PERIOD REPORT
DATE: January 8th, 2020 Report No. CSS-20-001
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director of Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Community Safety Services - 2019 Third Period Report
Body
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Community Safety Services department from September 1st, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Emergency Management
• Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP)
The NEPP and staff facilitated 3 scheduled monthly presentations to a total of 42 residents during the period. Staff provided emergency preparedness presentations to 2 strata’s with a total of 42 residents attending.
The NEPP and staff attended the Esquimalt Fire Department Open House and provided emergency information to the public.
Staff partnered with CFB Esquimalt to host the Quake Cottage earthquake simulator on September 24 in the Canex parking lot. A total of 185 people experienced the simulated earthquake, along with 120 Rockeheights Middle School students that were also provided with an overview of tsunami risk in our area.
Staff attended an emergency preparedness night at the Military Family Resource Centre on November 6 and provided information to new residents of Esquimalt.
• Emergency Support Services (ESS)
One new ESS volunteer was recruited during the period, and volunteers attended various courses including Introduction to Reception Centres, Registration and Referrals, Managing Disaster Walk-In Volunteers, and Group Lodging which was hosted by the Township.
The ESS team met three times during the period, with the Level One team meeting once. Paul Helston has taken on the role of Deputy Emergency Support Services Director [ESSD] and has developed a new volunteer onboarding package and a 2020 training and exercise plan which has been adopted by the team. The ESSD attended a Langford ESS meeting to provide an overview of the April 7 Craigflower Fire event as well as share lessons learned and best practices.
Staff attended two Regional Emergency Social Services Director meetings and the group is planning to engage in a regional evacuation tabletop exercise in February to coincide with evacuation planning underway in the Region.
Staff met with staff from Victoria, Oak Bay, and Saanich municipalities to discuss sub-regional ESS coordination and shared training with a pilot plan to commence in 2020.
• Emergency Radio Communications
The team continues to meet each Wednesday participating in the Region’s Net to ensure emergency communications are possible with other local government Emergency Operations Centres, as well as Emergency Management BC following a catastrophic emergency.
The team replaced the roof antenna in the emergency program vehicle so it can be used as a mobile radio station if necessary. The team also repaired the dipole antenna at the Archie Browning Centre roof. The team exercised from the secondary EOC at the public works yard to ensure all equipment is operational.
The team participated in the PREOC exercise on Wednesday, October 16 using a new Initial Incident for via packet radio and responding to typical 911 emergency type call from other amateur radio operators in the community. The exercise was very useful with many lessons learned by the participants.
• Administration
The Great British Columbia ShakeOut took place October 17th, which saw communications and evacuation exercises throughout Township departments and facilities. A lunch and learn on Emergency Preparedness was offered to staff, and three prizes were awarded to staff that participated in emergency preparedness events through the week. ShakeOut BC reached over 1 million people in the Province.
The Emergency Planning Committee met twice this period, with one meeting being a functional exercise setting up the secondary EOC at the public works yard. The Committee assisted in completing the updates of the Township of Esquimalt Business Continuity Plan.
The Regional Emergency Planning Advisory Commission held one forum during this period with a focus on education continuity following a disaster. Staff attended along with various school stakeholder representatives.
The Local Government Emergency Program Advisory Commission (LG EPAC) met twice this period. The regional portion of the UBCM Community Emergency Preparedness Fund - Evacuation Planning grant has been awarded to ISL Engineering and work has commenced with a completion time expected during the second period.
Esquimalt and the City of Victoria have partnered for the UBCM EOC exercises and Training grant, and the contract for this work, as well as for both our local evacuation plans, has been awarded to Smart Risk Consulting. It was determined that since we share a common police force we should ensure our plans and training align, and joint exercises will take place in March and April. The results of the Esquimalt/ Victoria plans will filter into the Regional Framework. Work has commenced with staff attending and coordinating several planning meetings with the City of Victoria and the Victoria Police Department. Work will be completed in the second period.
