System Maintenance Service Delivery

Year 4

System Maintenance Service Delivery

Year 5

Subtotals: (Sum of rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Total Maximum Contract Price Over 5 Year Term: (Sum of E6 + F6)

$635,476.74

Arras – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Dawson Creek Fire Hall with Radio over IP Chetwynd – Utilize existing telephone interconnect Moberly Lake – Utilize existing telephone interconnect Pouce Coupe – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Dawson Creek Fire Hall with Radio over IP Dawson Creek – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Dawson Creek Fire Hall with Radio over IP Toms Lake – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Dawson Creek Fire Hall with Radio over IP Tumbler Ridge – Utilize existing telephone interconnect Fort St John – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Fort St John Fire Hall with Radio over IP Charlie Lake – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Fort St John Fire Hall with Radio over IP Hudson Hope – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Fort St John Fire Hall with Radio over IP Taylor – Connect to existing Motorola radio at Fort St John Fire Hall with Radio over IP REQUIRED EQUIPMENT Capital Assets ARRAS CHETWYND MOBERLY LAKE POUCE COUPE DAWSON CREEK TOMS LAKE TUMBLER RIDGE FORT ST JOHN CHARLIE LAKE HUDSON HOPE (Beryl Prarie) TAYLOR TOTALS

OPERATING/MAINTENANCE Annual

Section 21 harmful to third party business

$35,200

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R-4 PRRD Fire Dispatch RFP #8-2016

Appendix A - Assumptions 1. The opportunity exists for NI 911 Corp to connect to, and operate through, the base radios currently installed at Fort St John and Dawson Creek.

2. The Peace River Regional District will continue to maintain all licences, phone lines associated with all telephone interconnects, base radios and repeaters for the purpose of dispatching fire departments.

3. The Peace River Regional District will continue to maintain, repair or replace as necessary all base radios, repeaters, towers and antennas used for the purpose of dispatching fire departments.

Appendix B – Recommended Enhancements to Network Performance and Redundancy Chetwynd, Moberly Lake and Tumbler Ridge – Recommend the installation of Radio over IP connections at those Fire Halls and communicate directly with the local repeater. Move the existing telephone interconnects to simplex mode to provide redundancy in the event of a repeater failure or internet outage.

The capital and installation cost to upgrade the three departments above to 24/7 push to talk capability is approximately $10,000 per department with ongoing annual operating costs of $1,000 per year.

The recommended improvements above will bring all 12 fire departments into a 24/7 push to talk environment. Additional considerations are to have all fire departments operating primary paging through RoIP and repeater with secondary paging through interconnects on simplex.

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Appendix C – Alarm Room Operator Job Description

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Appendix D – Dispatch Manager Job Description

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RESPONSE TO RFP # 8_ 2016 Peace River Regional District S Secondary Safety Answering Point Enhanced 9-1-1 Service Provider August 15, 2016

City of Fort St. John 10631 – 100th Street Fort St. John BC V1J 3Z5 250-787-8150 www.fortstjohn.ca

January 26, 2017

Contact: Jim Rogers Director of Protective Services City of Fort St. John (250) 787-8158 1 | P a g e jrogers@fortstjohn.ca

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Table of Contents Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 4 4.1………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 5 4.2………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 8 4.3………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 12 4.4………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 13 4.5………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 18 4.6………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 19 4.7………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27 4.8………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27

SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 4.8 C) ADDITIONAL SERVICES ............................................................................................................................... 28 4.8 E) PRRD PROTOCOL FLEXIBILITY ..................................................................................................................... 28

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August 15, 2016 Mrs. Trish Morgan General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services Peace River Regional District PO Box 810, 1981 Alaska Avenue Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 Dear Mrs. Morgan, Re: Letter of Authorization to Submit a Proposal for Secondary Safety Answering Point The Protective Services Department received authorization from Fort St. John City Council to submit a proposal for the Secondary Safety Answering Point and Fire Dispatch Services.

Respectfully Jim Rogers Director of Protective Services City of Fort St. John

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Summary The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) is seeking proposals for the delivery of SSAP services to the eleven (11) fire departments located within the Peace River Regional District.

The City of Fort St. John is interested in the provision of the SSAP services. We believe it aligns with our strategic objectives and commitment to public safety.

Our prime objective is to provide SSAP services to the region. We believe that engaging our partners in developing a “Made in the Peace� solution is critical to developing a comprehensive, affordable, efficient, accountable service. Our approach will be well thought out, flexible, and designed to maximize value for money.

The PRRD currently receives its SSAP services from the City of Fort St. John (North Peace Dispatch) and the City of Dawson Creek (South Peace Dispatch).

The City of Fort St. John specializes, with proven success, in the delivery of municipal services to our community and, as relevant to this Request for Proposal (RFP), in the delivery of fire dispatch services to not only our community but to all of the fire departments within the Peace Region. We have considerable local knowledge, experienced dispatchers and reliable technology.

Our City has more than 100 years of dispatch experience with dispatcher training, systems and processes updated on a regular basis allowing for implementation of technological advancements and improved methodologies resulting in a more certain, efficient and expert service as we connect with the public at times of emergency.

We are aware of the challenges and in delivering a regional service and the requirement for a 24/7 operation that is 99.9% reliable. Our proven success has met this standard.

As noted in the attached response, our City will seek to achieve economies of scale; align competencies with resources; and advance the technology to meet the requirements of the RFP. If the City is successful in being the vendor of choice with respect to SSAP services we intend to build upon our local knowledge, infrastructure, and professional approach to deliver quality services to the Peace River Region.

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4.1 ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW The City of Fort St John is a municipal government and can enter into agreements under the Community Charter Section 23. The Secondary Safety Answering Point and Fire Dispatch for the Peace River Regional District Northern Departments is currently serviced through the Fort St. John Fire Department Station #1 located at 9312 93rd Ave Fort St John, BC. The City of Fort St John has been providing SSAP (Secondary Safety Answering Point) for sixteen (16) years, starting in 2000 when 9-1-1 was implemented in the North Peace. At this time the city was dispatching for Hudson’s Hope, Taylor and Charlie Lake Fire Departments.

Prior to the introduction of regional 9-1-1, Fort St John dispatched the North Peace fire departments through the old seven (7) digit emergency numbers and was also the call answering point for the BC Ambulance Service in the North Peace.

References City of Fort St John Dianne Hunter – CAO Taylor Fire Rescue Edward Albury – Fire Chief Charlie Lake Fire Department Dan Ross – Fire Chief Hudson’s Hope Fire Department Robert Norton – Fire Chief Strategic Plan The City of Fort St John is currently in the final stages of development of the Fire and Emergency Services Strategic Plan. The document is in the final draft stage and has not been received by city council yet, so we are unable to provide a copy of it with this proposal. The development of the Strategic Plan has been a great process for the city and the department and was developed in cooperation with the IAFF Local 2143, fire department management, senior

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city management and council. The city has identified key principles to guide the fire department’s growth over the next twenty (20) years.

Along with the development of the Fire and Emergency Services Strategic Plan the city completed a Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) in 2006 which really kick started planning for the future and identifying areas where we perform well and areas where we have room for improvement. In 2015 the city had the FUS Report updated. The Fire Service Communications section graded the department eight point seven six (8.76) out of a possible ten (10) points in this section.

In 2015 the city completed a Second Fire Station Location Study which identifies key locations for potential fire station locations based on city growth and response times and distances. In spring of 2016 the city completed a review of the Fire Dispatch function and followed that up with a review of the communication infrastructure that included a planning document for meeting future growth and encompassing new technology. We will identify some of those upgrades throughout the proposal.

4.1 a) Technology Evolution Plan The City of Fort St John is committed to providing the department with modern equipment and providing the ability to adapt to new technology. In 2016 the city upgraded our dispatch network server, UPS system and the Mobile Data Terminals (MDT).

The transition to the new server will be completed this fall and was part of 15 separate projects identified by the IT and fire department working committee for 2016 that also included improvements to the 911 Interpreter, CAD to email gateway, Mobile CAD, BCAS CAD to CAD Interface, CAD Automation Services, and CAD to RMS Integration.

The UPS upgrade was the replacement of the existing UPS with a new one to ensure no power interruption as we go from building power to generator power in the event of a local power outage.

The MDT upgrade has us moving from an Acura Embedded product that has been in use since late 2009 and only in 50% of our apparatus to a tablet style that will be in 100% of our apparatus and can also be removed from the apparatus to allow our team leaders to utilize

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them on scene and during inspections to access Pre-Fire Plans, RMS and other programs we use while performing our duties.

Alongside the hardware upgrades the city has embarked on, ensuring that our FDM CAD and RMS software is operating with the latest versions is a priority. We are currently completing the testing on our latest software update that will take us to FDM Version 13.1.26. This upgrade will be completed by the end of August. In September we will begin transitioning to the FDM WIN6 platform that will have our CAD and RMS using the latest operating platform for FDM. By staying current we are able to benefit from the latest upgrades and improve the level of service to our clients.

The 2016 hardware and software upgrades to our department and dispatch functions are all on pace and budget to be completed prior to winter. The city has an ongoing commitment to keeping the city and the fire dispatch centre operating with the latest in technology in equipment, hardware and software.

4.1 b) Risk & Mitigation Strategy The City of Fort St John Fire Station #1 is built to post disaster standards and is equipped to operate after a disaster. The station is equipped with a back-up generator that can supply power for 72 hours before having to be refueled. The building is equipped with detection devices and a fire alarm system.

Risks identified for the community that could have an impact on our ability to dispatch include a hazardous material spill or release from a transportation incident, a significant interface wildfire event, a fire in the station, a severe winter storm and an act of terrorism. These are all high risk low probability events that the new station and the dispatch center were designed to withstand.

If the station has to be evacuated we would transfer our dispatchers to the back-up dispatch location at City Hall. The proposed technical upgrades for early 2017 will allow us to continue to provide dispatch services while we move to the back-up centre.

4.1 c) Funding Sources The City of Fort St John Fire Dispatch function is funded by the City of Fort St John’s municipal tax base. We currently have a contract with the PRRD to provide dispatch services to the North

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Peace Fire Departments which include the Charlie Lake, the District of Taylor Fire Department and the District of Hudson’s Hope Fire Departments. This contract paid approximately $220,000 in 2015 in which these funds were used to offset the cost of fire dispatch to the city taxpayers.

The contract with the PRRD is currently our only contract and because we are a small fire dispatch centre, losing the contract with the PRRD will have a financial impact on our operation, but in the overall picture the financial loss is less than 1% of the city’s operating budget. We value the importance and operational benefit that we gain by having our own dispatch service and in comparison to a few smaller dispatch operations in the province, like the City of Vernon and the City of Prince Rupert, we intend on continuing to dispatch our own department.

4.1 d) Methodology for Funding Model The City of Fort St John has identified and included the negotiated wage increases for the duration of the current collective agreement within our proposal and estimated potential increases moving forward in the future collective agreement. A five (5) year Operating Plan for the dispatch function that includes operating and capital expenditures is maintained. This plan accounts for an increase in call volume, associated staffing costs (wages, overtime and training) and small equipment needs and administrative costs.

The City of Fort St John intends to look for other opportunities within the organization for offsetting dispatch costs (ex. 3-1-1 and Working Alone Monitoring) and outside the organization by pursuing additional fire dispatch contracts.

4.1 e) Union Certification The City of Fort St John Fire Department’s members are represented by the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 2143. The city has a current five (5) year collective agreement with Local 2143 that expires December 31, 2019. Our administrative assistant is a member of the BCGEU and our Chief and Deputy Chief are exempt staff.

4.2 Personnel The department leadership team consists of four (4) positions; Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Fire Training Officer and Fire Prevention Officer. The Fire Chief is responsible for the overall operation and administration of the Fire Department. The Deputy Chief position is responsible

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for the operational side of the department which includes the fire dispatch centre. The Fire Training Officer is responsible for the Training Division which includes the training and quality assurance of the fire dispatchers. The Fire Prevention Officer is responsible for the Prevention Division which includes fire investigations, fire inspections and public education. Part of our public education program includes education on Fire Dispatch Services. All four positions have access to our CAD and RMS software as administrators or supervisors.

Fire Chief Fred Burrows has been involved with Fire Dispatch for seventeen (17) years, starting with the City of Terrace Fire Department in 1998. Chief Burrows has led the charge with respect to the modernization of Fire Dispatch in Ft. St. John and has been an active member in the Association of 911 Service Providers of BC, staying current with the issues and advancements of dispatch services.

Deputy Chief Blades has been a FDM user since 2008. Deputy Blades came to Fort St John in August of 2015 and prior to that served as Fire Chief for the District of 100 Mile House for thirteen (13) years. He was an end user client of Prince George Fire Rescue and the Fraser Fort George Regional District with respect to fire dispatch services since 2008.

Fire Training Officer Dan Golob has been training the Fort St John Fire Dispatchers in their duties since 2008. FTO Golob is also the current President of the BC Fire Training Officers Association. Prior to joining Fort St John in 2008, Dan was the Fire Chief for the District of Tumbler Ridge 2004-2008 and Fire Chief for the Town of Qualicum Beach 2000-2004.

Fire Prevention Officer Marco D’Agostino has been with Fort St John Fire Department since 2000. Marco recently moved to his current position of FPO and prior to that was a Platoon Captain for two (2) years. Marco has been one of the departments FDM Administrators for several years and has taken extensive training in FDM CAD and RMS. Our fire department leadership team combined has over fifty (50) years of experience in fire department management and forty (40) years of experience with the CAD and RMS software that the department utilizes.

The leadership team is supported by the department’s Administrative Assistant, Kelly Giffin who is trained as an FDM CAD and RMS Administrator. Kelly is able to support our clients with inquiries including existing rip and run, end of call, and report queries and updating.

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The City of Fort St John Fire Dispatch Center is supported by the City’s Information Technology Department currently has a staff compliment of four (4) support staff led by the IT Manager, Martin Mesman with three (3) additional Technical Staff members. They provide technical expertise, long term planning, and strategic guidance relating to the fire dispatch systems.

Mr. Mesman has 28+ years’ experience in delivering IT services and is a proven performer in delivering quality services and project management. His team is well positioned to deal with any technological challenges that may occur.

The dispatch function is also supported by the City’s GIS department. GIS receives the requested mapping data from our clients and imports it into our CAD system.

The City of Fort St John utilizes a combined firefighter/dispatcher role for staffing the dispatcher position. This model of using firefighter/dispatchers gives the department flexibility in daily staffing and a redundancy that allows us coverage for scheduled vacation days and unexpected sick days along with a sudden increase in workload at any given time during the day.

The department operates on a four (4) platoon system working two (2) ten (10) hour day shifts (08:00-18:00) followed by two (2) fourteen (14) hour night shifts (18:00-08:00). Current staff levels have six (6) members on each platoon with a minimum staffing compliment of four (4) for each shift. Each platoon is led by a Captain for the operational side with dispatchers reporting to the Deputy Chief. Each platoon has three (3) designated dispatchers that rotate through the dispatch position on a shift by shift basis to maintain their proficiency as a dispatcher. Each platoon also has a fourth (4th) member who just left the dispatch rotation at the beginning of August 2016 who can fill on short notice for emergency coverage. This provides the department with sixteen (16) trained dispatchers.

4.2 a) Training Firefighter/dispatchers receive 70+ hours of dispatch training in the classroom with the FDM CAD and RMS modules during their ten (10) week orientation period. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems is referenced throughout the dispatch training process.

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Training covers;  The Communication Process  Understanding the Dispatch System  Call Management  Call Processing  Mapping  Area Familiarization  Radio Communication  CAD  RMS Prior to the firefighter candidates moving into full time dispatch duties on shift, they are required to successfully pass multiple evaluations to ensure competency. During their initial period operating as a shift dispatcher they are mentored by another shift dispatcher.

Upon the recommendation from the training officer, the firefighter candidate moves onto a regular shift where they complete 75% of their shifts as the primary dispatcher for their first year. After a year the firefighter dispatcher goes into a rotation with three other members of that shift to share the duties of dispatch. This ensures their skills are maintained for the dispatch component of their job.

Ongoing dispatch training is provided by the Fire Training Officer and is tailored to the dispatcher’s individual needs, based on review of their dispatching techniques from direct supervision or the review of incident recordings.

4.2 b) Certifications Required Currently our dispatchers only receive in-house training but we are actively investigating the opportunity of certifying our dispatchers through a few different options which may include NENA courses and IAED Courses for Fire Dispatchers.

4.2 c) Dispatcher Job Description Attached to Proposal 4.2 d) Management Staff Job Description

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Attached to Proposal 4.2 e) Staffing Levels The department currently operates with one (1) dispatcher in the dispatch center and at minimum a second (2nd) dispatcher is on each scheduled shift that provides for on shift break coverage and additional staffing if the call volume reaches a level beyond one (1) dispatcher’s capacity. The current annual call volume of approximately eighteen hundred (1,800) calls is well within the capacity of our current staffing model which can be projected to handle up to nine thousand (9,000) calls per year.

4.2 f) Capacity to Add Additional Staff The department has the ability to call in additional dispatchers during major planned and unplanned emergency or special events using our firefighter/dispatcher model. Currently we have sixteen (16) trained dispatchers on staff available to be called back.

The department utilizes a call-back system where two (2) off shift members are scheduled to be available within the Fire Protection Area for immediate response. This system extends to calling in additional assistance for dispatch as well and allows us to respond effectively to emergencies that require additional dispatch support.

4.2 g) Staffing Changes The department identified in the Fire and Emergency Services Strategic Plan a staffing plan to move to a four (4) person engine model. The department will be submitting a staffing request in the 2017 budget process to increase suppression staffing by four (4) positions in 2017. This will provide the department with platoon staffing of seven (7) per platoon which gives us a minimum staffing level of a four (4) person suppression crew and (1) dispatcher on 24/7. This proposed staffing increase does not have an impact on the dispatch function.

