PERIOD REPORT
DATE: September 11, 2018 Report No. CSS-18-013
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director, Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Community Safety Services Department - 2018 2nd Period Report
Body
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Community Safety Services Department from May 1st, 2018 to August 31st, 2018.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Emergency Management
• Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP)
The NEPP recruited a new volunteer this period and continues to update social media to advertise events and to provide emergency preparedness information to residents.
The first week of May was emergency preparedness week, and staff presented emergency preparedness information to a total of 167 Grade 4 students at Macaulay Elementary and Victor-Brodeur schools. 200 starter emergency kits were assembled by 5 volunteers and staff and were distributed to the students along with emergency preparedness information to take home to their families.
During Emergency Preparedness Week, staff and the NEPP coordinator put on two emergency information sessions and the Coordinator assisted providing information to attendees of the Juan de Fuca Emergency Preparedness Display on May 6.
During the period, staff and volunteers provided emergency preparedness information and guidance to residents and stratas, for a total of six sessions to approximately 50 individuals. The fall / winter schedule has been released with additional times to allow for more residents to attend sessions.
• Emergency Social Services (ESS)
Staff attended regional Emergency Social Services Directors meetings and continues to engage in regional ESS planning with delivery of an ESS exercise in the next period.
The ESS team met once during the period and the Level one Team met twice. The Level One backpacks were updated and two of the ESS supply bins were consolidated to allow use of the other bin for the Recreation Department and the Esquimalt Market for the summer. The ESS all call notification system was tested successfully twice during the period.
Two volunteers attended “Managing Walk in Volunteers” training in Sooke in May. Ten volunteers attended the Vancouver Island Emergency Preparedness conference that took place at the University of Victoria June 8 to 10. This conference provided educational opportunities to all Emergency Program volunteers with a focus on ESS and included courses and presentations. Topics included a Disaster Psychological First Aid Workshop, the 2017 Flood and Fire Season: What We Learned, Working with our Indigenous Neighbours, a Panel of various Disaster Partners, Understanding Natural Hazards, and Communicating with Evacuees.
ESS Volunteers attended a team meeting and BBQ in July with other emergency program volunteers.
• Emergency Radio Communications
The team continues to activate and test the Archie Browning station once per week on Wednesday evenings, despite at least five other municipalities closing their radio rooms for the summer.
The team conducted full team exercise with six volunteers in late June, testing the two portable go-kits in low elevation areas of Esquimalt to check radio coverage from those areas. Two grab-and-go backpacks were prepared to complement the portable radio go-kits. They include the usual recommended items plus additional tools and radio repair/testing gear specific to the program.
The team repaired a problem with the Morse code transmission on one of the HF radios and installed a more suitable wireless networked/cloud printer which could be used in emergency battery powered situations.
The radio team has been involved in the planning of the secondary EOC exercise taking place in the next period.
• Administration
An Emergency Planning Committee training session took place July 24 to orient the Emergency Public Information Group on use of the new internal notification system. The system has the ability to notify different pre-identified lists with a phone call or text message, or allow them to join in on a conference call. A guide, procedure, and protocol, have been created to assist staff, with an exercise schedule that requires different staff members to test the system each month. Both the texting and conference options were successfully tested at different times during the period.
During Emergency Preparedness Week, an information session was available for staff to learn about emergency preparedness, and all staff had the opportunity to take part in a contest to test their preparedness knowledge and winners received items for their emergency kits. Starter emergency kits continue to be distributed to new staff following completion of in-house emergency training e-modules to encourage emergency preparedness.
Staff continues to collaborate with the Province and the Region through several meetings and initiatives. These initiatives include participating in the Provincial Disaster Response Transportation Working Group and the BC Integrated Earthquake Risk Assessment Advisory Group, participating in conference calls
Staff provided input for the creation of the 2019 business plan for the Regional Emergency Management Partnership (REMP). Staff continues to attend meetings as a member of the Measuring Regional Preparedness Working group that is developing a regional survey for residents in an effort to determine where to focus regional emergency preparedness. Delivery of the survey will take place in the third period. As a member of the Regional Concept of Operations Working Group, staff attended a workshop June 12 and provided additional input into the overall project scope and plan.
As a member of the Public Education Working Group of the Local Government Emergency Program Advisory Commission (LG EPAC), staff participated in coordination of a “Get Your Kit Together” contest that provided emergency kits to winners in the region, as well as a “26 Weeks to Emergency Preparedness” social media campaign.
Staff assisted in completion of a National Disaster Mitigation Program Grant submission for Capital Region Coastal Flood Inundation Mapping that includes tsunami modelling in conjunction with representatives of the Climate Action program of the Capital Regional District and other local government emergency program managers. The project involves undertaking two comprehensive coastal inundation modelling and mapping activities related to future sea level rise due to climate change and tsunamis. If successful, the project will support the Capital region, including municipalities and other stakeholders, in better understanding the implication of rising sea levels and tsunamis and assist with future planning initiatives.
