Regional district directors discussed fire service issues with Community Services Manager Mark Woods during the Protective Services Committee meeting at the regional district on July 19.
Keremeos Mayor Manfred Bauer queried Woods about evaluation methods for the appointment of fire chiefs in the regional district. Woods replied that Emergency Services Supervisor Dale Kronebusch was working with regional chiefs on a fire service leadership program, using a process that was currently in use in a number of areas throughout the province.
Oliver rural Director Allan Patton then asked Woods whether he had heard of issue concerning the address changes that have been taking place in the Oliver area, to which Woods replied that he had heard of some issues - nothing specific - noting that “Any time you get a full scale changeover of something like that it’s going to be something to get used to.”
“We’re at the worst possible time right now,” Patton said, with the changeover only partly complete. He asked Woods to let him know if he had any suggestions, noting that he had heard of issues with respect to emergency services dealing with the street address changeover.
Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes told Woods that he had discussed concerns with the Oliver fire chief regarding dispatch, asking Woods if he had heard from the Oliver chief. Offering the excuse that the problems were perhaps “growing pains” he cited examples of dispatch being able to handle only one call at a time.
“They’ve had a couple of instances where (people ) would say, ‘Oliver fire department, we have a structure fire,’ and then there’s a pause - and a long pause - and they’ve actually had one incident where they’re sitting in a truck, waiting to go, they got the rest of the message.
And I think it’s familiarity too - maybe it’s growing pains too - but there’s a huge hesitation because there was an address on Tuc el Nuit Drive, and just the way it’s spelled, the poor dispatch person couldn’t get it out - and finally a long pause again - and a long pause to a fire department probably means something else than to you and me - but after a pause they finally got it out.
The fire chief said he was going to get in touch with you, but I thought I would pass it along because it’s the first time I have heard of growing pains.”
Woods thanked Hovanes for the information, advising the directors that if they heard of a specific case, to let him or the chief know, even if the incident was taking place, noting that the sooner the regional district could get involved in the incident the sooner they could address it.
Princeton Director Marilyn Harkness added that Princeton council had recently been briefed regarding issues with 911 dispatch.
The regional district recently awarded a five year contract for 911 dispatch services to Kelowna dispatch. Prior to that, dispatch services for regional district fire departments was delivered locally through a dispatch centre in Penticton’s number one firehall.