4.3 Proposed Impact on Current Operations The projected two thousand (2,000) calls per year are well within the current capabilities of our existing dispatch center. Our current model projects us to be able to handle an annual capacity of nine thousand (9,000) calls. The Fort St John Fire Dispatch Center currently handles 1,100+ calls per year which is 60% of the current fire dispatch workload in the Peace River Region. We do not foresee an impact to our operation.

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We intend to add an additional four (4) firefighter/dispatchers in 2017. This will bring our total compliment of suppression/dispatch staff up to twenty-eight (28) with twenty (20) members qualified to perform the dispatch function. This additional staffing is suppression driven and not a direct result of the RFP process.

The City of Fort St John intends to engage a project manager to assist us with a smooth transition for providing dispatch services to the South Peace Departments. We have already engaged our Software Provider, Communication Equipment Supply and Service Contractor along with support from Motorola to ensure we can easily connect to the existing infrastructure and provide options for providing an enhanced service.

4.4 Resources 4.4 a) Hardware The dispatch server and radio equipment room contains the infrastructure required to maintain dispatch operations and is located in a separate secure climate controlled room within Fort St John Fire Station #1.

Dispatch Room Setup (Current Set-up)  Two dedicated independent four-monitor dispatch workstations  Dedicated laser printer  Two ShoreTel VoIP Phones  Two NorTel 911/House Phones  Zetron 4020 Paging system  PA/intercom audio systems  NYCE Voice Data Recorder  Windows 7 OS Phone System ShoreTel VoIP phone systems (City owned, distributed across WAN)  Two PRI trunk circuits  inbound and outbound failover NorTel (dedicated to 911, located on site at FSJ fire hall)  One analog trunk group w/ 4 lines The dispatch center maintains contact with our current clients through dedicated radio system consisting of 6 Motorola XPR 4350 Base Stations. (4 Client & 2 Back-up) Server & Networking  10/100/1000 mbps LAN switching hardware

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       

MS SQL 2008R2 Database server (virtualized & centrally hosted) MS Exchange 2010 Email server (virtualized & centrally hosted) Network File Storage (virtualized & centrally hosted) Network Print Services (virtualized & centrally hosted) GIS & Mapping Services (virtualized & centrally hosted) 100 mbps managed fibre WAN (Telus) 30 mbps fibre internet uplink managed WAN (Telus) Logical VLAN separation of user data, VoIP, AV, iscsi, network management, etc.

Approximately 20 network stack locations, each employing the following:  secure rack/cabinet (primarily 42U APC NetShelter SX racks)  UPS (APC 3000KVA or TripLite 1500KVA units)  UPS Service Bypass switches (where possible)  PDU (APC 8 or 16 port)  10/100/1000 PoE switches (mainly HP Procurve)  Primary WAN Firewall (debian linux iptables)  Secondary WAN Firewall (Untangle content filtering gateway)  Multi-tier iSCSI SAN infrastructure (primarily Del PowerVault)  KVM Server virtualization platform (OpenSource platform, running 4 Dell PowerEdge R720 servers) 4.4 b) Software The dispatch center utilizes Fire Department Management (FDM) Records Management System (RMS), Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Mobile CAD Software. We utilize the latest FDM Version which is 13.1.26. In the fall of 2016 we are scheduled to move from the FDM WIN4 platform to the new FDM WIN6 platform. FDM provides continuous upgrades to their software along with annual training.   

FDM RMS (Records Management System) FDM CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) FDM Mobile CAD

Redundancy and Strategic Support  Primary data location hosted at City Hall (10631 100 ST Fort St. John BC, V1J 3Z5)  Secondary data location hosted at Pomeroy Sport Centre (9324 96 ST Fort St. John BC, V1J 6V5)  Identical server and SAN hardware at primary and secondary data locations  Real-time data replication of SANs between primary and secondary data sites

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 

Backup systems transferring nightly backups of all SQL database, user data, and application data to tertiary data site, maintaining a history of approximately 8-months Primary data location is in the process to be moved to the new dispatch server located in the fire station

4.4 c) Software and Hardware Replacement Schedule The FDM CAD and RMS software is currently being updated to the latest version (13.1.26) and we will be moving to the FDM WIN6 Platform in the fall of 2016. At this time we intend to continue with FDM as our vendor and will continue to perform software updates as FDM releases them.

Hardware and Equipment Replacement Schedule Dispatcher Work Stations – 10 years (new in 2014) Dispatcher Chairs – annually Display Monitors – annually Enterprise Servers – every 2 years Logging Recorder – scheduled to be replaced in 2017 Network Server – replaced 2016 and online in fall of 2016 We are currently completing a review of our replacement plan for all critical equipment with the intent to make this an annual review process.

4.4 d) IT Staff Availability The City has an IT staff of 4 that are available 24/7 to support the dispatch center and we are also supported by contract with FDM’s 24/7 Support Services.

Our existing radio equipment and connectivity plan was identified in the Request for Proposal documents as we are the current provider for the North Peace Fire Dispatch service area and will be expanded on throughout this proposal.

IT support is available for routine support through the IT Service Portal where an IT Incident Ticket will be created and those requests are handled on a priority basis with fire dispatch being the highest priority in the city system. IT also has a Service Desk that is directly answered during business hours. Routine support after hours is maintained through the IT Service Portal and will be processed based on priority during normal business hours.

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Emergency IT Service is available 24/7 with one staff member always scheduled as the designated on call person.

The City of Fort St John maintains an annual maintenance and support contract with FDM Software which includes a 24/7 365 support system.

4.4 e) Radio Equipment and Connectivity Plan The dispatch center maintains contact with our current clients through a dedicated radio system consisting of 6 Motorola XPR 4350 Base Stations.

The Peace River Regional District currently has a functioning analog radio system. The current Fort St. John Dispatch Center can effectively dispatch Fort St. John, Charlie Lake, Taylor, Hudson’s Hope and Beryl Prairie with the existing system. No changes are immediately required for the North Peace Departments.

The South Peace Fire Departments that are currently dispatched through the Dawson Creek Fire Dispatch Center will be connected to Fort St. John via ROIP. Omnitronics IPR gateways will be installed in either Dawson Creek (interfacing with the existing radio links to each department) or at each physical fire department individually. These IP gateways will connect via internet to an Omnitronics IPR400 located in the Fort St. John Dispatch Center. Each radio gateway will interface with the existing Zetron 4020 and all departments will be dispatched in the normal fashion.

To satisfy the requirement of “ongoing communications for the duration of the incident” IPR100’s will be installed in Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and Moberly Lake to create 100% two way communications between dispatch and the Fire Departments. Currently, Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and Moberly Lake are dispatched via telephone interconnect which will disconnect after 3 minutes of being keyed. Under the new design, better communications will be established, transmissions monitored/recorded providing additional safety and incident management.

Moberly Lake Fire Department will require a similar set-up however they are challenged by poor communications infrastructure. Cellular service and internet are not readily available at present. Petron Communications Ltd. will be installing a Point to Point Microwave Link or Hughes Satellite Internet system with “QOS” to provide the necessary connection. For quotation purposes a Hughes system is quoted as it’s the lowest cost solution and can be immediately installed to provide the necessary connectivity.

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The telephone interconnections at Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and Moberly Lake will become the back-up secondary alerting systems. These will provide a much more reliable back-up than the current MSAT connections that some departments have in place. MSAT connections are unreliable and costly; their removal will lead to improved effectiveness and improved efficiency along with long term cost savings.

Each department dispatched out of Dawson Creek will require an IPR gateway tied to the existing analog base radios.

Fire Department Dawson Creek Pouce Coupe Arras Toms Lake Moberly Lake Arras Tumbler Ridge

Hardware Required Hardware Cost IPR 400 IP Gateway $6,000.00 IPR 400 Port 2 Included IPR 400 Port 3 Included IPR 400 Port 4 Included IPR 100 IP Gateway and $4,500.00 Hughes Satellite IRP 100 IP Gateway $3,000.00 IPR 100 IP Gateway $3,000.00

The total cost for the additional hardware to tie-in the various stations is $16,500.00 with a labor component of $8,000.00. The entire radio communications network can be bridged to central dispatch location, with increased reliability, for under $25,000.

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4.5 Facility Details 4.5 a) Primary Dispatch Location The City of Fort St John Fire Station #1 is a modern secure self-contained facility. The facility was opened in 2014 and it incorporates all the amenities of a modern post disaster emergency services building. Particular care was taken to design the dispatch area so that it is expandable should call volumes dictate the necessity.

The Fire Station has an onsite generator to ensure operation for up to seventy-two (72) hours before requiring additional fuel. The generator is tested weekly on Monday mornings.

The fire station has a closed camera security system that monitors the entire perimeter of the building. All exterior doors are on an automatic locking system that can be programmed to be open certain hours of the day (i.e. Front door) and when locked require a key FOB to gain access. Interior doors for access to dispatch and separation of the administration area from the operations area are also restricted to a key FOB access.

The Fort St John Fire Department Dispatch Centre is a segregated self-sustainable secure room, designed specifically for emergency call answering and communications. It is secured against unauthorized entry and has redundant HVAC equipment to ensure 24/7 operations. The Dispatch Centre is equipped with its own washroom, microwave, fridge and sink which allows it to be fully sustainable. The dispatch centre also has locker space available for storage of the dispatcher’s personal items.

The current configuration contains two (2) work stations and is designed to be expanded. The dispatch centre currently dispatches more than 1,100 incidents annually and can accommodate an increased workload in our current configuration of up to 9,000 incidents annually.

The Dispatch Centre utilizes the latest version of FDM Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Software along with the FDM Records Management System (RMS) Software. The department is in the process of transitioning to the FDM Win6 platform with a targeted completion for the fall of 2016.

4.5 b) Secondary Dispatch Location The Fort St. John Secondary Fire Dispatch Center is located at City Hall at 10631 100th Street, Fort St John. Working with our partners at Petron and Telus the back-up center will be fully functional with new technology and equipment in the spring of 2017. Petron has been engaged

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to develop our equipment needs and connectivity plan for the secondary dispatch location and we expect that report in the coming week to include in our 2017 Capital Budget. Telus has been engaged and we have a conference call scheduled for August 18, 2016 to determine our abilities to provide the required phone services to our secondary location. In our previous discussions with Telus they were supportive and committed to getting service to our secondary location.

City Hall through the 2016 Capital Budget Plan is having a new generator installed to ensure that City Hall maintains critical infrastructure during power outages.

Our travel time to the back-up center is 5 minutes away, driving time. Under our proposed upgrade to our dispatch equipment we will be able to answer incoming calls from PSAP and dispatch departments while on the move to the secondary location.

4.6 Fire Dispatch Equipment 4.6 a) Radio system used for the required interconnection to maintain or improve the existing radio equipment and underlying functionality As identified in 4.3 e) the North Peace will function with no upgrade to the existing equipment and for the interconnection of the South Peace Departments will be through the Dawson Creek Fire Dispatch Center connected to Fort St. John via ROIP. Omnitronics IPR gateways will be installed in either Dawson Creek (interfacing with the existing radio links to each department) or at each physical fire department individually.

Upgraded Radio Interconnection Table No. Department Technology 1 2 3 4

Dawson Creek Arras Chetwynd Moberly Lake

Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway

Primary Alerting

Secondary Alerting

VHF Two Tone

Telephone Interconnect Telephone Interconnect Telephone Interconnect Telephone Interconnect

VHF Two Tone VHF Two Tone VHF Two Tone

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Telephone Interconnect Toms Lake VHF Two Tone Telephone 6 Interconnect Tumbler Ridge VHF Two Tone Telephone 7 Interconnect Fort St. John VHF Two Tone Telephone 8 Interconnect Charlie Lake VHF Two Tone Telephone 9 Interconnect Hudson Hope Kenwood TK-780 VHF Two Tone Telephone 10 Interconnect Taylor Motorola VHF Two Tone None at Present, 11 CDM1550LS Phone line to be added As can be seen in the above table, the radio system has been streamlined and optimized. Each fire department will have a primary VHF based RF dispatch with secondary telephone interconnect. This is vastly improved over the current system and will be completed for a low, one-time, capital cost.

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Pouce Coupe

Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway Omnitronics IP Radio Gateway Zetron 4020 with 4217B Audio Panel Kenwood TK-780

VHF Two Tone

4.6 b) Alerting system to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in Appendix A. Note: Appendix A is the INTENT TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL form, so such functionality is not detailed in the Request for Proposal.

Each department will be dispatched via the Zetron 4020 and 4217B Audio Panel. The streamlining of the communications system means little or no adjustment to each department.

4.6 c) The CAD system and RMS Links Fort St John currently meets the requirements as laid out in Addendum 2 for providing end of call and report query, update and printing requirements used by each department. The North Peace Departments do not currently receive rip and run reports. Our FDM CAD/RMS system is capable of providing rip and run reports if this is a desired service that the individual departments choose to receive.

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For the departments using FirePro for RMS we are able to provide end of run incident reports by fax or as a pdf by email. We also can provide another electronic option where we can export the data in XML format for use by an external system. The standard incident fields are included in the format and additional ones can be added to the configuration. The following is a sample of that fields that are included in the export:  Incident ID (or number)  Incident Start and End time  Address  Units Dispatched and related time stamps  Attendees  Event Log The City of Fort St John also utilizes Business Queryosity which is a program develop for us in order to provide additional reporting capabilities for all departments being dispatched through us. Business Queryosity can extract data from our CAD and RMS programs provide our clients detailed reports, graphs and charts on Average response times (by shift, by station, by apparatus); Average Turnout Time (by shift, by shift and station, by apparatus, by station); Call Volume (hourly, Daily, Monthly, Yearly, Quarterly, by Shift, By Station); Incidents by Apparatus; Call Type; Staff/Incident and numerous other variables depending on the data entered in CAD or RMS. The City of Fort John will also be able to provide FDM Mobile CAD and RMS Work Spacing to those departments wishing to use Mobile CAD or use FDM RMS. The annual licensing fees will be the responsibility of those departments wanting an enhanced service.

4.6 d) Recording System The recording system in Fort St. John will handle all recording. We currently utilize a MIRRA IV Recorder.

All radio traffic will be recorded as all fire departments will now be linked via VHF radio. The current telephone-interconnect systems at some departments made this difficult. Increased transparency will be achieved.

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4.6 e) Mapping Capabilities The City GIS department provides the fire dispatch with spatial data on a routine basis. This includes a combination of spatial data within city boundaries that is maintained by our GIS staff, as well as data we receive from the PRRD on a monthly basis. The addressing and roads data is particularly useful to the Fire Hall dispatch, as it is used with a geocoding tool to help locate the incident area.

GeoBC is the road segment authority for the province, which maintains the roads data we send to the Fire Hall on a monthly basis. The GIS department has the capability to store both the addressing data and roads data in a structured format with the GIS, allowing a series of records/attributes to be associated with each layer of data. This allows the geocoding tool to function properly and provide dispatch with accurate information.

Other data we provide fire dispatch includes building footprints, common area names, parcel fabric, parks, hydrants, lakes, rivers, oil wells sites, pipelines, rail lines and response zones. The data is maintained in ArcGIS 10.2.2 for desktop, and is updated through a SDE, allowing for multiple users to concurrently update data and commit changes instantly. The data runs through a series of models and geoprocessing tools prior to transferring it to the fire dispatch, that merges the data together and clips the data to the area of interest (Fire Response Zones).

4.6 f) Age of Current Dispatch Equipment The age of the current dispatch equipment varies from 10 years old to new. The City of Fort St John has invested heavily in state of the art equipment and has committed to a program of continual enhancement in the Dispatch Center. As a requirement of the RFP and for increased operational efficiency, a migration to digital radio and dispatch is planned. The proposed system is Motorola’s IP Site Connect and Smart PTT Dispatch Solution.

A great deal of thought and planning has gone into the proposed digital migration strategy.

Motorola and various other radio and dispatch solution manufacturers have been consulted.

There were several factors effecting the design selection:  Existing Infrastructure – Many of the fire departments within the Peace River Regional District are already using Motorola equipment. Specifically, MOTOTRBO repeater and handheld radios that are digital ready. As each department is responsible for their own equipment cost we felt it inappropriate to choose a cost prohibitive solution and pass that on to the users.

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    







Engineered Performance – We wanted a system from a trusted provider who’s invested in its design and its effectiveness in the real world.

Capital Investment – Cost is always a factor. Maximizing the benefits of the chosen investment is key.

System Design & Support – The proposed system is engineered, industry specific, finetuned and supported in its entirety.

Features – A list of necessities was drafted and all aspects were covered by this solution.

LAN / WAN Accessibility – In the unlikely event of having to move to the back-up facility, the system can be accessed remotely though the Wide Area Network or internally through the Local Area Network. The system can be accessed even on the drive between dispatch and the back-up facility. Zero down time.

Scalability – Due to the system being hardware and software based, extra users can be added instantaneously without having to sit at a traditional dispatch console. This could be very useful in the case of a natural disaster or catastrophe.

Longevity – A considerable concern with any system is aging of technology. Equipment becomes outdated as new technology becomes available. This system is server based.

As time goes on, servers can be upgraded, as will software. The long term cost of this system will be much less than a traditional card/slot analog system.

Migration Strategy – How can we proceed with a digital migration without all departments having to outlay large sums of capital? This system allows for each department to move to digital at the pace that their capital budget allows. Both analog and digital departments can be dispatched simultaneously.

