Doug Joinson de joinson & associates

Doug Joinson - Curriculum Vitae Employment History: 1991 to 2011: Manager of Information Services and Technology, Fraser Valley Regional District Retired Responsibilities: E911 Service Area. 2 PSAP s Abbotsford and Chilliwack Regional Fire Dispatch Service Area, including contracted dispatch services Information Technology Department WAN, LAN infrastructure maintenance and support Telephone and voice communications SCADA (System Control and Data Acquisition): Alarming & Control systems for Electoral Area utilities, fire halls and communication systems GIS (Geographic Information Systems Department) mapping and spatial databases 1967 to 1991: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Retired at rank of Staff Sergeant Postings Nelson Salmo Rossland Surrey Terrace New Denver Port Hardy E Division HQ, Vancouver Chilliwack Prince George 1969 to 1971: Volunteer Fire Fighter Rossland VFD 1965 to 1967: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Edmonton, Alta CBXT Television on-air transmitted booth switcher

Doug Joinson - Curriculum Vitae Qualifications, Experience, past memberships: Fire Services Administration Dalhousie University Computer Based Information Systems University of Victoria MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) Lapsed CNA (Certified Netware Administrator) Lapsed Canadian Association of Arson Investigators - Lapsed APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officers) - Lapsed NENA (National Emergency Number Association) - Lapsed NFPA (National Fire Prevention Association) - Lapsed FSLG (Fire Services Liaison Group) Committee Chair, E911, Fire Dispatch, and Communications 911ABC (E911 Service Providers Association of BC- Lapsed

The RDOS Board has adopted and approved the budget for Approach #1 as defined in the report from Planetworks The RDOS Board of Directors is seeking assistance to ensure they have a clear understanding of the recommended upgrade requirements from both a technical as well as operational viewpoint. The RDOS needs the ability to demonstrate, to the regional tax payers as well as system users, that the requirement for the upgrades is necessary to meet public safety communication standards both present and future.

The Planetworks report is technical, comprehensive and complex and needs to be interpreted from an operational standpoint.

The report contains 67 recommendations. All recommendations lead to tasks that, once completed, will result in a robust public safety communications system that meet current accepted practices, standards, and safety codes.

The report identified a requirement to; replace aging equipment, upgrade installations to current standards, include redundant power, communications route diversification and system back-up, implement a zoned radio topology, enable separate page, command & control and tactical channel operation, system health monitoring and alarming, development of standard operating procedures, standardize communications equipment, standardize radio channel assignments, initiate a communications network preventive maintenance program, contract a 24X7X365 communications network trouble & repair response service Create a fire communications user group

PSAP SSAP-Fire SSAP- BCAS BCAS and Fire Dispatch can also communicate by BCAS Gateway

Paging & Communications Dispatcher: Monitors Dispatch & Talk Groups TG = Dispatch 1 Available on Radio; on Inspections; at Drills, etc Dispatch 1 Dispatch 1 Dispatch 1 Fire Stations 2 2 TG = 2 Units enroute to a call; I/C to Dispatch 2 TG = Tac 3 to 16 Trunked Talk Group for I/C and Fire Ground Officers Fire Ground Officers Emergency Scene Operations Tactical 3 to 16 Incident Fire Ground Simplex Fire Ground Simplex TG = Fire Ground Simplex Talk Group for Fire Ground Officers & FF s 1. Fire Department Pages on Paging/Dispatch Channel Dept. FF pagers activate and voice message Page tones are unique to dept. and will only activate target pagers. FF will be able to receive pages while out of home dept. radio range but still in RDOS fire dispatch SA. 2. Fire Dept. confirm page receipt of page on Channel. 3. Fire units provide updates on response to dispatch via Channel, on scene arrivals, bench marks, etc 4. Incident command established (Bench mark)

Paging & Communications Dispatcher: Monitors Dispatch & Talk Groups TG = Dispatch 1 Available on Radio; on Inspections; at Drills, etc Dispatch 1 Dispatch 1 Dispatch 1 Fire Stations 2 2 TG = 2 Units enroute to a call; I/C to Dispatch 2 TG = Tac 3 to 16 Trunked Talk Group for I/C and Fire Ground Officers Fire Ground Officers Emergency Scene Operations Tactical 3 to 16 Incident Fire Ground Simplex Fire Ground Simplex TG = Fire Ground Simplex Talk Group for Fire Ground Officers & FF s 5. IC communication established 6. Fire grounds communication established using TAC channel 7. Communications to and from dispatch on Channel Options Smaller incidents Use of RX simplex side to repeater pair 2 radio approach commo pump operator monitors and communicates to dispatch on truck radio monitors and uses TAC on portable Two portable (one in each breast pocket of turnout gear (very common)

Paging & Communications TG = Dispatch 1 Available on Radio; on Inspections; at Drills, etc TG = 2 Units enroute to a call; I/C to Dispatch Emergency Scene Operations 8. IAFF referral re Simplex Dispatch 1 Fire Stations TG = Tac 3 to 16 Trunked Talk Group for I/C and Fire Ground Officers TG = Fire Ground Simplex Talk Group for Fire Ground Officers & FF s Dispatch 1 Dispatch 1 Fire Ground Simplex Fire Ground Officers 2 Tactical 3 to 16 Fire Ground Simplex Dispatcher: Monitors Dispatch & Talk Groups 2 2 Incident

Paging & Communications 8. IAFF referral re Simplex

Paging & Communications

Paging & Communications IAFF referral re Simplex Fire Ground Communications: Nonsupported Simplex Communications on the Fireground Using simplex communications maintains positive communications between the IC, exterior onscene units, and interior units without the reliance on exterior communications systems. Maintaining positive communications is especially important in Mayday situations. When users on simplex radios are deployed to the interior of a structure they create a radio receiver network. As more and more radios move into the structure, the strength of the network increases. If Engine 1 calls Mayday, the probability of another radio on the interior receiving the transmission is high. If the Mayday is not heard by the IC, another radio operator on the interior can act as a human repeater to repeat the message to the IC. In addition, the number of radios in a structure creates redundancy, where reliance on a single repeater or trunked system creates a single point of failure. Simplex communications allow direct communications with the initiator of the Mayday and other crews on the fireground. In this example, the simplex communications are not supported. This means that there is no infrastructure to support transport of the fireground communications to the dispatch center. When the radios involved in direct communication are portable radios, the communication distance typically is limited to a few miles; for mobile radios the distance can be 50 to 100 miles. Often this is referred to as line-of-sight communication and this makes direct radio communication most suitable for use by units on an incident scene.

Role of Communications: Among various aspects of Emergency Response, reliable communications is one of the most critical requirements. The word "communicate" in the context of responding to emergencies implies, reporting of emergencies, warnings, instructions, orders, command, knowledge and information.

Phases of Emergency Communication: Call made to 911 Call Downstreamed to appropriate agency (Police, Fire, Ambulance) Agency Dispatch Centre takes detail and alerts responders

The goal is to dispatch responders within the time standards seen in the table below

Until there is confirmation from Emergency Responders that they have received the call and are responding, the communication centre owns the call. Notifications to emergency responders are performed via radio paging channel. Radio traffic between the Incident er and the Dispatch Centre via the & Control Channel. On scene incident radio traffic is performed on an assigned tactical channel (TAC).

It is vital that equipment used by all agencies involved in emergency response services have survivability and up time. A communications delay or failure at any point of an emergency poses great risk to life, property, and responder safety.

Q&A - Discussion