PERIOD REPORT
DATE: August 31, 2016 Report No. CSS-16-011
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director of Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Community Safety Service Department - 2016 Second Period ReportBody
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Community Safety Services Department from May 1st, 2016 to August 31st, 2016.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Emergency Management
• Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP)
• A new volunteer has taken on the role of NEPP Coordinator for the Township. She is working with staff to develop updated public education and engagement tools and the program is focusing on an increased social media presence.
• Emergency preparedness week took place May 1-8 with NEPP representation at the Juan de Fuca regional emergency preparedness display May 8.
• A Times Colonist ad was placed in emergency preparedness (EP) feature for the Esquimalt Emergency Program. Social media was also used to promote preparedness and events happening in the Region during the week.
• Following EP week in May, staff delivered emergency preparedness presentations to six classes at L’Ecole Victor Brodeur and Macaulay elementary schools to a total of 145 students. Each student received printed materials to take home as well as an emergency program backpack containing items to start their own grab n go kit.
• Staff coordinated an emergency preparedness event for the Quake Cottage in Esquimalt on May 19. The event was promoted via social media, posters, radio, and television, and Kool FM was on site. Other emergency preparedness organizations were present with information booths, and an Esquimalt Emergency Preparedness booth was staffed with 3 volunteers. The event was a huge success with more than 320 people experiencing a simulated earthquake in the Quake Cottage.
• In June, Staff delivered emergency preparedness presentations to 32 people at a strata and to 12 residents at Municipal Hall.
• NEPP volunteers attended the Esquimalt Block Bash May 28.
• Emergency Social Services (ESS)
• An inventory of the containers containing ESS supplies was completed June 20.
• Volunteers attended an information session in Saanich May 16 on lessons learned from the Nepal earthquake.
• 3 volunteers and 1 staff member attended a Registrations and Referrals course on June 4.
• 3 new ESS volunteers were recruited during the period.
• 1 volunteer participated in Exercise Coastal Response as an ESS Reception Centre Volunteer. This was a large-scale exercise that took place June 7-10 to enhance provincial emergency response capabilities to a catastrophic earthquake.
• Staff attended two Regional Emergency Social Services Directors meetings.
• ESS volunteers took part in a team-building event on August 29.
• ESS volunteers have been working on an ESS plan over the summer that will be completed in the next period.
• Reception Centre training materials are being developed in conjunction with Recreation staff to aid ESS volunteers in an emergency. Training will be delivered in the next period.
• 6 Volunteers took a First Aid Course offered August 20 and 21
• ESS was activated on August 9 to assist three residents of a house fire. 2 volunteers met the family and services were offered but not needed after other family members were able to help.
• Emergency Radio Communications (ERC)
• The group continues to participate in Wednesday night regional radio tests.
• The group has updated and distributed the Esquimalt Radio Communications Volunteer Handbook.
• 2 Volunteers took a First Aid Course offered August 20 and 21.
• Completion of radio station grounding project which has resulted in a safer electrical and antenna systems.
• The team contacted BC Hydro and a Radio Frequency engineer to assess possible powerline noise.
• Ordered equipment to connect with the Puget Sound amateur radio emergency network, creating greater redundancy for communications options following an emergency.
• Administration
• An Emergency Planning Committee meeting took place on May 3 where a tabletop exercise was conducted to coincide with EP week.
• 4 modules of in-house emergency management training sessions were delivered to staff, including Introduction to Emergency Management, Introduction to Emergency Operations Centres, an Emergency Operations Centre Exercise, and Neighbourhood Damage Assessment. Each session was offered twice with delivery of a total of 8 sessions. These modules will be used to work with a contractor to develop additional modules that can be done online prior to face-to-face sessions.
• An emergency preparedness workshop was held for staff on May 3.
• Planning has begun on The Great BC Shakeout and several different exercises will take place in Township departments
• Staff participated as a Lower Controller in Exercise Coastal response from June 7 to 10 at Emergency Management BC. A final report on the exercise and lessons learned should be released in the next period.
• Staff delivered training sessions to three Esquimalt Fire Rescue Platoons regarding emergency preparedness, the emergency program, and ESS.
• Staff set up and tested EOC equipment June 21.
• Staff attended meetings of the Local Government Emergency Planning Advisory Commission (LGEPAC) and Regional Emergency Planning Advisory Commission (REPAC). An MOU for a regional emergency management partnership (REMP) to further encourage and support regional emergency planning initiatives has been signed between the CRD and EMBC. Staff provided a briefing to the CAO prior to the first meeting of the Steering Committee. Staff is a representative of the Public Information working group of the LGEPAC, responsible for the promotion of Quake Cottage and updated PrepareYourself workbook. The group is creating social media templates to ensure common messaging for emergencies across the region.
• Staff participated in an Evacuation Planning working group that has developed new public education tools for evacuations. These tools will be used to update Esquimalt’s Evacuation Plan, which will be exercised in the next period with relevant stakeholders. The tools have been presented to the LGEPAC’s public information working group and they will be redesigned using regional PrepareYourself branding. The LGEPAC is developing training for responders that can be used across the Region which will ensure consistency if Mutual Aid is required.
• Staff presented an updated Neighbourhood Damage Assessment Program to the LGEPAC. The program will use the PrepareYourself branding and be offered to residents across the region to educate them on potential structural hazards following an earthquake.
• Staff coordinated meetings with local schools, fire, and police to ensure consistency of emergency planning. Staff was contacted by a PAC member from SD District 61 that is organizing an exercise to coincide with the Great BC ShakeOut. Staff is assisting with planning of the exercise, and the Township and Macaulay Elementary will participate.
• Staff received demonstrations of mass notification systems from several providers.
• Staff tested the desalination unit on June 20 and August 12. Both tests resulted in successful production of potable water.
• The Director monitored the Plumper Bay spill and clean up and was a participant in all conference calls.
2. Bylaw Enforcement
There continues to be strong demand for bylaw enforcement services by residents of the Township. Calls for service continued their increasing trend in this period (over the first period) and show an overall increase for the year to date.
• Bylaw Offence Notice (BON) Disputes
Four BONs have been disputed at the Screening Officer level during this period. Of those, three were cancelled by the Screening Officer and one was upheld with the fines being paid by the offender.
No disputes were put forth for adjudication in this period.
• Unsightly Properties
Unsightly Properties continue to consume a significant amount bylaw enforcement resources.
1106 Lockley - Remedial Action Process - Council ordered the building demolished. The property owner has until September 26th to take action on this property after which staff will follow up on any outstanding requirements.
• Special Enforcement Activities
Staff pursued the removal of an unlawfully constructed deck at #8 300 Plaskett Place through civil injunction. The deck was ordered removed and the property owner has until November 30th to comply with the court order.
• 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. The group have examined numerous issues relating to public safety. The Working Group examines concerns from a multi faceted standpoint and solutions arrived at fit within each department or organizations’ ability to make realistic changes.
5. Business Licencing
• Staff issued 34 new business licences during this period (compared with 33 for this period in 2015);
• Active licences are displayed on website and updated every three months.
• 9 businesses ceased operating in the Township in this period
• 689 active business licences have been issued
• Completed a one year cycle using the upgraded Business Licence Module in Tempest. Along with refined processes, a simple business licence can be issued in 1 to 3 days whereas in the past it has taken 2 weeks. Those licences that require fire and/or building inspections of the premises take longer to approve and the length of time depends on coordinating schedules between the business owner and Township Staff.
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
7. Deer Management
• Staff have been working with Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society on identifying the extent of Deer Management requirements within the Township, in conjunction with DND - a comprehensive survey will be completed in the next period
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