As you will see in the illustration, the SmartPTT Radio Server will allow each department to access the dispatch system. Any departments operating in analog can use a SmartPTT RG-1000 IP gateway to access dispatch. Any departments that are operating in digital (Mototrbo XPR8300 or newer repeaters), will directly access the dispatch console via IP Site Connect.

Moreover, additional agencies within the regional district could access this repeater network using the second time slot of the digital TDMA system. For the layperson, these particular repeaters can transmit and receive two conversations simultaneously. TDMA technology, Time Division Multiple Access, uses time slots within the carrier. Time slot A and time slot B. This could be of huge intrinsic value to the Peace River Regional District come the future.

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Illustration 1. This diagram details how the dispatch console ties to the SmartPTT Radio Server and how the existing analog fire departments use the RG-1000 IP Gateway to access the system.

Illustration 2. This diagram shows how digital departments access the same SmartPTT Radio Server via IP Site Connect. Scalability is also shown as Capacity Plus systems or other analog/digital systems can be added to this network using multilevel bridging. For instance, a repeater in virtually any location in the province can be added. By having an IP based system, this is as future proof as possible.

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SmartPTT Radio Dispatch Console

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The SmartPTT-based system is an indispensable means of communication for carrying out jobs requiring maximum responsiveness. It provides:  rapid transmission of signals (commands) and fresh information to subordinate operating elements;  organization of a large number of user groups scattered both by area territorially (different areas of responsibility) and by function (fire-fighting equipment, rescue vehicles, search and rescue units, auxiliary transport etc.).  conduct of telephone conversations in group- and individual communication modes with the provision of the option of connecting to the public telephone network and departmental network link;  transmission of data, including user’s coordinates and status.

Benefits for the dispatcher:  A stable link for the dispatcher with the subunits, even when moving across terrain, and communication with selected groups of subscribers or individual user call.  Separate automated workstations can be organized for dispatchers, controlling auxiliary equipment, rescuers, rescue vehicles, etc.  Checking location of the subscribers using GPS receiver built into the radio station  Remote monitoring of radio station to keep up with the situation if there is no response from the user.

Benefits for the personnel:  A stable link with one another in groups or individually, and link with the dispatcher  The ability to link between personnel working within the boundaries of a single territory entrusted to them and with their dispatcher  Redeployment of operational groups from one emergency spot to another without loss of signal  Health and safety: periodic voice notifications on the channel in the event of work being carried out that represents a danger to life; “Lone Worker” and “Man Down” modes.  Receive assignments and report on their performance via user terminals  Communication with telephone users Benefits for the managers:  Operational management from any point where there is a computer network  Timeliness, safety and reliability of information received and transmitted  Increase in personnel discipline due to listening to and recording conversations

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Industry specific case studies and technical design information can be found at www.smartptt.com 4.7 Pricing A Contract Year:

B Project Management Costs

C Capital / Equipment Upgrade Costs (NOTE 1)

D Operating Costs

E Total Annual Fixed Cost (Sum of Columns C & D) B & C in Year 1 only

F Maximum Contingency Allowance

$20,000

$25,000

$225,000

$270,000

$10,000

$230,625

$230,625

$10,000

$236,390

$236,390

$10,000

$242,300

$242,300

$10,000

$252,880

$252,880

$10,000 $50,000

1

Year 1

2

Year 2

3

Year 3

4

Year 4

5

Year 5

6

Subtotals: (Sum of rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

$1,232,195

7

Total Maximum Contract Price Over 5 Year Term: (Sum of E6 + F6)

$1,282,195

4.8 Other Details 4.8 a) Standards The City of Fort John Dispatch Center strives to meet NFPA 1221 (2016 edition) Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and use of Emergency Services Communications Systems. Based on recent information provided it is our understanding that NENA (National Emergency Number Association) has adopted NFPA 1221 (2016) as its recognized standard.

We are in the process of reviewing the recently releases NFPA 1221 (2016) and making process and reporting changes to remain current with the standard. This includes using Business Queryosity for enhanced reporting capabilities.

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4.8 b) Next Generation 911 At the Association of 911 Service Providers of BC 2015 Fall Meeting there was a presentation by the ESWG (Emergency Services Working Group) that reported that the architecture for Next Generation 911 has been determined. Even though the architecture has been established there is no defined time table for rolling out Next Generation 911 to dispatch centers. There remain several unknowns to be addressed prior to implementing Next Generation 911.

As the protocol for Next Generation 911 is implemented we will be reviewing equipment requirements, training, policies, and procedures to meet the applicable standards.

4.8 c) Additional Services The City of Fort St John Fire Dispatch Center is in the process of planning to take over responsibility for the city’s 311 answering system and the city’s working alone monitoring program. This service can be extended to the PRRD and member municipalities as an add-on service.

4.8 d) Contact Lists The City of Fort St John Fire Dispatch Center already provides local resource contacting for the North Peace Departments. This service will be extended to the South Peace Departments. We will be reaching out to all departments in the service area to provide resource lists for their response areas. This list will be updated annually.

4.8 e) PRRD Protocol Flexibility The City of Fort St John Fire Dispatch Center is a small service center that has the ability to provide some customization to dispatch procedures to meet the needs of different departments. We would investigate each special request on an individual basis to determine our capabilities of answering those requests.

4.8 f) Transition Timeline (i) Equipment and software capacity is already in place as we are currently the North Peace provider. The review of South Peace Equipment is partially completed. Time line for review would be 30 days after contract award. (ii) Equipment options to make communication connection for the South Peace Departments will be determined during contract negotiations. Expected completion for the equipment upgrade is 120 days after contract award. (iii) We are planning to implement equipment testing at the beginning of April 2017 and be live for May 5, 2017 as the RFP timeline indicates.

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(iv) No additional staff is required to provide dispatch services.

Factor

Weight (100)

Completion/quality of RFP

5

Organization Experience

10

Technology capability

15

Dispatch Staff Resources

20

Support Staff Resources

10

Poor (0.30)

Marginal (.50)

Fair (.70)

Good (.90)

Exc (1.0)

Backup capability 5 Ability to quickly respond to major events/fluctuations in call volume 5 Standard compliance and quality assurance program 10 Price

20

Totals

100

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August 8, 2016

Response to Peace River Regional District Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 for Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services

contents

Submitted by

V. Proposal Impact on Current Operations ......... 9

E-Comm, Emergency Communications for British Columbia 3301 East Pender Street Vancouver, BC V5K 5J3

I.

Letter of Introduction .............................................. 2

II.

Summary of Proposal .............................................. 3

III. Organization Overview .......................................... 3 IV. Personnel ................................................................... 6

VI. Resources ................................................................... 9 VII. Facility Details.................................................... 10 VIII. Fire Dispatch Equipment ................................. 12 IX. Pricing ................................................................. 13

E‐Comm RFP Contact Doug Watson Vice‐President of Operations 604‐215‐5006 Submitted to Trish Morgan General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services Peace River Regional District

page 1 of 25

X.

Other Details ..................................................... 13

XI. Ability to Meet the Scope and Service Requirements Identified in the RFP ................ 15

appendices Appendix A - Job Descriptions ............................ 17 Appendix B - Pricing ............................................... 22 Appendix C - VOIP Block Diagram ...................... 24

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

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Letter of Introduction

Dear Ms Morgan, Please find enclosed E-Comm’s response to the Peace River Regional District’s Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 for Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services.

We believe our response clearly outlines that E-Comm meets or exceeds every qualification that is identified and given our extensive experience in 9-1-1 call-answer and fire dispatch services, is well-positioned to provide this critical fire dispatch service to all of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD). Our response is separated into eight sections per the RFP and includes a Summary of our compliance with all of the stated requirements.

E-Comm has operated a 9-1-1 primary public safety answering point (PSAP) and secondary public safety answer point (SSAP) for both fire and police for 17 years. The company also owns and manages the wide-area radio network, used by police, fire and ambulance personnel throughout Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford. E-Comm is a not-for-profit organization owned by its shareholders and established under the provincial Emergency Communications Corporations Act. E-Comm’s sole purpose is to deliver emergency communication services to public-safety agencies and governments.

E-Comm provides fire call taking and dispatch services as an SSAP for 18 fire departments. E-Comm also currently manages over one-million-three-hundred thousand 9-1-1 calls each year from 25 Regional Districts and other communities throughout British Columbia and provides emergency and non-emergency call-taking and dispatch services for 17 police departments.

E-Comm has earned a reputation as a leading emergency communications centre in North America and enjoys an 89% confidence rating among residents of our Metro Vancouver service area. One reason for this is our ability to prepare for and respond to the demands of high 9-1-1 call volume which in turn results in a high call volume to our fire and police SSAP groups. For example, during the June 15, 2011 hockey riot in Vancouver our staff managed 2,000 emergency calls in a four-hour period. This represents a 400% increase in 9-1-1 call volume for the same timeframe on an average day.

Looking forward, E-Comm is also taking a leadership role in the development of a long-term vision of 9-1-1 through the development of the “Next Generation 9-1-1” (NG911) system for B.C. As we outlined in our recent public consultation paper submitted to the CRTC, NG911 represents a significant evolution for 9-1-1 systems and E-Comm intends to continue to contribute to this progression at both the provincial and national levels over the coming years.

It has been our privilege to provide fire dispatch service to 18 fire departments and we are anxious to provide that same high-level of service to the fire departments in the Peace River Regional District. We look forward to answering any questions you might have and to discussing our submission at your convenience.

Respectfully submitted,

Doug Watson Vice-President of Operations 604-215-5006

page 2 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

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Summary of Proposal

II.

E-Comm provides the public with a single point-of-contact for police, fire and ambulance when immediate action is required. As the 9-1-1 primary public safety answer point (PSAP) for twenty five regional districts 1 and other communities our service is provided to a combined population base of more than 3.5 million. E-Comm is able to receive 9-1-1 calls from landlines, cellular and Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

E-Comm has operated both a 9-1-1 Primary PSAP and Secondary PSAP for 17 years and has earned a reputation as a leading emergency communications centre in North America, enjoying a 89% confidence rating among residents of our service area.

We believe our response clearly outlines that E-Comm meets or exceeds every qualification that is identified in the RFP and given our extensive experience in 9-1-1 call-answer and fire and police call taking and dispatch, is well-positioned to provide this critical service to the fire departments in the entire Peace River Regional District (PRRD).

In 2015 E-Comm handled 44,970 fire emergency calls and 82,799 fire dispatch events with a service level of 90% of fire events dispatched in 64 seconds or less which is compliant with the updated NFPA 1221 standard.

Other E-Comm highlights include: 

The knowledge and ability to forecast and implement staffing levels for anticipated call volumes



The unique flexibility to seamlessly increase resources for answering 9-1-1, fire and police calls during unplanned events (major fire, plane crash etc.,) due to the size and scope of our centre



Operate from a purpose-built facility with extremely resilient operational technologies and electronic security, with back-up power and many other communication and facility redundancies



24-hour onsite management and oversight

E-Comm also offers one of the most comprehensive training programs in the industry, resulting in more than 350 highly-trained, professional staff to support emergency services 24/7. As the largest PSAP in British Columbia, our primary advantage is the size and scope of our centre: 

249 regular full-time (RFT) 9-1-1, call-taking and dispatch staff



50 auxiliary 9-1-1, call-taking and dispatch staff



39 support staff working in departments such as Workforce Management, Training, Voice Records, Standards, Policy and Implementation



12 internal technology specialists supporting the communication centre

E-Comm uses a variety of technologies to support 9-1-1 call-answer and fire dispatch services. E-Comm maintains an ongoing maintenance and upgrade strategy for all critical systems (to ensure they are all kept upto-date) and at this point, none of them require a planned replacement date.

III.

Organization Overview

E-Comm is the emergency communications centre for British Columbia established in 1999. Through a 9-1-1 call centre, radio system and dispatch operations, E-Comm provides emergency communication services and support systems to emergency responders and the two-million residents of southwest B.C. they serve as well as a 911 Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) services to 25 regional districts and other communities throughout the province.

1

See list on Page 6

page 3 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

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E-Comm currently manages over one-million-three-hundred thousand 9-1-1 calls each year and provides emergency and non-emergency call-taking and dispatch services for 18 Fire departments and 17 Police departments and is governed under the Emergency Communications Corporation Act (1997). A list of E-Comm’s current PSAP, Fire and Police customers is provided below for reference.

British Columbia’s current 9-1-1 system, operated by E-Comm, is a highly-reliable, life-saving emergency service with a breadth of built-in redundancies.

E-Comm provides the public with a single point-of-contact for police, fire and ambulance when immediate action is required. As the 9-1-1 PSAP for twenty five regional districts and other communities, with a combined population base of more than 3.5 million, E-Comm is able to receive 9-1-1 calls from landlines, cellular and Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

E-Comm is contractually required to answer 95% of the one-million-three-hundred thousand 9-1-1 calls we will receive each year in five-seconds or less. This is a very rigorous call-answer standard and one we consistently meet or exceed. In 2015, we answered 98% of our annual call volume in five seconds or less.

In our 17 years as a Primary PSAP and Secondary PSAP, E-Comm has been recognized as a leader in emergency communications.

Our Vision Safer communities in British Columbia through excellence in public-safety communication.

Our Mission To deliver exceptional emergency communication services that help save lives and protect property, and to advance public-safety partnerships.

Our Values Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service, Collaboration.

FIRE DISPATCH CONTRACT REFERENCES Sechelt Fire Department

Port Moody Fire Department

Whistler Fire Department

Chief Bill Higgs (Retired) Sechelt Fire Department E-mail: Bill.Higgs@scrd.ca Phone: 604- 989-4359

Chief Remo Faedo Port Moody Fire Department E-mail: RFaedo@portmoody.ca Phone: 778-386 8841

Chief Geoff Playfair Whistler Fire Department E-mail: gplayfair@whistler.ca Phone: 604-935-8261

E-COMM’S STRATEGIC PLAN: VISION2020 E-Comm has prepared a Strategic Plan which we call Vision 2020. Due to the size and the page limitation of the RFP response, a copy of this Strategic Plan is available for review on the E-Comm website at the following link https://www.ecomm911.ca/about/mission-vision-values.php. This plan is reviewed with our Board of Directors, Management and staff. The plan will be formally updated in conjunction with the Board of Directors later this year. Once approved by the Board a copy can be provided to the Peace River Regional District. a)

Technology Evolution Plan: E-Comm’s Technology Services department manages a wide area interoperable radio system for Police, Fire and BCEHS in Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley. It also manages and hosts a Fire CAD and RMS system for several clients in Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, provides technology services to PRIMECorp (which serves all Police Agencies in British Columbia) and HealthLink BC, the province wide non-emergency health care line.

E-Comm’s Technology Services department strategy is focused on several key areas over the next 5 years including NG9-1-1, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery and process improvement.

As the NG9-1-1 roadmap for Canada or British Columbia has not been clearly defined, E-Comm continues to stay engaged and involved in the evolution of 9-1-1 planning by participating in several working groups and associations.

Please refer to E-Comm’s recent submissions to the CRTC available at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2016/2016-116.htm . page 4 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

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As E-Comm’s Technology Services is responsible for supporting stakeholders who provide 24 X 7, province wide, mission to life critical services, E-Comm’s guiding principles in designing technology solutions must provide the business a seamless, reliable, highly available recovery strategy.

E-Comm provides maintenance and support to a number of clients with varying degrees of service level targets. E-Comm Technology Services has a commitment to its client to provide efficient and measurable processes that aid in identifying what is working well and where improvements are needed. b)

c)

d)

e)

Current potential risks and mitigation strategies: On an ongoing basis E-Comm identifies any areas of potential risk and where possible develops and implements appropriate mitigation strategies.

E-Comm has implemented multiple layers of redundancy for risk mitigation. One area of potential risk for 9-1-1 and Fire Dispatch services is loss of connectivity from the regional district to E-Comm or equipment failure at E-Comm. Our proposal identifies and describes the redundancies in place to provide a dual communication path for 9-1-1 and other dispatch calls and communication to and from the Peace River Regional District and a fully equipped back up site at BCEHS at their Vancouver Dispatch Centre and Kamloops Dispatch Centre.

Funding sources and risks associated with loss of key clients: The Fire Dispatch Services are funded by the applicable regional district or municipality. E-Comm has long term relationships with the key clients and the likelihood and impact of a potential loss of key clients is very low. However, should there be a loss of a key fire customer, services would be maintained due to the number of other customers and the size of the employee base available within the consolidated dispatch centre.

Methodology for determining funding model and ongoing adjustment mechanisms: The methodology used to determine the funding for Fire Dispatch Services is based on determination of the incremental call taking and dispatch staff required based on the volume of emergency and non emergency calls as well as the make ready costs for the network to backhaul the calls to the Vancouver communication centre and any incremental costs for furniture or technology. Typically the annual levy change is determined by the Board of Directors and has always been equal to or less than the projected increase forecasted in the EComm Strategic Financial Plan. This plan is a 5 year projection updated annually. E-Comm normally operates under a Cost Recovery Not for Profit Model but as the RFP has stipulated a 5 year fixed price quotation our quotation will include a forecast of the annual levy rate plus a provision for economic or other unforeseen impacts. If desired E-Comm would be pleased to provide an annual price quotation for comparison purposes.

Union certification for call takers and dispatchers: E-Comm’s call takers and dispatchers and other bargaining unit staff in the company are represented by CUPE Local 873-2.