Staff continues planning to deliver the project described in a UBCM grant for $15,000 to equip and exercise the Township’s Secondary Emergency Operations Centre and Evacuation Plan. The exercise will take place in the third period and include participation from staff, volunteers, and external agencies.
During this period staff continued to volunteer as the Sponsorship Lead and Organizing Committee member for the annual Vancouver Island Emergency Preparedness Conference that took place in June 8-10 at the University of Victoria. The two and half day conference was a huge success that attracted 180 attendees from across the province, with 29 presenters covering eleven different topic presentations.
The Emergency Program Manager deployed to assist in the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre (PECC) for fire response in ESS Operations and logistics in August to relieve Provincial staff and gained a better understanding of how the Provincial system operates while building valuable relationships.
2. Bylaw Enforcement
• Training - The Bylaw Management Officer attended “Injunction Junction” - a one day course on using the legal injunction process in enforcement of bylaw matters.
• Bylaw Offence Notice (BON) Disputes
26 BONs were forwarded to the Screening Officer level in this period. Of those, 16 were cancelled by the Screening Officer and 10 were upheld with fines being paid by the offender. No matters were advanced for adjudication during this period.
• Unsightly Properties
Unsightly properties continue to be an area of enhanced enforcement. In this period, 44 complaints of unsightly properties were reported to Bylaw Enforcement. Of those, 41 were dealt with using the authorities within the Maintenance of Properties and Nuisance Regulation Bylaw. Three files remain active.
Good progress has been made in relation to the “long term” properties in this period. See attached chart for details (attachment # 2).
• Incidents of Note:
Staff have been working with Transport Canada to have a boat moored in the Gorge Waterway declared abandoned and are seeking to take possession and dispose of the boat. A decision should be forthcoming in the next period.
• Attachments
o Bylaw Contraventions and Complaints/Municipal Tickets and Bylaw Notices Statistics/Animal Management Report (attachment # 1)
o Unsightly Properties Chart (attachment # 2)
3. Building Inspections
• See Attachment - Building Permits Chart (attachment # 3)
4. Policing
• Staff continues to liaise with Victoria Police Department regarding local and regional policing and public safety concerns.
• The Director represents the Township at the public portion of Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board meetings.
• Several meetings of the Esquimalt Community Safety Staff Working Group have taken place. This group consists of representation from Victoria Police Department, Military Police, Esquimalt Fire Rescue, Engineering and Public Works and Community Safety Services. In this period, the working group has met, discussed and established action plans where appropriate on traffic control and signage design and properties which generate significant numbers of complaints to both Bylaw Enforcement and VicPD. The Working Group allows for issues to be examined from a multi faceted standpoint and solutions arrived at fitting within each department’s or organization’s ability to take realistic action.
5. Business Licensing
• The Intercommunity Business Licence Bylaw was adopted in this period and will come into force in 2019.
• The Township currently has 721 active business licences (703 in 2017) which are posted on the website and updated every three months.
• In this period, 41 new businesses obtained a licence
• In this period, 7 businesses were closed
6. Deer Management
• UWSS has rolled out a public education campaign with its primary focus being harmonious coexistence with deer. (See attachment # 4 for details)
• A fall deer count will be conducted in conjunction with DND.
• DND has received a draft report from a consultant relating to Deer Management measures. The major points coming from the consultation are:
o The deer population at CFB Esquimalt is an open system (deer can move freely on and off the property) and is likely at its carrying capacity; the population has remained stable since 2003.
o Reducing the deer population through immunocontraception would be challenging in this open system as a high number of does would have to be treated in a sustained effort in order for any impact to be made. Any reduction in population would be filled by incoming deer from outside the Property.
o An immunocontraception program would be more successful if undertaken in concert with the Township of Esquimalt.
o There are currently no approved fertility control drugs licensed and available in Canada for ungulates. Other issues include: time and effort to secure the required permits, the available drugs are expensive, and administering the drugs would involve multiple capture and handling events by experienced personnel.
o Based on the results of the report, CFB Esquimalt would only undertake an immunocontraception program in cooperation with the Township of Esquimalt.
o DND will conduct one more round of deer surveys in coordination with the Township of Esquimalt. The Final report should address the frequency that future surveys should be conducted.
II. COMMITTEES
• No Community Safety Services Staff currently sit on any Council appointed committees; however, the Director and the Emergency Program Manager represent the Township on the Capital Regional District Local Government Emergency Program Advisory Commission and the Regional Emergency Planning Advisory Commission, as well as on several regional and provincial working groups.
• The Director sits on a Provincial Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act Working Group. In this period the Director has provided advice and guidance to two municipalities that are considering implementing the Bylaw Notice System.
• The Director chairs the Community Safety - Staff Working Group.
• The Director chairs the Esquimalt Emergency Planning Committee