EMBC is modernizing BC’s Emergency Management Legislation and is doing so using the Sendai Framework. These changes may have significant impacts on local governments, including land use planning, mitigation measures, municipal self-insurance, financial reimbursements, recovery planning and associated costs. Local governments have been provided an overview of both the framework and proposed changes, and have an opportunity for feedback until January 31. The LGEPAC will be submitting one report on behalf of the Region to the Province, and a report will be submitted on behalf of the Township and will incorporate feedback from all impacted departments.
The LGEPAC continues to discuss the outcomes of both the Esquimalt and Saanich fires and the implications for residents after the 72 hours of assistance provided by ESS. Changes to the Emergency Program Act may provide clarity on some of the issues.
Staff continues to participate on the LGEPAC public education working group which partnered with the Black Press to produce a “Be Ready” resource guide that was distributed around the Region. The group is also updating the PrepareYourself website, and is planning for a spring 2020 media workshop.
The Township launched Esquimalt Alert on September 28, and Voyent Alert staff were on hand at the Esquimalt Fire Open House to help residents sign up for the service. Esquimalt Alert allows residents to receive both emergency alerts and information on community topics like events and road closures. As of the end of the period, 973 residents have subscribed to the service.
Staff was invited to attended various events including an exercise as an observer at Seaspan Victoria Shipyards in November, the Juan de Fuca Integrated response Plan Working Group meeting, Vancouver Island Emergency Preparedness Conference Committee meetings, Sendai Framework presentation, Emergency Program Act Modernization presentation. Township Climate Action Adaptation workshop, and the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Conference in Vancouver, which are valuable learning experiences and help build relationships.
Staff continued as a member of the Disaster Risk Reductions Strategies working group, which is part of the Regional Emergency Management Partnership (REMP), which resulted in a workshop in November. This workshop is a follow up to last year’s Hazard Risk and Vulnerabilities Assessment which will help to guide planning priorities and strategies in the Region. The REMP facilitated a workshop with regional CAOs for a better understanding of a Regional Concept of Operations. Staff also participated in the Measuring Regional Public Preparedness working group of the REMP, which surveyed households in the Capital Region on various preparedness questions. Information will be used to inform the Public Information Working Group work plan for 2020.
Staff continues to participate in the regional working group for 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 is underway and will be modelling a total of nine different scenarios using four different tsunami-generation sources. The project is on track for completion during the first period of 2020, and information will be incorporated into the Township’s emergency plans.
2. Bylaw Enforcement
• Bylaw Offence Notice [BON] Disputes:
42 BONs were forwarded to the Screening Officer level in this period. Of those, 30 were cancelled by the Screening Officer and 12 were upheld with fines being levied to the offender. No matters were advanced for adjudication during this period.
• Unsightly Properties
o Unsightly properties continue to be an area of enhanced enforcement. In this period, 14 complaints of unsightly properties were reported to Bylaw Enforcement. Of those, 11 were dealt with using the authorities within the Maintenance of Property and Nuisance Regulation Bylaw. 3 files remain active.
o One chronic property remaining, which should be resolved in the next period.
• Special Enforcement Activities
o Civil Injunction process related to use of property - 800 block Esquimalt Road
• Attachments
o Bylaw Contraventions and Complaints, Municipal Tickets and Bylaw Notices, Animal Management Report [Attachment # 1]
3. Building Inspections/Permits
2019 showed consistent demand for building permits compared with 2018. Overall in 2019, the Building Department issued permits for a total value of construction of nearly $49 million (nearly $57 million in 2018) with total permit fees of approximately $462,000 (verses approximately $532,000 in 2018). These values represent a moderate decrease from 2018 totals.
• Attachments
o Building Permits Chart [Attachment # 2]
4. Policing
• Staff continued 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.
5. Business Licencing
• 13 communities are now participating in the Intercommunity Business Licence Agreement
• The Township has issued 7 Intercommunity Business Licences.
• 757 Business Licence renewals were mailed in late November to all current businesses. Information about the Intercommunity Business Licence was included in the renewal reminders.
• 274 2020 Business Licence renewals were received in this period.
• The Township currently has 750 active business licences (739 in 2018) which are posted on the website and updated every three months
• In this period, 38 new applications were received
• In this period, 25 accounts were closed
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
• The Director chairs the Community Safety - Staff Working Group.
• The Director chairs the Esquimalt Emergency Planning Committee