E-COMM ATTRIBUTES • The experience of answering more than 16 million 9-1-1 calls and 450,000 fire emergency calls since 2002 • The knowledge and ability to forecast and implement staffing levels for anticipated call volumes • The unique flexibility to seamlessly increase resources for answering emergency and non-emergency calls during unplanned events (major fire, plane crash etc.,) due to the size and scope of our centre • A purpose-built facility with extremely resilient operational technologies and electronic security, with backup power and many other communication and facility redundancies • Call-answer equipment and voice recording systems that are fully compatible with the TELUS network including industry leading 9-1-1 automatic call-distribution routing technology • 24-hour onsite management and oversight • 24-hour access to interpretation service with access to interpreters in more than 170 languages • Professional in-house training program with ongoing mentoring and staff development • The continuous collection, monitoring and reporting of service level performance against rigorous standards (95% of 9-1-1 calls answered in five seconds or less and 90% of fire events dispatched in 64 seconds or less) • In-house voice records and quality assurance departments • In-house 24/7 information technology service desk with the depth and breadth of experience to support mission-critical software across a variety of platforms to ensure continuity of service page 5 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

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CURRENT E-COMM 9-1-1 PSAP, FIRE AND POLICE DISPATCH PARTNERS 9-1-1 PSAP Customers Regional Districts/Communities

• • • • • • • • •

Metro Vancouver (GVRD) Fraser Valley-Chilliwack Sunshine Coast Squamish Lillooet Fraser-Fort George Bulkley-Nechako Kitimat-Stikine Cariboo Central Okanagan

Fire Customers • Birken • Delta • East Howe Sound • Britannia Beach • Egmont & District • Gibsons & District Police Customers RCMP

• Bowen Island • Burnaby • Traffic Services (Freeway Patrol - Deas Island and Port Mann) • Richmond • Ridge-Meadows

IV.

• • • • • • • • •

Okanagan-Similkameen North Okanagan Kootenay Boundary Central Kootenay East Kootenay Columbia-Shuswap Thompson-Nicola Comox Valley Cowichan Valley

• • • • • •

Garibaldi Halfmoon Bay New Westminster Pemberton Pender Harbour Port Moody

• • • •

Squamish Sunshine Coast UBC Whistler (including Pemberton & Stl’átl’imx Tribal Police)

• Nanaimo • Strathcona • Mount Waddington • Alberni-Clayoquot • Powell River Other Communities • District of Squamish • Resort Municipality of Whistler • • • • • •

Richmond Roberts Creek Sechelt Squamish Vancouver Whistler

Municipal Police Departments • Delta • New Westminster • Port Moody • Vancouver • West Vancouver

Personnel

David W. Guscott, President & CEO   

Joined E-Comm in 2010 Former VANOC executive vice-president in charge of partnerships with government bodies Former deputy minister of Transportation, Ontario Provincial Government

Doug Watson, Vice-President of Operations   

Joined E-Comm in 2008 Former vice-president of Field Operations – TELUS Former vice-president and general manager – BC Mobile Ltd.

Mike Webb, Vice-President of Technology Services  

Joined E-Comm in 2011 for the second time (Mike was also part of E-Comm from 1998-2000 and was responsible for the implementation of the current regional radio network) Former manager, Telecommunications and Specialty Systems, Emergency Management BC

Other key personnel who would support the PRRD 9-1-1 Service: Dave Mitchell – Director of Fire Services  Has 50 years of experience in the Fire services and Emergency services including as Division Chief (Communications) for VFRS, Director of Operations at E-Comm, as well as most recently Director of Fire Services at E-Comm. page 6 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

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 

Principal at Dave Mitchell & Associates – a consulting firm that provides advice and services to Fire services across Canada.

Graduate of Simon Fraser University, as well as a member of the NFPA, NENA, BC Fire Chiefs Association, and BC 911 Service Providers Association.

Kim Singh, 9-1-1 Communication Centre Manager  Responsible for the emergency communication centre  Joined E-Comm in 1999  Former 9-1-1 call-taker and police dispatcher  Former auxiliary RCMP officer Ryan Lawson, Operations Manager - Support  Responsible for standards, policies and practices and data collection/management  Joined E-Comm in 2003  Former 9-1-1 and police call-taker  Former auxiliary RCMP officer Naomi Arita, Senior Technology Service Delivery Manager  Joined E-Comm in 1999  represents Metro Vancouver on the CRTC’s Emergency Services Working Group  Naomi and her team of five technical specialists are responsible for ensuring our 9-1-1 systems are in a continued ready state-of-response.

Rob Darts, Technology Service Delivery Manager-Fire Technology & GIS  Joined E-Comm in 2003  Rob and his team of seven technical specialists are responsible for maintaining, configuring and updating the E-Comm hosted Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS) and Geographic Information Systems.  Represents E-Comm Technology partners on the provincial Digital Road Atlas (DRA) Steering Committee.

Jennifer Gjaltema, Fire Team Manager  Joined E‐Comm in 2003  Former 9‐1‐1 call‐taker and police dispatcher, and on-duty Team Manager since 2006  Fire Team Manager since 2011 Jennifer is responsible for the day to day operation of the Fire Dispatch Workgroup. She handles all employee issues as well as first level client relationships. Jennifer is also responsible for performance management, Quality Assurance, and Reporting.

There are four teams drawing from more than 299 RFT and auxiliary 9-1-1 call-taking and dispatch employees within the Operations structure that staff the communication centre 24/7.

Each team has a manager, a team supervisor and a staffing coordinator.  The team manager is responsible for creating a cohesive and effective team overall, with a significant focus on staff relations  The team supervisor is primarily focused on the day-to-day operation of the team; and  The staffing coordinator is primarily focused on proactive queue management and call distribution and adjusting staffing requirements in real time, providing for optimal shift coverage 24/7 In addition to the strong frontline operational oversight team on duty 24/7, the communication centre is also supported by managers responsible for staffing, quality assurance, and training. These managers have a combined total of more than 50 years of 9-1-1 call-taking and dispatch experience.

Our staff and management are the foundation that ensures that 9-1-1, fire and police calls are answered swiftly and effectively: page 7 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4  E-Comm offers one of the most comprehensive training programs in the industry, resulting in more than 299 highly-trained, professional staff available to support emergency services 24/7. As the largest PSAP in British Columbia, our primary advantage is the size and scope of our centre:  249 regular full-time (RFT) 9-1-1, call-taking and dispatch staff  50 auxiliary 9-1-1, call-taking and dispatch staff  39 support staff working in departments such as Workforce Management, Training, Voice Records, Standards, Policy and Implementation  12 technology specialists support the communication centre  E-Comm will have over 26 FTE (full time equivalent) Communications Operator positions plus a Full Time Fire Team Manager supporting Fire Dispatch. From its lowest point between 0400 and 0600 Sunday mornings with 4 Fire Dispatch on-duty through to its peak staffing of 8 Fire dispatch staff on-duty on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Fire dispatch at E-Comm is staffed using a variable staffing plan that matched workload to staffing. Additionally, our dispatch model and workflow provides for consistent monitoring of active events and radio channels through a shared workflow model.  One additional call taker FTE will be added in the communication center to accommodate the additional PRRD workload  The combination of our cross-trained workforce and unique ability to quickly shift resources to effectively manage sudden and substantial influxes of 9-1-1 and fire calls helps us to minimize and often eliminate wait times, not always possible in smaller centres.

OVERVIEW OF STAFF TRAINING REQUIREMENTS E‐Comm Fire dispatch staff begin as Fire emergency call-takers. This training portion for Fire emergency call‐ answer consists of 160 hours of classroom training focusing on geography, call‐handling, policy & procedure, Fire suppression familiarization, Incident Command, Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), and telephone equipment. This is followed by a further 177 hours of on‐the‐job mentoring and assessment by highly qualified E‐Comm Trainers. Once competent as call-takers they may apply for promotion to ECO2 (Fire Dispatcher). The Fire Dispatch training program consists of a further 150 hours in the classroom and 220 hours of mentoring.

The subject matter is further refined from the call-taking curriculum to include specialty units, dispatching protocols, and many other areas of study.

The E-Comm staff dedicated to fire dispatch are trained to rigorous standards. They complete over 300 hours of training for their Fire Dispatch duties and receive continuous refresher training on a variety of related in-service subjects such as Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, HazMat, Rescuers Guide, and many other areas in support of agency initiatives.

E-Comm Fire Dispatch staff work to the demanding NFPA 1221 Standard for both call-taking (NFPA 1221 7.4.1 – target of 95% of emergency calls answered in 15 seconds or less) and fire dispatching (NFPA 1221 7.4.2 – target of 90% of emergency events dispatched in less than 64 seconds.) E-Comm has consistent strong performance against these targets in the provision of Fire Dispatch services.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS Job descriptions for the Emergency Communication Operator I, Emergency Communication Operator II, Team Supervisor, Team Manager, and Operations Manager – Emergency Communication Centre have been attached in Appendix A, pages 17-21. Job descriptions for the other bargaining unit staff, exempt staff and other management positions are available for review but have not been included with our response due to the page limitations stipulated in the RFP.

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Proposal Impact on Current Operations

Once a service agreement is reached, E-Comm and the Peace River Regional District will begin a professionally managed transition project. The project will be managed by in house E-Comm resources that are trained in Project Management as well as being highly experienced with Fire Agency transitions. The standard E-Comm transition project plan (carrying approximately 220 line items) will be adjusted for the unique requirements of the PRRD Fire Dispatch and can be completed in approximately six months. The transition team will be comprised of members of E-Comm’s Technology Services, Operations, Human Resources, and Corporate Communications Departments. E-Comm will coordinate the transition with stakeholders such as TELUS, the PRRD, and other SSAP partners.

The additional normal daily Fire Dispatch volume will be handled with the addition of staff (included as part of the quote in Appendix B and also includes the ability for E-Comm to distribute workload across a large on-duty Fire Dispatch team size in the event of a mass influx of calls. Operationally, there will be a net addition of one staff member, but there will no additional workstations installed as E-Comm currently has the capacity to absorb this net addition. There are no requirements to add additional technology or upgrades in order to accommodate the PRRD’s Fire Dispatch workload.

VI.

Resources

a) Identification of hardware used within the centre; Hardware Telephone System Logging System Contact Centre Display Boards 9-1-1 Network ACD Console Radio System Network Switches Servers Workstation Computers

Vendor AVAYA CS1000e, AVAYA Aura Contact Centre, Call Pilot, AVAYA 1150e ACD sets NICE IP, Trunk, PRI and Radio Loggers RMG Networks Perimeter System Motorola ASTRO25, MCC7500 console Palo Alto, Cisco HP, IBM, Cisco UCS HP

b) Identification of software applications used and the current status of the software; Software CAD and RMS Systems Workforce Management 9-1-1 Database and Client Application Business Intelligence Event Map View Fire Hall Alerting System Voice Paging Subsystem

Vendor Police – Versaterm Fire – Hexagon (Intergraph I/Dispatcher) Fire RMS – FDM NICE Systems Genesis Systems IBM Cognos Hexagon, ESRI Locution Locution

Status Active Active Active Active Active Active Active

c) Software and hardware replacement schedule; Technology System Telephone System Logging System Contact Centre Display Boards page 9 of 25

Estimate remaining lifespan 3 years 5 years 5 years E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4 9-1-1 Network ACD Console Radio System Network Switches Servers Workstation Computers Police CAD and RMS Fire CAD Fire RMS Workforce Management Scheduling 9-1-1 Database and Client Application (PSAP 9-1-1 equipment) Business Intelligence Event Map Viewer Fire Hall Alerting System Voice Paging Subsystems

5 years >15 years 5 to 8 years 5 years Replacing Q1 2017 3 years 3 years 3 years 5 years 5 years 3 years 3 to 5 years 3 to 5 years 3 to 5 years

d) Availability of IT Staff (contracted or internal); • E-Comm Technology Services staff – 83 • This includes skillsets in Wireless (Engineering and Technology), Telephony, Windows Infrastructure, Unix Infrastructure, LAN / WAN Network, Application Support, Business Analyst, Project Management, Service Desk,

e) List of radio equipment and connectivity plan for communicating with Fire Departments.

E-Comm is proposing to interconnect the PRRD’s existing VHF base stations and repeaters to our Motorola ASTRO25 radio network and MCC7500 dispatch consoles in Vancouver using IP connections (a primary MPLS connection and backup internet/VPN connection is recommended). The proposed connectivity plan is provided in the attached diagrams (Appendix C). Please note that we are proposing to install Radio over IP (RoIP) interconnect equipment at the existing Dawson Creek and Ft. St. John dispatch centre sites where the existing control stations for the following departments are installed: Dawson Creek Dispatch Pouce Coupe Tom’s Lake Arras Dawson Creek

Fort St. John Dispatch Taylor Charlie Lake Hudson Hope Beryl Prairie

We have provided an option to implement RoIP connectivity for the existing telephone interconnect sites – Moberly, Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge – although if the PRRD does not wish to implement this option at the radio sites, they can stay as telephone interconnect only.

VII.

Facility Details

PRIMARY FACILITY E-Comm is located inside a monitored security fence at 3301 East Pender Street in Vancouver. E-Comm’s primary infrastructure asset is a 60,000 square-foot purpose-built reinforced concrete facility complete with multiple power sources: Hydro power from two separate grids, four UPS systems, three diesel generators, and multiple communication redundancies routed from geographically separate TELUS central offices to ensure continuous service for its mission-critical operations. The building is equipped with card reader security on the doors, a mantrap security entry with a security guard on site 24/7. The Fire CAD system has full redundancy as

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does the radio system and Nice Recording system. The HVAC system is comprised of multiple units to ensure full air handling capacity.

BACKUP CENTRE In addition to the redundancies of the infrastructure in place at our building serving our communication centre, E-Comm has a complete, warm backup centre at the British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) Dispatch Centre in Vancouver with functionality for 9-1-1; call taking, dispatch and radio management in the unlikely event that an evacuation of the building is required.

Our target time to have 9-1-1 PSAP service, Police and Fire call taking and dispatch restored on backup capabilities is 5 minutes or less.

During transit from the E-Comm building to BCEHS, 9-1-1 calls are handled by BCEHS operators with Call Taking and Dispatch maintained by E-Comm staff using portable devices to ensure there is an absolute minimum of down time or lack of service if a major event were to occur.

The target time to be performing call taking and dispatch capability at the backup site in the event of a need to vacate our primary location is 30 minutes.

NETWORK ENHANCEMENTS TO HANDLE 9-1-1 CALLS FROM THE PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICTS In preparation of this proposal to provide your Fire Dispatch service, E-Comm worked closely with TELUS to develop an optimum network design. The network design needs to enable routing of 9-1-1 and non emergency calls to and from the Peace River Regional District to our emergency communication centre in Vancouver safely, reliably and cost effectively. The network design developed has considered both normal situations as well as reliable back up provisions for multiple possible network impairment or failure possibilities. A short description of each of the network configurations are provided below for your information. A drawing of each is also attached for reference.  Configuration 1 – Normal Operation

9-1-1 calls will continue to route from the Peace River communities into the TELUS Tandem switch in Prince George but instead of routing the calls to the RCMP dispatch centre in Prince George as they do today, the calls will be routed to the E-Comm emergency communication centre in Vancouver through the TELUS transport network.  Configuration 2 – Service Impairment or Failure of the TELUS Tandem Switch in Prince George

If there ever was an impairment or failure of the TELUS Tandem Switch in Prince George or the TELUS network facilities connecting the Peace River regional district central offices to Prince George or Prince George to the E-Comm emergency communication centre in Vancouver resulting in a service interruption to 9-1-1, calls would be routed automatically to a second, independent TELUS Tandem switch located in Kelowna. The 9-1-1 calls would then be routed automatically from the back-up tandem switch in Vancouver to the E-Comm emergency communication centre through the E-Comm backup centre facility located at BC Ambulance Service in Vancouver on fully diversified TELUS network facilities from the Peace River communities.  Configuration 3 – Service Impairment or Failure at E-Comm

If there ever was an impairment or failure at E-Comm causing a service interruption to 9-1-1, the calls would be rerouted to the E-Comm backup facility located at the BCEHS dispatch centre in Vancouver. Arrangements are in place with BCEHS to answer and handle the incoming 9-1-1 calls until E-Comm staff can relocate to the BCEHS centre. The 9-1-1 calls received for Fire would be transferred to fire call takers using portable radios while they are in transit to our backup site at BCEHS. The target to activate the transfer of 9-1-1 calls and arrange for the temporary answer of the calls by BCEHS staff is 5 minutes and the target time to relocate E-Comm staff to BCEHS is 30 minutes or less.

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 Configuration 4 – “Fail Safe” provision for a total loss of TELUS network service to the Lower Mainland

from the Peace River The final configuration is a “fail-safe” provision for the very unlikely event that there is a total loss of network connectivity from the Peace River to the Lower Mainland. In this case the 9-1-1 calls would be rerouted to an alternate dispatch centre in Kamloops. Arrangements with BCEHS are in place to perform the 9-1-1 PSAP service from their centre in Kamloops if this event were to occur. E-Comm can implement a CAD console at a location of the PRRDs choosing e.g. Dawson Creek or Ft. St. John Fire if additional redundancy is desired. The costs for this additional console can be provided if the option is desired.

VIII. Fire Dispatch Equipment CALL TAKING EQUIPMENT a. The radio system used for the required interconnection to maintain or improve the existing radio equipment and underlying functionality is detailed in Appendix C of the RFP. E-Comm is proposing to utilize its Motorola ASTRO25 radio system, which incorporates geo-redundant Master Sites (core control equipment) in Vancouver and Kamloops, to support interconnection between its Motorola MCC7500 dispatch consoles and the existing PRRD fire dispatch radio base stations and repeaters.

The radio base stations that are located at the existing dispatch centres would be interfaced to Radio over IP (RoIP) gateways at those sites that will be connected over leased IP WAN circuits back to the EComm Master sites, with backup links using VPN over internet. The radio base stations located at other locations and accessed today via telephone interconnect can optionally be interfaced using a similar RoIP solution back to the E-Comm Master sites. E-Comm is able to support the integration of the existing telephone interconnect sites to its MCC7500 consoles in Vancouver.

