PERIOD REPORT
DATE: May 4, 2016 Report No. CSS-16-009
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director of Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Community Safety Services Department - 2016 First Period ReportBody
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Community Safety Services Department from January 1st, 2016 to April 30th, 2016.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Emergency Management
• Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP)
A volunteer conducted an emergency preparedness session on February 23 in Council Chambers with 12 people in attendance. Staff facilitated emergency preparedness and community planning sessions to two strata complexes: one on March 16 with 28 people in attendance and another on April 30 to 31 people.
A Rapid Damage Assessment Training Program for local residents is being developed by a student completing their emergency management certificate. It is based on a similar program in the Cowichan Valley Regional District and will be piloted in the second period of 2016 with the aim of distribution and use to other emergency programs in the Region.
• Emergency Social Services (ESS)
The ESS Team has begun operating under a new structure with a leadership team comprised of four leadership roles: Training Coordinator, Volunteer Management, Level One Coordinator and Exercise Design. The team met in January to develop and complete a 2016 work plan and exercise schedule.
The ESS team attended a Red Cross presentation on February 15 on ESS in disasters worldwide.
The ESS Level One Team attended a call out for an apartment fire on February 27 and provided services to 38 residents in 17 units of the complex.
The team participated in a Regional exercise focusing on reception centre set up and just in time training in Saanich on March 21.
Members of the ESS team and staff attended a call for Mutual Aid for the City of Victoria on March 22 to help coordinate services for the displaced residents of a fire that took place on March 20.
ESS attended an incident for a gas leak April 21 due to the potential of displaced residents; services were not necessary.
An ESS volunteer attended and completed an Emergency Social Services Director course offered by Emergency Management BC (EMBC). Volunteers and staff attended a number of courses including Registration and Referrals, Public Safety Lifeline Volunteer Management, Resource Acquisition, Introduction to Reception Centres and Group lodging.
A Volunteer Intake Centre plan is being developed in conjunction with Victoria, Oak Bay, and Saanich ESS teams. The plan is well underway and an exercise will take place in the second quarter.
A comprehensive ESS plan is being completed by the team.
Two new ESS volunteers were recruited during the period.
Six ESS volunteers received pins from Emergency Management BC in recognition of five years of volunteer service.
• Emergency Radio Communications (ERC)
Larry Gagnon is the new Deputy Director of the ERC Team.
The team has made some infrastructure upgrades including installation of a new antenna and co-ax for the radio room, as well as completion of portable “go-box” radio kits that can be set up and used in most locations.
Testing of the emergency radio communications station located at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at Municipal Hall has taken place on a monthly basis.
Weekly testing rakes place with the Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre (PREOC) located in Central Saanich as well as the secondary PREOC located in Kamloops using a variety of methods, and the team continues to participate in weekly testing with local EOCs and the Vancouver Island PREOC.
The team participated in an emergency communications exercise with Victoria and EMBC on February 10. The team will be participating in the Provincial exercise “Cascadia Rising” on June 9.
Esquimalt hosted the Capital Region Emergency Radio Coordinators Committee meeting on April 26 to 19 members of the Region.
The team recruited one new member in the period.
• Administration
The ESS Team will be under a new structure with a leadership team comprised of four leadership roles. Job descriptions were created and the new structure was commenced in this period.
The Emergency Planning Committee met on January 14 to approve the 2016 work plan for the emergency program, and to develop the training and exercise schedule. On February 11 the Committee met for a communications tabletop exercise and this resulted in recognition of a need for an emergency communications plan for public information. Staff met with the Victoria Police Department on April 8 to develop the plan which is expected to be completed in the next period.
The Committee also hosted the first annual Esquimalt Emergency Stakeholder meeting on April 28 that had 40 stakeholders from the community in attendance, along with presentations from the Esquimalt Emergency Program, Emergency Management BC, the Victoria Police Department, and Esquimalt Fire Rescue.
Staff has developed In-House Training with the first sessions taking place in May for Emergency Preparedness week.
Staff provided an emergency preparedness presentation to recreation services on January 25.
Staff met with Macaulay School and the Victoria Police Department school liaison to assist the school with development of their emergency plan on January 15.
Staff participated in several Provincial working groups, including Disaster Response Transportation Planning, Evacuation Tool Kit and Training development, and has completed the refresh of the British Columbia Emergency Management System.
Staff participated in several Local Government Emergency Program Advisory Commission (LGEPAC) working groups. This includes the public education working group that completed version two of the PrepareYourself emergency preparedness workbook. The group has also organized the ShakeZone Tour for the Region where a portable earthquake simulator will be at several locations during the week of May 15. The earthquake “ride” is free and will be in Esquimalt at the Town Square on Thursday, May 19 from noon to six and media outlets will be on site.
The LGEPAC has also finalized a Regional Emergency Management Partnership agreement with the Province to facilitate increased emergency management in the Region and is currently developing the priorities and work plan for the partnership.
Staff attended the Regional Emergency Planning Advisory Commission meeting February 4th. Elections took place and Esquimalt staff will take on the role of Vice-Chair for the next term.
2. Bylaw Enforcement
There continues to be strong demand for bylaw enforcement services by residents of the Township.
In this period, changes to the Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw were adopted by Council allowing enforcement via Bylaw Offence Notice (BON) of several bylaws that were previously not enforceable via ticket.
• BON Disputes
Six BONs have been disputed at the Screening Officer level during this period. Of those, four were cancelled by the Screening Officer and two were upheld with the fines being paid by the offender.
No matters were put forth for adjudication in this period.
• Attachments
Bylaw Contraventions and Complaints/Municipal Tickets and Bylaw Notices Statistics/Animal Management Report
3. Building Inspections
The optimized Building Permits process continues to work well and has resulted in a reduction of overall time it takes for someone to receive a building permit.
• See Attachment - Building Permits Chart
4. Policing
Staff continues to liaise on an ongoing basis with Victoria Police Department regarding local and regional policing and public safety concerns, including the ongoing Victoria Police Department efficiency review.
The Director continues to represent the Township at the public portion of Esquimalt and Victoria 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. Thus far, the group have examined four issues relating to traffic flow and safety, as well as an issue relating to BC Transit routeing. The creation of the Working Group allows for issues to be examined from a multi faceted standpoint and solutions arrived at fitting within each department or organizations’ ability to make realistic changes.
5. Business Licencing
• Staff issued 49 new business licences during this period (compared with 44 for this period in 2015); total current licensed businesses in Esquimalt 661 (compared with 566 for this period in 2015)
• Active licences are displayed on website and updated every three months.
• All accounts have no outstanding balances with 2016 renewal fees paid or closed due to relocation or cessation of operations.
• 77 businesses ceased operating in the Township from 2015 to 2016
• 610 renewed licences issued
• 661 active business licences issued
• The Business Licence Module in Tempest has been upgraded during this period
6. Public Consultation and Engagement
• See aforementioned NEPP and ESS information.
• Numerous consultations with public re: bylaws and bylaw enforcement.
• Ongoing general informal public consultation
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 newly formed Community Safety - Staff Working Group.
• The Director chairs the Esquimalt Emergency Planning Committee.