E-Comm has provided estimated one-time costs for these radio interconnection changes in the Pricing (Appendix B).

In addition, the PRRD will be responsible for providing ongoing IP connectivity (managed WAN interconnect and/or internet/VPN) to each dispatch and IP radio site that is established. E-Comm has provided a high level estimate of the cost of managed IP WAN services with Quality of Service at Ft. St. John and Dawson Creek and will work with the PRRD to determine the optimal solution and arrange for its installation should the PRRD decide to proceed. We have not included costs of backup internet connectivity at these two sites or other locations. b. The Alerting system to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in RFP Appendix A Two-tone radio paging is an integral capability of the Motorola MCC7500 consoles that will be installed in the dispatch centre. This paging capability is integrated with our Hexagon/Intergraph FireCAD system for automated paging. Manual paging capability through the MCC7500 console is also supported. c. The CAD system and RMS links to demonstrate required functionality and compatibility as detailed in the Scope of Services of the RFP. • 3.2.1 – 2) Caller information is stored and related to a CAD system event.

• 3.2.1 – 4) CAD event stores all related call information in chronological order including all unit information.

• 3.2.1 – 6) Appropriate Fire Agencies are dispatched via CAD systems according to operational procedures and business requirements. Paging will be delivered over the radio connections described in section 4.6 a) and b) above.

• 3.2.1 – 7) Unit status information is recorded for all units responding to an incident.

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• 3.2.1 – 8) All update information related to incidents is stored in CAD system and available for transfer to RMS systems.

• 3.2.1 – 9) Hexagon/Intergraph CAD (FireCAD) system provides all event and unit information in XML format one-way to be consumed by external RMS systems (FirePro and FDM). Although Fire CAD system can support it, we have not proposed a two-way interface at this time as more detailed discussion with the PRRD would be required in order to understand the specific information to be transmitted and the impact on the existing Dawson Creek and Ft. St. John RMS systems.

• 3.2.1 – 17) E-Comm’s Service Desk endeavours to provide a minimum of 48 hours for any planned maintenance and will provide regular updates of unplanned service interruptions.

• 3.2.1. – 18) E-Comm GIS resources updates boundaries and service areas as required. Enhanced notification can also be provided to systems such as IamResponding. d. The recording system to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in the RFP Scope of Services.

E-Comm’s primary logging system has multiple levels of redundancy including parallel recording of the telephone sets, 9-1-1 trunks and PRI’s. Radio channels are also recorded in a parallel arrangement. All recordings are retained for a maximum of 7 years. e. Mapping capabilities to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in the RFP Scope of Services.

Mapping capabilities are provided in Hexagon CAD (FireCAD) system and data is available to be loaded regionally or for the entire province. E-Comm provides full map updates quarterly and daily updates as required into both systems. In addition, E-Comm can provide a situational awareness emergency event map viewer (E2MV) that has preloaded mapping data and Police, Fire and Ambulance unit and event information for the entire province. f. Age of current relevant dispatch equipment and lifecycle plan for replacement as required Described in section 4.4 c).

The ASTRO25 radio infrastructure, including the dispatch equipment, is at the beginning of its operational life and is being transitioned into operational service for our Metro Vancouver clients starting in the first quarter of 2017. The equipment has a planned operational life in excess of 15 years.

IX.

Pricing

Fixed price pricing has been provided in Appendix B, on page 22 as required in the RFP. If the PRRD is interested in a pricing proposal that is based on levy amounts approved annually, E-Comm would be pleased to provide one.

2037

5098

X.

Other Details

This section must include: a.

List of standards followed: E-Comm uses internally set standards for 9-1-1 Service Levels (95% of 9-1-1 calls answered 5 seconds or less or 95/5) which are more stringent than the NENA (90/10 peak hour only) or NFPA (95/15) Standards.

E-Comm consistently exceeds (performs better than) these standards. For Fire the Service Standards followed are NFPA 1221 7.4.1 and 7.4.2.

b.

Brief description of the contractors plans in regard to implementing Next Generation 9-1-1: E-Comm has been planning for Next Generation 911 (NG911) for several years with a technology and financial roadmap that has been put in place to prepare for the transition. E-Comm also has strategically placed personnel on nationwide committees which will help form the shape of NG911 in Canada. As the

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NG911 detailed requirements and timelines become available, E-Comm will document and communicate a plan to all stakeholders for input and decision making. c.

Additional services available such as working alone monitoring and after hours call answering for the PRRD. After hours call answering and work alone monitoring is available as a service that would require an additional quote.

d.

Ability of the contractor to maintain lists of, or locate local resources and dispatch these 3rd party resources as requested by the Fire Department. (tow truck, BC Forestry, cranes etc.)

E-Comm Fire Dispatch maintains lists of appropriate notification and 3rd party resources on behalf of the stakeholder agency. These are kept in a web based reference library that is consistently updated.

e.

Ability of the contractor to adjust their protocols to meet the needs of the PRRD. (i.e. One department requires unit based dispatching but another wants general dispatching).

E-Comm Fire dispatch has functioned in this manner since its inception. The unique scalable and flexible model allows different agencies to create different Dispatching protocols and response plans that are based on the specific agency’s requirements.

f.

Estimated transition schedule or timeline if contract was awarded including: (i)

Equipment and software capacity/capability/compatibility review; This activity will be completed within two (2) calendar months of contract signing. It will involve finalizing the CAD system configuration, including interface to RMS, and completing the design for the configuration and interconnection of E-Comm’s dispatch consoles to the PRRD’s existing radio repeaters and base stations (including specification of backhaul connections). (ii) Equipment and software upgrade timeline; Equipment installation and configuration will be complete within three (3) calendar months of contract signing. The longest lead time item is expected to be the provision of backhaul IP connections in Ft. St. John and Dawson Creek. No equipment or software upgrading is required. (iii) System testing and service implementation timeline; and Testing and validation of the dispatch and CAD/RMS updates will be complete within one (1) calendar month of the completion of equipment installation and configuration, which will enable the technical systems to be ready to support an April 17th, 2017 dispatch transition, assuming contract signing by October 6th, 2016. (iv) Staff hiring and training timeline.

We will be prepared with staffing to handle the PRRD workload upon transition. Generally it takes approximately 6 months to hire and train a competent Fire call-taker and a further 6 months to train them as a dispatcher. However, the additional staffing required to handle to the PRRD workload will be already in place due to our normal hiring and training cycle.

OTHER INFORMATION Conflict of Interest: While E-Comm believes there is no conflict of interest, one of our contractors, Dave Mitchell of Dave Mitchell and Associates has performed work for the PRRD and some of the related municipalities in the past. In 2011 he performed a governance and operational review of the Charlie Lake Fire Department and the recommendations were fully implemented. Dave has also worked for Dawson Creek on projects such as a Master Fire Plan and for Ft St John there was a fire hall location study, a strategic plan, and two coverage reviews related to boundary extensions as well as assisting the architect with the layout of the new fire hall, specifically related to the space allocated for fire dispatch in 2010.

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Ability to Meet the Scope and Service Requirements identified in the RFP

1) Answer emergency telephone calls (E9-1-1 calls) that are re-routed by the PRRD’s PSAP, RCMP OCC or BCAS and other agencies or personnel.

MET - E-Comm follows the caller inquiry processes according to the accepted 9-1-1 policy manual: The PSAP ascertains the caller’s location; determines the required Emergency Response Agency (ERA); and then transfer callers to the appropriate ERA. As a Fire SSAP E-Comm receives and actions 9-1-1 calls down streamed from the PSAP or from other SSAPs, alarm companies, fire departments or nonemergency calls from the public.

2) Ensure the callers’ information is gathered prior to disconnecting. This information shall include: • Phone Number (call back number) • Address • Name • Nature of the Emergency • Any additional information including detailed driving directions if required.

MET - It is standard E-Comm policy and practice to not disconnect from calls until all required information has been obtained from the caller and documented in the CAD. 3) Have a standard set of protocols and operating guidelines in place that are followed and enforced.

MET - E-Comm maintains a set of extensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are regularly updated and the Quality Assurance team completes QA assessments against the SOPs in both a proactive and reactive manner.

4) Create a CAD dispatch and/or event call and maintain a full chronological record including units assigned, additional notifications, new event information, and final disposition.

MET - E-Comm Fire Dispatch creates a CAD event in the Hexagon/Intergraph CAD system for each event that meets the criteria for recording and/or dispatch based on Agency Specific SOPs. The CAD Event contains all chronological details of the event including units assigned, their status, additional notifications, benchmarking timestamps, additional supplementary information, and final disposition.

5) Maintain ongoing radio communication for the duration of the incident.

MET - E-Comm maintains open radio communication with the on-scene units and incident commanders during every active incident.

6) Alert and dispatch the applicable fire department(s) in accordance with existing operational procedures (including future updates as agreed between the parties).

EXCEEDED - E-Comm Fire Dispatch has experience dispatching hundreds of thousands of events over the past fourteen years according to specific agency SOPs including mutual aid units and multijurisdictional events. As agencies change their response plans, build new fire halls, and add apparatus, the CAD system is updated to include them in response plans. Response plans can be built based on geography, polygons, time of day, day of the week, and apparatus type – all linked to the event type of the incident.

7) Record the apparatus for each fire department in the CAD system.

MET - As stated above, the E-Comm Intergraph CAD system has the capability to record detailed information regarding fire suppression and rescue apparatus and additionally extremely detailed response plans can be created.

8) Update information in the CAD system to record individual fire department times and additional response information relating to the call.

MET - As stated in requirement # 4 all information related to an event is recorded in the CAD system and including additional response information and time stamps.

9) Provide the tools (e.g. ability to update closed calls, query/print reports) and access to applicable fire department users to support the continued use of the FDM Records Management System and the FirePro Records Management System input and output, as well as access to current archived page 15 of 25

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R-4 data. A direct one way or two-way link between the CAD and RMS would be preferred.

MET - E-Comm will provide standard incident export from CAD to RMS in XML format that is delivered as a file transfer that can be consumed and then modified by other Records Managements Systems including FDM and FirePro 2. This will allow agencies to access all information related to active incidents and closed calls including event history, event comments and unit history. The E-Comm Fire Dispatch solution also includes access to call information in the E-Comm Intergraph CAD system through a web-based client (I/NetViewer), for agencies without an RMS. 10) Interconnect and operate on the existing radio infrastructure.

MET – described in 4.4 e) and 4.6a) above.

11) Have the capacity to dispatch in both analog and digital mode.

MET - E-Comm has proposed to maintain dispatching in analog mode and has optionally provided for Radio over IP connections to the existing telephone interconnect radio sites. Our ASTRO25 dispatch infrastructure is able to support digital audio over IP connections using the Project 25 (P25) digital standard.

12) Voice and call logging of phone calls and command channel and retention for the time period defined by law.

MET - E-Comm records all dispatch talk-groups and inbound/outbound emergency, non-emergency, and administrative calls to Fire Dispatch. Audio is retained for 7 years unless extracted for legal proceedings as evidence - in which case the extracted audio is provided to the agency of jurisdiction to be kept for as long as required.

13) Conduct daily test alerting for each fire department.

MET - E-Comm Fire Dispatch conducts alert testing for all partner agencies on a schedule determined by the agency.

14) Ensure that fire dispatch services are provided at the NFPA 1221 call handling standards for dispatch operations.

MET - E-Comm targets and consistently exceeds (better than) the NFPA 1221 standards. E-Comm is a member of the NFPA and regularly monitors and reports performance against the NFPA standard.

15) Have a well-developed Quality Assurance Program; including a clearly defined complaint procedure process.

MET - E-Comm currently has a three stage QA process. Stage one is completed at the end of the training process for new call-takers and dispatchers. Stage 2 is proactive QA monitoring to check compliance with policy. Stage 3 is reactive (post-event) and occurs automatically when there are structure fires and other high priority event – the Fire Team Manager conducts a QA assessment of the handling of e event and communicated the results to the stakeholder agency. E-Comm is in the process of even further developing the QA model.

16) Ability to meet quarterly with stakeholders (in person or via teleconference).

MET - E-Comm holds quarterly Fire Dispatch Partner meetings – and can schedule ad-hoc meetings with stakeholders at any interval required.

17) Provide timely notification of any maintenance, upgrades, breakdowns, or changes to dispatch equipment or protocols that will impact the proper dispatch and/or safety of fire department responders.

MET - E-Comm communicates outages via the E-Comm Service Desk. Outages and maintenance windows are communicated via email and the Fire Team Manager liaises with the stakeholder agency to ensure continuity of service.

18) Capacity to handle future boundary extensions, new service areas, and enhanced notification processes e.g. IamResponding.

MET - E-Comm’s solution is robust and can grow and adjust as required. E-Comm Fire Dispatch already has experience with “I am Responding”, and new service areas and geographic boundary extensions can be handled with ease.

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APPENDIX A - JOB DESCRIPTIONS

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR I General Accountability Reporting to the Communications Team Manager, the Communications Operator I is responsible for receiving emergency and non-emergency calls, routing non E-Comm calls to the appropriate service, taking reports and information from the public, entering information into the CAD system, assigning a priority classification, making decisions on the required resources, and relaying information to the Communications Operator II. The Communications Operator I is responsible for efficient call screening, timely communication, and effective prioritization of calls. In addition, Communications Operators I receive training in Radio Dispatch and assist in dispatching field units in response to calls for service Nature and Scope The Communications Operator I - receives emergency calls for Police, Fire and Ambulance; refers non E-Comm calls to the appropriate outside service; verifies phone numbers, addresses and other pertinent caller information; questions and screen callers to determine the nature of the emergency; assigns an incident type to the call; enters events into the computer system, and forwards them to the Communications Operator II.  The Communications Operator I - also receives non-emergency calls for Police, Fire and Ambulance and is responsible for referring these calls to the appropriate outside service. In addition, many of these calls will require attendance by the appropriate emergency service(s) and, therefore, the above same criteria related to emergency calls will apply.  The Communications Operator I - is responsible for entering accurate information in a timely manner into the CAD system.  The Communications Operator I - is required to maintain phone contact with callers under certain emergency situations and dispense instructions to callers and to insure that all additional information is transmitted to the Communications Operator II.  The Communications Operator I - liaises closely with the Communications Operator II on calls that are a Priority 1, completes extensive report taking and required investigation, and returns to the caller as needed.  The Communications Operator I - is responsible for identifying other agencies that might be required for the event, i.e.: EOC, PEP, North Shore Search and Rescue, Public Works; and forwarding this information to the Communications Operator II.  The Communications Operator I - is responsible for knowledge of the unique aspects of taking calls for Police and Fire.  The Communications Operator I - is responsible for identifying other required reports and completing same.  The Communications Operator I - liaises with CPIC Operators as required to elicit information related to reports taken, i.e.; Stolen Auto Reports, Missing Persons, Stolen License Plates etc.  The Communications Operator I - accesses CPIC using the CAD system and other information sources to make inquiries related to a report or event.  The Communications Operator I - assists other staff members and staff from external agencies in gaining familiarity with E-Comm communications operations by allowing them to monitor their daily activities.  The Communications Operator I - receives training in the dispatch function and assists in the dispatch function as part of that training.  The Communications Operator I - will operate both on and off site 9-1-1 back-up systems when required. The Communications Operator I performs related work as required.  The Communications Operator I - attends court to give evidence on calls taken, as required.

Education, Training and Experience High School diploma supplemented by courses in 9-1-1 Call-taking and computer keyboard operation with a minimum typing speed of 44 words per minute, and some related experience; hands on computer experience in a Windows environment OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. Must obtain enhanced security clearance.

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR II

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General Accountability Reporting to the Team Manager, the Communications Operator II is responsible for the deployment of resources for police or fire upon receipt of report information from 911 or other appropriate sources. The Communications Operator II receives reports; makes decisions on the required resources; communicates with other Communications Operator II’s and the Central Dispatcher; then transmits assignment of services for police or fire to personnel via radio and/or CAD systems. This position is responsible for optimum use of resources through appropriate assessment of the reports received, geographical location, and resources available.

Nature and Scope This position reports to the Team Manager.

There are no subordinate positions reporting to the Communications Operator II.

 The Communications Operator II performs all the duties required of a Communications Operator I.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for responding to emergency call reports requiring  Police or Fire personnel and resources; dispatching appropriate equipment and personnel; maintaining contact with same throughout the call; and completing all necessary reports.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for effective and professional communication with field units and others involved in reported events.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for keeping current on backup procedures and for performing job functions on a manual system in the event of a primary system failure.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for communicating and cooperating with other Emergency Service agencies, including Provincially dispatched services, and makes decisions to request services/resources from same.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for the involvement of other agencies required for a call such as EOC, PEP, North Shore Search and Rescue, Public Works Branch, B.C. Hydro, BC Transit.  The Communications Operator II communicates with other dispatchers, the Central Dispatcher and the Team Manager regarding resources available, reports received such as Priority 1 calls, and services deployed.  The Communications Operator II makes recommendations to the Team Manager to set up a breakout room for an event based upon circumstances and the information being received from Field Units.  The Communications Operator II responds to requests for information from field units by using CPIC and other information sources.  The Communications Operator II assists others in gaining familiarization with the communications operations of E-Comm by allowing E-Comm staff members, staff from other Emergency Services Agencies and authorized members of the public to listen to and observe their daily activities.  The Communications Operator II is accountable for being familiar with the Disaster Plans for each jurisdiction served.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for maintaining geographical knowledge of the areas dispatched and maintaining any related reference materials.  The Communications Operator II is responsible for being familiar with the unique aspects of each of the two services dispatched: e.g. - Fire; contract services provided by Vancouver Fire for the Sunshine Coast and other outlying areas, and areas served by volunteers; Police; incidents that require special resources such as ERT, Dog Squad, or Accident Investigation.  The Communications Operator II performs related work as required.  The Communications Operator II attends court to give evidence, when required.

Education, Training and Experience High School Diploma supplemented by courses in communication operations or a related field; 44 wpm typing is desirable; minimum of six (6) months experience as an emergency services call taker, preferably with EComm and proven ability as a Dispatcher.

page 18 of 25

E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE TEAM SUPERVISOR

R-4

General Accountability Reporting to an Emergency Communications Centre Team Manager, an incumbent is responsible for providing day-to-day supervision on an assigned shift to a team of Communications Centre staff; monitoring the work performance of employees within the Emergency Communications Centre to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; adjusting work schedules to ensure coverage; and maintaining Centre resources and supplies.

Nature and Scope Plans, assigns, schedules, supervises and reviews the work of a large group of dispatchers, call takers, report agents, and an intraday coordinator on an assigned shift; assists the Team Manager in assessing work performance; makes decisions on staff selection, discipline and termination in consultation with the Team Manager; responds to Union grievances and issues; participates in arbitrations; approves short- term vacation and other leaves of absence.   

     



Provides direction, guidance and training to subordinates on all work related issues; coaches and mentors staff; discusses and assists in the resolution of workplace problems.

Ensures for adequate daily staff coverage and that operational requirements are met; adjusts staff schedules as necessary; monitors daily service levels and workflow for the unit.

Provides assistance, resources and equipment to staff responding to unusual events; prioritizes activities and revises staff assignments to meet operational requirements; liaises closely with dispatchers and 911 operators on Priority 1 calls; identifies and contacts other agencies as required to respond or provide information.

Participates in the review of Centre procedures and in implementing approved changes; recommends and implements process and procedure improvements based on customer feedback, statistical reports and internal requirements; works with team members to address workplace problems or inefficiencies.

Investigates concerns and complaints and takes appropriate action or refers the issue to the Team Manager for resolution.

Answers a variety of telephone and other inquiries related to Centre operations, staff issues and related matters.

Uses various technologies to prepare daily reports which summarize Emergency Communications Centre performance.

Compiles and maintains Centre resources for staff and other agencies; oversees the provision of supplies and forms to team members.

Assists the Team Manager in coordinating exercises, drills and unplanned business disruptions and evacuation events; provides leadership and technical and procedural guidance to team members in the event of a business disruption or an evacuation to ensure public safety services remain uninterrupted.

Performs other related duties as required.

Education, Training and Experience High School diploma supplemented by courses in communications or contact centre operations, or courses in a related field, including or supplemented by supervisory and customer services courses, plus sound recent and progressively more responsible experience in emergency services communications; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE TEAM MANAGER

R-4

General Accountability Reporting to the Operations Manager – Emergency Communications Centre an incumbent is responsible for the effective and efficient operation of the Communications Centre and for supervising a large group of staff working 24/7; identifying staff training needs; identifying, addressing and resolving operational problems, in conjunction with other managers; and developing and maintaining effective working relationships with police, fire and ambulance agencies.

Nature and Scope Manages, coordinates and oversees day-to-day Communications Centre activities for a large staff group through one or more subordinate supervisors; provides direct supervision to the Emergency Communications Team Supervisor.  

   

  

Conducts performance evaluations; oversees attendance management; coaches and mentors staff; makes decisions regarding the selection, discipline and termination of staff, in consultation with the Operations Manager; responds to union grievances and issues; participates in arbitrations.

Identifies service delivery issues and liaises with clients to identify and address operational problems; works with other managers to resolve problems and to implement improvements and make changes to procedures, training manuals and programs; investigates and responds to 911 and partner agency service delivery complaints; prepares and presents related reports to senior management and client committees.

Identifies and provides input on training needs; remains up-to-date on current standards for staff training and performance for each client agency; performs audits and ensures standards are met; liaises with Training Manager, Quality Assurance Manager and others as required on specific issues.

Liaises with the workforce management section on the appropriate resourcing for staffing, call management, and execution of the day-to-day operation of the Emergency Communication Centre in order to meet service level expectations.

Develops and maintains effective working relationships with public safety partner personnel from participating police, fire and ambulance agencies.

Conducts consultative employee meetings; serves as primary liaison with the human resources department on projects; identifies opportunities for business process improvement and workforce planning and participates on appropriate committees; participates in change management initiatives; interfaces with technology services on technical support matters.

As part of the business continuity plan, coordinates regular evacuation exercises with subordinate Team Supervisors and provides recommendations for improvement; ensures that subordinates are trained and familiar with evacuation procedures and protocols; manages planned or unplanned business disruptions and other service impacting failures.

Performs related work as required.

Education, Training and Experience Completion of a diploma program in business administration from a recognized post-secondary institute, plus management courses, and sound experience of a progressively more responsible nature with an operational call centre or an emergency communications centre, plus some experience in a leadership or supervisory capacity; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

OPERATIONS MANAGER - EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE

R-4

General Accountability Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, an incumbent is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, managing and reviewing the 24/7 operation of the Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) through subordinate Team Managers; responding to union grievances and issues and interpreting and applying the collective agreement, in consultation with superiors; developing and implementing short and long term plans, policies, and procedures; developing, monitoring and managing the Communications Centre budget; and developing and maintaining effective working relationships with other E-Comm departments and with police, fire, and ambulance agencies.

Nature and Scope Plans, organizes, directs, manages and reviews the activities of the Emergency Communications Centre staff through subordinate Team Managers; serves as incident commander during major events, planned and unplanned service interruptions.

Sets performance objectives; conducts performance evaluations; trains, coaches and mentors staff; makes decisions regarding the selection, discipline and termination of staff in consultation with the Vice President of Operations; responds to union grievances and issues; participates in arbitrations.

Develops, recommends and implements approved policies and procedures related to operations, system failure or other threats impacting the Emergency Communications Centre; develops short and long term objectives; monitors service levels and operations metrics and makes staffing, shift and procedural changes to meet service level agreements; identifies and recommends improvements to operational systems and procedures.

Investigates, responds to, and coordinates resolution of 911 and partner agency service delivery concerns or complaints.

Participates with departmental staff in IT and Wireless in the process of designing new or enhanced technology for use in Operations; gathers input from team managers and staff on training required to facilitate technical changes; ensures staff are trained in new technology or procedures.

Develops, recommends, and manages the ECC approved operating budget; monitors and reviews expenditures, and approves payment of same to approved delegation level.

Assists the bargaining team during the collective bargaining process; attends and participates in Labour Board Hearings and Arbitrations, in conjunction with superiors; participates in Joint Labour Management Committee meetings.

Prepares written and oral reports for various committees.

Develops and maintains effective working relationships with staff in other departments and police, fire, and ambulance agencies; liaises with partner agencies to assess impacts of changes in the Criminal Code, provincial acts and any other policies or procedures; provides support to transitioning agencies and resolves issues; liaises with community groups and police agencies in presenting education sessions and arranging tours of E-Comm; collaborates with other agencies in planning special events.

Performs related work as required.

Education, Training and Experience Degree in business administration, public administration or other relevant discipline, including or supplemented by courses in leadership and/or change management, plus sound related experience of which some must be in a managerial capacity, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Driver’s License for the Province of British Columbia.

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4

APPENDIX B - PRICING Five (5) Year Fixed Price Contract with Maximum Contingency Allowance for Unforeseen Capital A

Contract Year

B

C

D

Capital / Operating Project Costs Management Equipment Upgrade Costs Costs (NOTE 1)

1

Year 1

2

E

F

Maximum Contingency Allowance

Total Annual Fixed Cost (Sum of Columns C & D) B & C in Year 1 only

$ 232,050

$

381,500

$

23,210

Year 2

$ 246,970

$

246,970

$

24,700

3

Year 3

$ 262,900

$

262,900

$

26,290

4

Year 4

$ 279,930

$

279,930

$

27,990

5

Year 5

$ 298,120

$

298,120

$

29,810

$

58,310

$

91,140

Total Contract Price over 5 Year Term

6

(Sum of rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Total Maximum Contract Price over 5 Year Term

7

(Sum of rows E6 + FG)

$ 1,469,420

$ 132,000

$

1,601,420

Notes and Assumptions: Note 1. One-Time Capital/Equipment Upgrade Costs include the following: (a) Radio Connectivity: Minimum Configuration: E-Comm Site Equipment - MCC7500 Console and Network Labour/Installation 5 days A

A

Fort St John Dispatch Centre Equipment - Network Labour/Installation

2 days

Dawson Creek Dispatch Centre Equipment - Network Labour/Installation 2 days Total One-Time Capital (included above)

$ $

47,190 5,250

$ $

10,680 2,100

$ $ $

15,950 2,100 83,270

$ $ $

7,410 3,150 10,560

Optional Configuration B

Optional conversion of 3 interconnect sites to ROIP Equipment - Network Labour/Installation 1 day Total Optional Configuration (excluded above)

A

Assumes re-use of existing VHF control stations and backup per attached diagram

B

Assumes this is done at the same time as the initial setup of Ft. St. John and Dawson Creek Assumes no additional one-time MCC7500 console and network interface setup at E-Comm

(b) Fire CAD: Fire CAD Capital costs shared with other agencies; amortization is included in the annual operating costs.

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4 APPENDIX B - PRICING Page 2 Notes and Assumptions (continued): 2. Based on the 2016 Budget Approved by the E-Comm Board of Directors adjusted to reflect fixed-pricing over the 5 year term.

3. The NFPA 1221 standard is used for our service level targets when preparing the budget estimates.

The NFPA target for Time to Dispatch is 90% of events will be dispatched in 64 seconds or less.

4. Staffing and related assumptions include: a) Taking into account the efficiency of joining a consolidated Fire Dispatch model. b) Event loads are defined in the table based on each agency’s event loads reported in information gathering process. c) This is based on dispatchers processing all CAD events. “Processing” means both: i) Dispatching Fire/Rescue Events AND; ii) Concluding non-dispatchable First Responder Events iii) Concluding CAD Test events iv) Performing non-dispatchable work such as Move-Ups and Cross/Border Coverage.

5. The above 5 year rates are based on 1,836 Fire/Rescue events per year (metrics as provided in RFP 8-2016).

6. The above Operating Costs include: a) shared use of the Intergraph CAD system for dispatch b) A one-way interface (CAD to RMS) only.

7. The following items are optional and are therefore excluded from both capital and operating costs: a) i/Mobile and MPS b) i/NetViewer; this allows access to live operational information and to search for historical data on incidents and resources c) RMS to CAD interface.

The E-Comm Intergraph CAD system provides a complete extract of dispatch information to XML format.

This can then be consumed by external Records Management Systems via SFTP or other options to be discussed. d) Mobile Device/Tablet The following hardware* can be procured through E-Comm's existing contract with Panasonic Canada: Panasonic FZG1 Tablet $ 3,200 Vehicle mount, power adapter, cables $ 1,000 $ Keyboard mount and keyboard 800 4 port USB Hub 150 $ Total (excludes tax and installation) $ 5,150 per unit *The configuration above represents a basic hardware configuration. Other options are available as required.

Pricing does not include installation which would be provided by a 3rd party.

Should PRRD require any of the optional items noted, E-Comm will be happy to provide a quote and invoice separately for these items.

8. As part of the governance of E-Comm, our proposal is subject to final approval by our Board of Directors.

This will take place once the Service Agreement has been finalized.

9. Maximum Contingency Allowance is provided for estimate purposes only and is calculated as a 10% of Annual Operating Costs.

10. It is anticipated that provisioning for future services such as Next Generation 911 are not expected to be implemented within the 5 year term of the contract as industry standards not yet defined.

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4 APPENDIX C - VOIP BLOCK DIAGRAM DIAGRAM 1

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4 APPENDIX C - VOIP BLOCK DIAGRAM DIAGRAM 2

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E-Comm Response to PRRD Request for Proposal No. 8-2016

January 26, 2017

R-4

Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Closing date for submissions: 12:00 noon (local time), July 15, 2016

Proposals to be submitted to: Peace River Regional District Box 810, 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8

diverse. vast. abundant.

January 26, 2017

R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

Table of Contents 1.0

INVITATION ................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1

Statement of Request for Proposal........................................................................................... 4

1.2

Request for Proposal Documents ............................................................................................. 4

1.3

Regional District Representative............................................................................................... 4

1.4

Submission of Proposals ........................................................................................................... 5

1.5

Closing Date and Time .............................................................................................................. 5

2.0

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND ................................................................................................. 6

3.0

PURPOSE & SCOPE OF WORK ....................................................................................................... 8

3.1

Purpose ..................................................................................................................................... 8

3.2

Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 8

3.2.1 4.0

Mandatory Items: ................................................................................................................. 8

FORMAT OF PROPOSALS ............................................................................................................. 10

4.1

Organization Overview............................................................................................................ 10

4.2

Personnel ................................................................................................................................ 10

4.3

Proposal Impact on Current Operations ................................................................................. 11

4.4

Resources ................................................................................................................................ 11

4.5

Facility Details ......................................................................................................................... 11

4.6

Fire Dispatch Equipment ......................................................................................................... 11

4.7

Pricing...................................................................................................................................... 12

4.8

Other Details ........................................................................................................................... 12

4.9

Response Format .................................................................................................................... 12

5.0

PROPOSAL EVALUATION & SELECTION CRITERIA ....................................................................... 13

5.1

Review of Submissions ............................................................................................................ 13

5.2

Selection Criteria ..................................................................................................................... 13

5.3

Evaluation Committee ............................................................................................................ 14

6.0

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ............................................................................................................ 15

6.1

No Contractual Obligations from RFP (No “Contract A”) ........................................................ 15

6.2

Review and Interpretation of RFP documents ........................................................................ 15

6.3

Addenda .................................................................................................................................. 15

6.4

Preparation of Proposals......................................................................................................... 16

6.5

Incomplete Proposals.............................................................................................................. 16

6.6

Negotiation ............................................................................................................................. 16

6.7

Successful Proponent & Contract ........................................................................................... 16

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals 6.8

Anticipated Contract Clauses: Indemnity, Insurance, Compliance with Laws & WCB............ 16

6.9

Conflict of Interest .................................................................................................................. 17

6.10

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy ............................................................ 17

6.11

Ownership of Documents ................................................................................................... 17

6.12

Intent to Submit Proposal ................................................................................................... 17

7.0

PRRD DISCRETION ....................................................................................................................... 18

APPENDIX – A – Intent to Submit ......................................................................................................... 19 APPENDIX – B – Radio Interconnection Table ...................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX – C – Radio Towers / Repeaters / Base Station Details ....................................................... 21 APPENDIX – D – Price Submission ........................................................................................................ 22 APPENDIX – E – Fire Dispatch Service Overview Diagram.................................................................... 23

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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January 26, 2017

R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

1.0 INVITATION 1.1 Statement of Request for Proposal The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) is seeking proposals from qualified agencies for the purpose of providing secondary safety answer point and fire dispatch services within the region to eleven (11) fire departments. The PRRD is interested in securing the contractual services of a qualified Fire Dispatch Service Provider to perform as the Secondary Safety Answering Point (SSAP) emergency call-centre responsible for answering 9-1-1 calls transferred from the Primary Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and then dispatching fire resources as required within the PRRD.

1.2 Request for Proposal Documents Copies of the Request for Proposal may be obtained from the Peace River Regional District: Head Office:

Reception Desk 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 Telephone: 250-784-3200 Toll-free: 1-800-670-7773

Branch Office:

Reception Desk 9912 106th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 2N9 Telephone: 250-785-8084 Toll-free: 1-800-670-7773

Website:

http://prrd.bc.ca/quick_links/contracts_tenders/index.php

1.3 Regional District Representative The Regional District’s Representative will be: Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services Peace River Regional District 1981 Alaska Avenue, PO Box 810 Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 Telephone: 250-784-3200 Toll-free: 1-800-670-7773 Fax: 250-784-3201 Email: prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca All inquiries relating to the RFP shall be directed to the Representative.

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

1.4 Submission of Proposals Proponents shall submit one (1) hard copy and one (1) electronic PDF copy of the proposal. All shipping materials are to clearly identify the proponent and their contents.

The proposal closing date shall be Friday, July 15, 2016 12:00 noon local time. It is the proponent’s sole responsibility to ensure that its Proposal is received on time. Submissions received after this date and time will be not be considered and will be returned unopened. Proposals will be opened privately after the closing time. Proposals will not be received by e-mail or fax.

Each proposal shall be submitted to the office of the Community Services in a sealed envelope clearly marked and addressed as follows: Proposal for Secondary Safety Answer Point & Fire Dispatch Services CONFIDENTIAL – DO NOT OPEN General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services Peace River Regional District 1981 Alaska Avenue, PO Box 810, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8

1.5 Closing Date and Time 

RFP Closing Date:

Friday, July 15, 2016



RFP Closing Time:

12:00 noon (local time)



The Regional District’s intention is to enter into a contract with the successful proponent within approximately 8 to 12 weeks after the closing date.

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

2.0 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND The Peace River Regional District provides local government services to approximately 63,000 residents in seven incorporated municipalities and four electoral areas, covering a geographic area of 12 million hectares. 70% of the population resides in the urban municipalities of Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Hudson’s Hope, Taylor and Pouce Coupe with the remaining 30% of the population distributed across the vast unincorporated area of the regional district.

The PRRD is a federation of both urban and rural areas governed by a 12-member Board consisting of eight directors appointed by seven municipalities and four electoral directors elected by voters in four electoral areas. Each municipality or electoral area participates in a variety of regional or local services, paid for through numerous individual service areas and a variety of cost sharing formulas.

The PRRD currently receives its Primary Safety Answer Point (PSAP) services from the RCMP Operational Call Center (OCC) located in Prince George, BC. Prince George OCC screens the calls and forwards medical and police calls to the perspective agencies. Fire calls within the region are forwarded by OCC to one of two (SSAP) fire dispatch centres in the region. The North Peace Fire Dispatch Center is located at the Fort St John Fire Department and the South Peace River Fire Dispatch Center is located at the Dawson Creek Fire Department.

Call volumes in 2015 are broken down as follows:  17,181 E9-1-1 calls within the PRRD  Total calls handled by both North Peace and South Peace Fire Dispatch = 1,836 o North Peace = 1,126 total calls handled, with 447 transferred from PSAP and 679 as a result of direct calls to dispatch/fire department for service o South Peace = 710 total calls handled, with 334 transferred from PSAP and 366 as a result of direct calls to dispatch/fire department for service The PRRD is currently reviewing its PSAP contract and is issuing a concurrent RFP for PSAP services.

The South Peace Fire Dispatch Centre provides emergency call answer and dispatch service for:  Dawson Creek Fire Department  Arras Volunteer Fire Department  Chetwynd Volunteer Fire Department  Moberly Lake Volunteer Fire Department  Pouce Coupe Volunteer Fire Department  Tomslake and District Fire Department  Tumbler Ridge Volunteer Fire Department

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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January 26, 2017

R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals The North Peace Fire Dispatch Centre provides emergency call answer and dispatch service for:  Fort St. John Fire Department  Charlie Lake Fire Department  Hudson Hope Fire and Rescue Service (includes Beryl Prairie area)  Taylor Fire Rescue This contract is administered by the Protective Services Manager (the PRRD’s designate).

The estimated schedule for this RFP and the service implementation processes is as follows (pending approval from the PRRD Board of Directors): RFP Closing date

July 15, 2016

Proposal review and clarification

July 18-29, 2016

RFP evaluation completed; preferred vendor negotiation

August 19, 2016

PRRD Board approval to proceed obtained

September 8, 2016

Written agreement finalized with approved Proponent

September 22, 2016

PRRD Board approval of agreement obtained

October 6, 2016

Fire dispatch service cutover

April 17, 2017

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

3.0 PURPOSE & SCOPE OF WORK 3.1 Purpose The PRRD is interested in securing the contractual services of a qualified Enhanced 9-1-1 Secondary Safety Answering Point (SSAP) emergency call-centre that will be responsible for answering 911 calls transferred from the Primary Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and then dispatching fire resources as required within the PRRD. The preferred proponent will have a minimum of 5 years’ experience operating and maintaining a SSAP Call Centre; will also possess an understanding and working knowledge of Enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) call answering telephone services and be able to properly operate and maintain this system.

The PRRD currently receives its Primary Safety Answer Point (PSAP) services from the RCMP Operational Call Center (OCC) located in Prince George, BC. Prince George OCC screens the calls and forwards medical and police calls to the perspective agencies. Fire calls within the region are forwarded by OCC to one of two (SSAP) fire dispatch centres in the region. The North Peace Fire Dispatch Center is located at the Fort St John Fire Department and the South Peace River Fire Dispatch Center is located at the Dawson Creek Fire Department.

3.2 Scope The SSAP must be able to provide “Call Answer” for approximately 1,800 annual calls originating within the service area. The SSAP must be able to dispatch 7 Fire Departments in the South Peace area and/or 4 Fire Departments in the North Peace area. The contractor is expected to become the SSAP and fire dispatch centre for either the North Peace area, the South Peace area or both the North and South Peace River areas. The proponent must have extensive fire dispatch service experience. The provider must have the ability to interconnect radio and alerting infrastructure to maintain or improve existing dispatch services for all fire departments.

The service requirements for the Fire Dispatch Centre are as follows:

3.2.1 Mandatory Items: 1) Answer emergency telephone calls (E9-1-1 calls) that are re-routed by the PRRD’s PSAP, RCMP OCC or BCAS and other agencies or personnel.

2) Ensure the callers’ information is gathered prior to disconnecting. This information shall include:  Phone Number (call back number)  Address  Name  Nature of the Emergency  Any additional information including detailed driving directions if required.

3) Have a standard set of protocols and operating guidelines in place that are followed and enforced.

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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January 26, 2017

R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals 4) Create a CAD dispatch and/or event call and maintain a full chronological record including units assigned, additional notifications, new event information, and final disposition.

5) Maintain ongoing radio communication for the duration of the incident.

6) Alert and dispatch the applicable fire department(s) in accordance with existing operational procedures (including future updates as agreed between the parties).

7) Record the apparatus for each fire department in the CAD system.

8) Update information in the CAD system to record individual fire department times and additional response information relating to the call.

9) Provide the tools (e.g. ability to update closed calls, query/print reports) and access to applicable fire department users to support the continued use of the FDM Records Management System and the FirePro Records Management System input and output, as well as access to current archived data. A direct one way or two-way link between the CAD and RMS would be preferred.

10) Interconnect and operate on the existing radio infrastructure.

11) Have the capacity to dispatch in both analog and digital mode.

12) Voice and call logging of phone calls and command channel and retention for the time period defined by law.

13) Conduct daily test alerting for each fire department.

14) Ensure that fire dispatch services are provided at the NFPA 1221 call handling standards for dispatch operations.

15) Have a well-developed Quality Assurance Program; including a clearly defined complaint procedure process.

16) Ability to meet quarterly with stakeholders (in person or via teleconference).

17) Provide timely notification of any maintenance, upgrades, breakdowns, or changes to dispatch equipment or protocols that will impact the proper dispatch and/or safety of fire department responders.

18) Capacity to handle future boundary extensions, new service areas, and enhanced notification processes e.g. IamResponding.

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

4.0 FORMAT OF PROPOSALS Proponents should structure their proposals to provide, at a minimum, the necessary information as outlined in the referenced sections.

4.1 Organization Overview The proposal shall provide a general overview of the organization, its structure, size and capability to perform the work required. This section should specifically list relevant experience as an SSAP and Fire Dispatch Centre and number of years acting in this capacity and current SSAP and Fire Dispatch Centre contracts. A minimum of three references relating to relevant experience should be provided, including contact name and details.

Proponents should provide a copy of 5 or 10 year strategic plans or master plans that include the following: a) b) c) d) e)

Technology evolution plan Current potential risks and mitigation strategies Funding sources and risks associated with loss of key clients Methodology for determining funding model and ongoing adjustment mechanisms Union certification for call takers and dispatchers if applicable

4.2 Personnel The proposal shall clearly identify and provide a brief description of experience of key personnel and related staff and total staff complements (full time, part time, support staff, number of dedicated dispatch operators). This section should address team structure and organization, and also demonstrate how the team members identified have the requisite experience to perform the work.

Proponents should provide the following. a) details of initial and remedial or ongoing call taker and dispatcher training b) certifications required or achieved by call takers and dispatchers. c) Job descriptions of call takers and dispatchers d) Job descriptions of supervisors and management staff e) Staffing levels by time of day and day of week f)

Capacity to add additional staff during major planned or unplanned emergency or special events

g) Any changes in staffing that would occur with the provision of this service

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

4.3 Proposal Impact on Current Operations Proponents should indicate how they plan to take on the additional operational workload and how they will manage the transition. Proponents should indicate any additional operational and technical staff that will be hired, any project managers and other technical resources that will be used during the implementation, and any new equipment or upgrades required. Any enhancements to the physical space, such as new dispatch stations, should be indicated.

4.4 Resources This section must include: a) Identification of hardware used within the centre; b) Identification of software applications used and the current status of the software; c) Software and hardware replacement schedule; d) Availability of IT staff (contracted or internal); e) List of radio equipment and connectivity plan for communicating with Fire Departments.

4.5 Facility Details This section must include: a) Details on the location of the proposed Fire Dispatch Centre including access security, backup power sources, and redundancies within the telephone, radio, CAD/RMS, recording and HVAC systems. b) Details on the back-up facility, including transition times and equipment limitations (if any) between the primary and back-up site.

4.6 Fire Dispatch Equipment This section must include: a.

The radio system used for the required interconnection to maintain or improve the existing radio equipment and underlying functionality detailed in Appendix B. b.

The Alerting system to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in Appendix A c.

The CAD system and RMS links to demonstrate required functionality and compatibility as detailed in the Scope of Services. d.

The recording system to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in the Scope of Services. e.

Mapping capabilities to demonstrate required functionality as detailed in the Scope of Services. f.

Age of current relevant dispatch equipment and lifecycle plan for replacement as required

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4.7 Pricing As detailed in Appendix D. Proponents should indicate how capital costs are to be charged. The proponents may elect to amortize capital costs into an annual user fee, or they may require capital costs to be paid directly by the client, or a combination thereof.

4.8 Other Details This section must include: a. List of standards followed in the call centre (NENA, Priority Dispatch, NFPA etc.) b. Brief description of the contractors plans in regard to implementing next generation 9-11. c. Additional services available such as working alone monitoring and after hours call answering for the PRRD. d. Ability of the contractor to maintain lists of, or locate local resources and dispatch these 3rd party resources as requested by the Fire Department. (tow truck, BC Forestry, cranes etc.) e. Ability of the contractor to adjust their protocols to meet the needs of the PRRD. (i.e. One department requires unit based dispatching but another wants general dispatching). f. Estimated transition schedule or timeline if contract was awarded including: (i) Equipment and software capacity/capability/compatibility review; (ii) Equipment and software upgrade timeline; (iii) System testing and service implementation timeline; and (iv) Staff hiring and training timeline.

4.9 Response Format All pages should be consecutively numbered. The following format and sequence should be followed in order to provide consistency in proponent response and to ensure each proposal receives full consideration: a. Title Page, showing RFP number, proponent’s name and address, the name of a contact person, and that person’s telephone number; b. Table of contents including page numbers; c. One page letter of introduction identifying the proponent and signed by the person or persons authorized to sign on behalf of the, and bind the proponent to, statements made in the proposal; d. A short one or two page summary of key features of the proposal identifying if the proponent is submitting a proposal for service for the North Peace, South Peace or entire region; e. The body of the proposal; f. Any additional information Note: the total RFP submission should be no more than 25 pages.

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5.0 PROPOSAL EVALUATION & SELECTION CRITERIA 5.1 Review of Submissions The PRRD will review the submissions to determine whether, in the PRRD’s opinion, the respondent has demonstrated that they have the required experience and qualifications to fulfill the Scope of Work. The determination of which respondents are designated as short-listed shall be at the sole discretion of the PRRD and the PRRD reserves the right to limit the number of shortlisted respondents.

The information contained within this RFP document is provisional and the PRRD may amend the Scope of Work in any subsequent contract. Therefore this RFP will be superseded by any subsequent agreement documents.

5.2 Selection Criteria The PRRD intends to review all proposals and identify the proposal (if any) that offers the best service at the best value to the PRRD based on the criteria as follows:

Factor

Weight (100)

Completion/quality of RFP

5

Organization Experience

10

Technology capability

15

Dispatch Staff Resources

20

Support Staff Resources

10

Backup capability

5

Ability to quickly respond to major events/fluctuations in call volume

5

Standard compliance and quality assurance program

10

Price

20

Totals

100

Poor (0.30)

Peace River Regional District June 3, 2016

Marginal (.50)

Fair (.70)

Good (.90)

Exc (1.0)

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5.3 Evaluation Committee Proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation committee of PRRD staff and, at the PRRD’s absolute discretion, may use one or more consultants, who will report to the PRRD from time to time as required. The committee will evaluate the Proposals using the Evaluation matrix as per section 5.2 of this RFP. The evaluation committee will not be limited to the criteria listed in the matrix, and the evaluation committee may consider other criteria that the committee identifies as relevant during the evaluation process. However, any criteria considered will be applied evenly and fairly to all Proposals.

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6.0 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 6.1 No Contractual Obligations from RFP (No “Contract A”) This is a request of proposals, and not a call for tenders or bids or a request for offers of any kind.

The Regional District does not intend to enter into contractual relations as a result of the issuance of this RFP or by requesting proposals and no contractual obligations whatsoever will arise between the Regional District and any proponent upon the submission of a proposal. The only contract that may arise in connection with this RFP is the contract that may be executed by the Regional District and a proponent for the provision of the services contemplated by this RFP, following the selection by the Regional District of a successful proponent, if any.

6.2 Review and Interpretation of RFP documents Each proponent will be solely responsible for examining all the RFP documents, including any addenda issued during the RFP period and for independently informing itself with respect to any and all information contained therein, and any and all conditions that may in any way affect the proposal, before the proposal is submitted.

Each proponent will review all RFP documents and will promptly report and request clarification of any discrepancy, deficiency, ambiguity, error, inconsistency or omission contained therein. Any such request will be submitted to the Regional District’s Representative in writing, electronically or otherwise, no later than 2:00 PM, five (5) days before the closing date.

The Regional District may share, with all proponents, all questions and answers related to this proposal call.

Where the Regional District considers that such a request requires a change or a clarification to the requirements of the RFP, the Regional District will prepare and issue an Addendum to this RFP. Proponents must demonstrate in their proposal that they have a clear understanding of the RFP requirements. Proponents need to articulate their proposals, intentions and expectations indicating how they will fulfill the requirements of the RFP and what services they will provide.

Proposals must include the names, positions, and qualifications of staff members and any other resource staff pertinent to this proposal.

6.3 Addenda Written addenda issued by the Regional District will be the only means of varying, clarifying or otherwise changing any of the information contained in this RFP. The Regional District may issue addenda up to the RFP closing date and time. Furthermore, the Regional District may, by issuing an Addendum, change the date set for submitting proposals, including if the Regional District considers that more time is necessary to enable proponents to revise their proposals for any reason.

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6.4 Preparation of Proposals Each proponent shall be solely liable for all costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal in response to this RFP. The Regional District shall not be held accountable for any such costs, however incurred.

Each proponent will submit a proposal signed by an authorized representative of the proponent.

6.5 Incomplete Proposals The Regional District may choose not to consider a proposal that is unclear, is not completed in accordance with the requirements set out in this RFP or does not contain all required information.

If the Regional District elects to retain such a proposal for consideration, the Regional District may request clarification or additional information or submissions from the applicable proponent.

6.6 Negotiation As part of this RFP process, the Regional District may choose to negotiate with one or more proponents with respect to any aspect of this RFP, the contents of a proposal or the terms of any contract to be entered into for the project.

6.7 Successful Proponent & Contract If the Regional District selects a proposal, it is expected that the proponent and the Regional District would enter into and execute a written contract for the proponent to provide the services contemplated by this RFP and that the contract would incorporate by reference some or all of this RFP, any Addenda, the contents of the proposal and the results of any negotiations.

If a form of contract is attached to this RFP, it is anticipated that this would form the basis for the contract to be executed by the successful proponent and the Regional District. Otherwise, the Regional District will present a form of contract at some point during the RFP evaluation and selection process.

6.8 Anticipated Contract Clauses: Indemnity, Insurance, Compliance with Laws & WCB If the Regional District and a proponent enter into a contract for the performance of some or all of the services contemplated under this RFP, it is anticipated that the following clauses would be included in that contract: (a) The successful proponent will indemnify and save harmless the Regional District, its elected and appointed officers, its employees, agents from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, actions, causes of action, costs and expenses the Regional District may sustain, incur, suffer or be put to at time either before, or after the termination of the contract, where the same or any of them are based upon, arise out of or occur, directly or indirectly, by reason of any act or omission of the proponent or of any agent, employee, officer, director or sub-contractor of the proponent pursuant to this contract, excepting always liability arising out of the independent negligent act of the Regional District.

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals (b) The successful proponent shall obtain and continuously hold for the term of the Contract, insurance coverage with the Regional District listed as “Additional Named Insured” the minimum limits of not less than those stated below: a) Commercial General Liability – not less than $5,000,000 per occurrence b) Vehicle Third Party Liability – not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence c) Error & Omissions Insurance – not less than $500,000 per occurrence Proponents should indicate if they have the above or equivalent coverage, legislated indemnification, or if they are self-insured. (c) The successful proponent will comply with all laws (including local government bylaws) applicable to the project, including with all worker and workplace health and safety requirements regulations under the Workers Compensation Act of British Columbia and the successful proponent must be and remain in good standing under that Act.

6.9 Conflict of Interest Proponents are to include, with their proposal, and at any subsequent time where requested to do so by the Regional District, full details of any financial or personal relationship or affiliation between the proponent, or any of its officers or employees or proposed subcontractors, and the Regional District or any of the Partners, or any of their respective elected or appointed officials, officers and employees, and shall promptly advise the Regional District of any change to the foregoing from time to time.

6.10

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Proponents are advised that the Regional District is subject to the provisions of British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and that the Regional District may be required to disclose all or part of a proposal. A proponent may stipulate that trade secrets include in their proposal are supplied in confidence and the release of which could significantly harm their competitive position, however, the Regional District’s disclosure obligations will be governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and proponents are advised to review that Act for further information.

6.11

Ownership of Documents All proposals and other documents and materials submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of the Regional District.

6.12

Intent to Submit Proposal All proponents are asked to complete the form attached as Appendix A, as a means of providing contact information for receipt of Addenda or other information pertaining to this RFP. This form should be returned to the Regional District no later than three (3) working days following the date of issue of the RFP package received or picked up by the proponent. Failure to return this form may result in a proponent not receiving important information about this RFP.

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7.0 PRRD DISCRETION The PRRD may in its sole and unfettered discretion, negotiate and enter into an Agreement with a Proponent whose Proposal does not offer the lowest total cost for the Fire Dispatch Service, but which in the sole opinion of the PRRD offers better value when the other evaluation criteria are taken into account. The PRRD’s decision will be final. In addition to any other discretion set forth in this RFP, the PRRD reserves the right, without limitation, in its sole and unfettered discretion, to: (a) not consider any Proposal from a Proponent who appears not to have the requisite experience or financial capability; (b) contact for reference purposes any party to verify the Proponent’s financial capability or design-build expertise or other information contained in its Proposal; (c) not consider any Proposal that lacks required information or is otherwise incomplete; (d) not consider any Proposal that in the PRRD’s opinion does not warrant detailed evaluation or is not in the best interests of the PRRD; (e) accept items in a Proposal that are non-compliant or in variance with the specific RFP requirements; (f) require clarification or additional information where a Proposal is unclear, or allow rectification of defects; (g) not consider any Proposal without discussion with the Proponent; (h) raise new issues in negotiation that were not mentioned in the RFP or in a Proposal; (i) discontinue negotiations with the Preferred Proponent or any backup Proponent at any time if the PRRD concludes that it is unlikely that an Agreement for the Fire Dispatch Service will be entered into within 30 days of the selection of the Preferred Proponent or such other period acceptable to the PRRD, or that such Proponent is not working diligently to achieve an Agreement or otherwise; (j) not consider any or all Proposals without any obligation or any compensation or reimbursement to the Proponents, and the PRRD is under no obligation to select a Proponent. This may occur because no Proponent has submitted a Proposal on acceptable terms, including price, or for any other reason; (k) extend, abridge, modify or discontinue the process contemplated by this RFP; SAFETY ANSWER POINT AND FIRE DISPATCH SERVICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SECONDARY

(l) determine, at any time, to withdraw some or all of the Owner’s Requirements from the process described in this RFP; and (m) discontinue this RFP for any reason whatsoever.

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposals

APPENDIX – A INTENT TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL FOR:

Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Please complete this form and return immediately to: General Manager of Community & Electoral Area Services PO Box 810, 1981 Alaska Avenue Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 Telephone: 250-784-3200 Toll-free: 1-800-670-7773 Fax: 250-784-3201 Email: prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca

Failure to return this form may result in no further communication regarding this Request for Proposal.

Company Name: Address: Contact: Telephone: Fax: E-mail I have received a copy of the above noted Request for Proposal.  Yes, I intend to respond to this Request for Proposal.  No, I will not be responding to this Request for Proposal.

I understand that if I do not submit a response, this will not affect our Company’s status as a potential supplier in the future.

Name:

Signature:

Title:

Date:

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APPENDIX – B Radio Interconnection Table

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APPENDIX – C Radio Towers/Repeaters/ Base Station Details

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APPENDIX – D PRICE SUBMISSION Five (5) Year Fixed Price Contract with Maximum Contingency Allowance for Unforeseen Capital – requires prices which are all inclusive and fixed for the entire contract term, except for unforeseen capital costs, for which there will be a Maximum Contingency Allowance per year which must not be exceeded.

Unforeseen capital costs must be as a result of an event of imposition on the Proponent, which are new, have been imposed on the Proponent or mutually agreed by the PRRD, and could not have been defined at commencement of the contract term.

The Total Annual Fixed Costs must be inclusive of all equipment, materials, labour, permits, fees, licenses and all other related costs necessary to complete the Scope of Work. Pricing must be detailed as follows, with the proponent indicating if the pricing covers both the North and South peace regions, or just the North Peace or South Peace region. If the proponent is bidding on both regions but wishes to provide pricing separate by region then that should be provided in a second pricing table: A Contract Year:

B Project Management Costs

C Capital / Equipment Upgrade Costs (NOTE 1)

D Operating Costs

E Total Annual Fixed Cost (Sum of Columns C & D) B & C in Year 1 only

F Maximum Contingency Allowance

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

1 Year 1 2 Year 2 3 Year 3 4 Year 4 5 Year 5 6 Subtotals: (Sum of rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

7 Total Maximum Contract Price Over 5 Year Term:

$

(Sum of E6 + F6) NOTE 1:

Pricing must also include an additional note with a detailed breakdown for the total one-time Capital/Equipment Upgrade Costs (i.e. Radio Interconnection, Engineering, and CAD/RMS hardware/software interfaces) shown in row C1.

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APPENDIX – E FIRE DISPATCH SERVICE OVERVIEW DIAGRAM (current as of June 3, 2016)

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Addendum No. 1 PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 By this Addendum No. 1 dated June 28, 2016, clarification for the above-noted Request for Proposal is being provided as specified below: 1. Submission Deadline The submission deadline for Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 has been extended to 2:00 p.m. local time, August 15, 2016.

2. The submission deadline extension will change the timeline for the service implementation processes indicated on Page 7 of the RFP as follows: RFP Closing date

Aug 15, 2016

Proposal review and clarification

Aug 16-23, 2016

RFP evaluation completed; recommended vendor report

Sep 9, 2016 September 22, 2016

PRRD Board approval to proceed obtained Preferred vendor negotiation; written agreement finalized with approved Proponent PRRD Board approval of agreement obtained Fire dispatch service cutover

Oct 21, 2016 November 10, 2016 May 5, 2017

All other statements shall still apply.

The Proponent shall acknowledge receipt of this Addendum in the space provided.

PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT

_________________________________ per: Trish Morgan, GM Community & Electoral Area Services

ď‚’

Receipt Acknowledged by ADDENDUM No. 1 (08-2016)

___________________________________ Name

___________________________________ Company Please acknowledge receipt by returning this page, signed, to Regional District at fax number (250) 784-3201 or via email to prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca

January 26, 2017

R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Peace River Regional District COMMENTS: Addendum #2 is attached hereto.

This Addendum No. 2, dated July 8, 2016, for the Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2-2016, is issued prior to the RFP closing date, in accordance with the RFP documents and shall be considered an integral part of the Contract Documents, read together with the specifications and addenda previously issued and with all subsequent Addenda specified.

All other statements shall apply.

The proponent shall acknowledge receipt of this Addendum by signing below and faxing or emailing a copy of this cover sheet to Peace River Regional District, Box 810, 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8, Attention Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services, Fax: 250-784-3201 or email to prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca Trish Morgan General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services Phone: 1-250-784-3200

Addendum Confirmation: I hereby confirm I have received Addendum No. 2 to the Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016.

________________________________ Signature

_______________________________ Company

_________________________ Date

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Peace River Regional District Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal ADDENDUM # 2 Clarification to Request for Proposal No. 8-2016.

Response to Questions Section 3.2.1 Mandatory Items 5) – “ Maintain ongoing radio communications for the duration of the incident.”

Question – How does that connection have to be maintained? Example such as RIOP or through radio towers.

Response: The current radio interconnection must be maintained i.e. phone interconnect departments or permanent 2-way analog interconnection. The proponent must provide details of all interconnection types that can be handled by their current radio console equipment, including the ability to handle digital interconnection in the future. The proponent can propose radio over IP interconnection, however the costs associated with upgrading existing departments will be at the proponents expense.

Question - 9) Is the intent to supply reports in PDF for the departments that use Fire Pro or an electronically complete data?

Response: The proponent must meet or improve on existing rip and run, end of call, and report query/update/printing capabilities used by each department today.

Question 10) a) Who will own the existing radio other infrastructure, responsible for upgrading and evergreen of the equipment? As this relates to question 18 in regards to new service areas or development of new fire departments within the PRRD. Response: The current radio infrastructure is maintained an owned by PRRD, including the responsibility for ongoing maintenance and evergreen replacement. Future upgrades will be a joint responsibility between PRRD and the respective fire departments i.e. radio network equipment will be looked after by PRRD and end-user equipment will be the responsibility of the fire department.

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 10) b) Who will be responsible for the costs of bringing the additional departments equipment in to dispatch and ensuring the connectivity exists before the service switches over?

Response: The proponent must determine and quote the costs associated with interconnection to their current radio console equipment in order to maintain the existing radiointerconnection method for each of the current and/or new departments.

13) Daily testing is equivalent to an additional 4015 calls bring the annual call volume to 5850, is the PRRD considering other technologies in regards to this additional work load?

Response: Daily radio testing is an NFPA standard maintained by most fire dispatch centres and is a mandatory requirement. Proponents may propose a different method to handle this, including all costs to install and maintain whatever is proposed.

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #3 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Peace River Regional District COMMENTS: Addendum #3 is attached hereto.

This Addendum No. 3, dated July 19, 2016, for the Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 8-2016, is issued prior to the RFP closing date, in accordance with the RFP documents and shall be considered an integral part of the Contract Documents, read together with the specifications and addenda previously issued and with all subsequent Addenda specified.

All other statements shall apply.

The proponent shall acknowledge receipt of this Addendum by signing below and faxing or emailing a copy of this cover sheet to Peace River Regional District, Box 810, 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8, Attention Trish Morgan, General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services, Fax: 250-784-3201 or email to prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca Trish Morgan General Manager of Community and Electoral Area Services Phone: 1-250-784-3200

Addendum Confirmation: I hereby confirm I have received Addendum No. 3 to the Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016.

________________________________ Signature

_______________________________ Company

_________________________ Date

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #3 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Peace River Regional District Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal ADDENDUM # 3 Clarification to Request for Proposal No. 8-2016.

Response to Questions 1. The RFP identifies that there are eleven Fire Departments to be dispatched. Please provide a list of the number of fire halls for each Fire Department identifying which of the halls are volunteer and which are career.

Response to Q1 (for reference purposes): No. Department Type of Department

Number of Halls

1

Dawson Creek

Career

1

2

Arras

Volunteer (volunteer Fire Chief)

1

3

Chetwynd

Volunteer (paid Fire Chief)

1

4

Moberly Lake

Volunteer (volunteer Fire Chief)

1

5

Pouce Coupe

Volunteer (volunteer Fire Chief)

1

6

Toms Lake

Volunteer (volunteer Fire Chief)

1

7

Tumbler Ridge

Volunteer (paid Fire Chief)

1

8

Fort St. John

Career

1

9

Charlie Lake

Volunteer (paid Fire Chief)

1

10

Hudson Hope Volunteer (paid Fire Chief) (Beryl Prairie) Taylor Volunteer (paid Fire Chief)

2

11

1

2. 3.2.1 – 9). Please identify the location of the existing FDM and FirePro RMS systems and the versions of software running in each. Please confirm that a one-way interface from the CAD system to the existing RMS systems for event information is sufficient.

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #3 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Response to Q2: Fort St John is the only department that use FDM CAD/RMS, they are currently upgrading to version 13.1.26; they do not provide electronic data to the departments they serve (Charlie Lake, Hudson Hope (including Beryl Prairie), and Taylor), they fax ‘end of call’ reports. Dawson Creek uses FirePro RMS only (version to be confirmed) and handles all RMS updates manually after the end of a call; none of the departments they serve receive electronic data transfer. Please propose the logistics and costs associated with each method of data transfer i.e. one-way and two-way CAD interfaces for FDM RMS and FirePro RMS. 3. 3.2.1 - 11). Please elaborate on what is meant by “dispatch in both analog and digital mode”. Because all paging and dispatch communications is either from existing analog consoles (Zetron 4020) directly connected to control radios or via telephone interconnect to the dispatch centre (per Appendix B), the interface to the dispatch centre is currently analog. At what point is a digital audio connection to the dispatch centre required? Are the fire departments planning to convert the telephone interconnect sites to Radio over IP (RoIP) technology at any point in the near future?

Response to Q3: All current paging and radio communications from Fort St John and Dawson Creek Fire Dispatch Centres are analog (per the table in Appendix ‘A’); at a minimum, this must be maintained. Proponents must indicate the capacity they have to handle the potential for future digital interconnection with their current equipment. A review of the current radio system is underway, however no plans or funding are in place for converting the network connections to Radio over IP (RoIP); proponents have the option to propose enhanced radio network interconnection (which could include RoIP) as part of their bid response; this must include detailed costing for each department as well as the radio network.

4. 3.2.1 - Are mobile workstations, connected to the CAD system, required in any fire apparatus?

Response to Q4: None were identified during the audit, however please propose a rough order of magnitude for supplying mobile CAD (including one-time capital expenses and a per unit annual cost).

5. 3.2.1 – 12). For telephone interconnect sites, please confirm that it is sufficient to record radio traffic on the Command channel only during the time that the interconnect link is established, i.e. during the period in which there is an active event involving communications with the dispatcher. If this is not the case, a remote control station within coverage range of the Command channel repeater would be required that would be interfaced to a voice logging system. Please confirm that the costs for this capability should be included in our proposal.

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R-4 Secondary Safety Answer Point and Fire Dispatch Services Request for Proposal No. 8-2016 Addendum #3 ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Response to Q5: For telephone interconnect sites, it is sufficient to record radio traffic on the Command channel only during the periods with an active link involving communications with the dispatcher.

6. Appendix B, No. 1 and No. 8. Please identify the type of VHF control station, type of console interface (e.g. 4W E&M) and method of alerting/paging (two-tone, etc.) used for Dawson Creek and Fort St. John primary alerting. We assume the existing dispatch console at both sites is a Zetron 4020, but what type of control station radio is it connected to, using what type of interface and what type of paging signals are sent?

Response to Q6: The control station for primary alerting at Fort St John and Dawson Creek is a Zetron 4217B audio panel with a CDM750 mobile; which provides primary two-tone paging. 7.

7.

Appendix B, Nos. 2-7 and 9-10. Please confirm that the Micropatch 9800D is used for both primary and secondary alerting and paging with VHF two-tone signalling. Are there two radios and interconnect devices, connected to separate phone lines, for each department?

/

Response to Q7: Fort St John back up interconnect is two ITA2000’s, one for Charlie Lake Taylor, one for Fort St John; they have no sat phone back up. Dawson Creek uses a Micropatch 9800D and sat phone for back up.

8. Appendix B, No. 11. Please confirm that Taylor FD is paged and dispatched directly from a control station radio collocated at the Fort St. John dispatch centre. Please identify the type of radio control station used and the type of connection to the Zetron 4020 console. Is there a backup interconnect device and control station for this department?

Response to Q8: Yes, they are dispatched directly using the Zetron 4217B audio panel; with an ITA2000 backup.

9. Is a diagram available showing the configuration and interconnection of the two dispatch centres and the various repeaters and interconnect sites?

Response to Q8: See the attached PDF file for a high level radio system configuration diagram and description. (attachment)

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Peace Region Communications Network

May 10, 2016

January 26, 2017

PROJECT # 2016-19

R-4

Table of contents Page

Title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cover page Table of contents Summary Drawing #216420

January 26, 2017

R-4

Peace River Regional District Inventory summary: After completing the district wide inventory of emergency alert equipment there are a few obvious problems as follows:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

There is a mixed bag of repeaters in service which are digital capable but not with each other.

Brands in use include Kenwood, Motorola, tait and Daniels.

None of the interconnect gear is digital or internet ready.

The privately owned radio gear of the volunteer fire departments is a variety of mostly old and some new. Pouce Coupe and Charlie Lake have the greatest number of digital ready MotoTurbo handheld radios. There is a sprinkling of newer digital capable mobiles throughout the district but very few.

The Zetron dispatch interconnect gear at Fort St. John and Dawson is aged and experiencing problems frequently.

The battery backup for the Arras repeater located at Bear Mountain should be replaced with new batteries and an intelligent battery charger.

Best practice going forward should be a homogenous digital repeater system with internet capabilities. Having the same equipment in each area allows for seamless movement of personnel between their respective areas. For a digital radio system, mixing different brands of repeaters and mobile/hand held radios will be problematic if not impossible.

January 26, 2017

R-4 TOM’S LAKE FIRE HALL POUCE COUPE FIRE HALL

BERYL PRAIRIE FIRE HALL

NURMBERGER SUBDIVISION REPEATER RX:148.93 TX:143.97 Tone = 100.0

ENBRIDGE REPEATER RX:171.87 TX:155.16 MCKINNON REPEATER Tone=123.0 RX:156.84 TX:155.91 Tone=100.0

ARRAS FIRE HALL

TAYLOR TANK FARM REPEATER RX:154.770 TX:159.690 Tone: 100

BEAR MOUNTAIN REPEATER RX:162.255 TX:156.42 Tone=100.0

MICRO SUBDIVISION REPEATER RX:148.375 TX:143.655 NO TONE

TAYLOR FIRE HALL

FSJ FIRE DISPATCH HUDSON HOPE FIRE HALL

DAWSON CREEK DISPATCH

BULLHEAD MOUNTAIN REPEATER RX:155.88 TX:151.385 Tone = 131.8 MOBERLY FIRE HALL

CHETWYND FIRE HALL

TUMBLER FIRE HALL

SPECTRA CHARLIE LAKE REPEATER RX:156.09 TX:154.98 Tone = 123.0

CHARLIE LAKE FIRE HALL

T HIS DRAW IN G CO MPLE TE W IT H T HE I NFO RMAT IO N IT BE ARS IS T HE SO LE PROPERT Y OF PET RON COM MU NI CATI ON S LT D. AN D M UST BE HE LD IN TH E ST RICT CON FI DEN CE. DI ST RIBUT IO N O F THI S DO CUM EN T I S F ORBI DDE N

MOBERLY LAKE REPEATER RX:148.375 TX:143.655 Tone=100.0

WABI REPEATER RX:156.00 TX:151.205 Tone=100.0

BEAR HOLE ROAD REPEATER RX:160.14 TX:155.49 Tone = 123.0

Peace River Regional District RE VISI ON NU MBE R

January 26, 2017

PREPARE D BY

1

TNG

SI ZE

CREAT IO N DAT E

11X17

04/20/2016

SCAL E

NTS

DW G NO

20160420 PCL#

PCL-2016-19 SHEET

RE V DATE

5/10/16

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