Our current system / 911

I would like to start by saying I'm extremely disappointed by the process that has got us to this place and the way the island is being treated by our elected representatives. The ball was dropped and lost many months ago. That being said I think we need some clarity on the communication system we have and the possible option of 911. The pros and cons are from my point of view as an ex-fire-chief and long-term Lasqueti resident.

Our current system:

For and medical calls - You dial 250-248-3511 and are connected to Victoria BC Ambulance. A live person takes your call. They then phone our pager system and enter a number code to indicate the level of the emergency. This sets off all of the First Responders pagers simultaneously. Now the FR gets to a phone and pages in to notify the on-island dispatcher that they are available. The on-island dispatcher now phones each member back to inform them of the emergency and to coordinate who should go where. Once on the scene the FR's assess the emergency and relay that back to the dispatcher who contacts BC Ambulance for the appropriate transport i.e. boat or helicopter.

For a fire - You dial 250-954-4432 and are routed to an answering machine that says “You have reached the Lasqueti Fire Department. To report a fire please enter your phone number followed by 555”. This sends a page to all the Department pagers that shows (3338603555 for example). Now the island dispatcher phones the number to get the fire location and details. Meanwhile the fire fighters page in as above so the dispatcher knows they are available. Then the dispatcher phones the firefighters to give location info. If there is no answer at the first number (3338603555) the dispatcher has a phone number list cross referenced to the location of the phone number.

Pros:

-For medical calls BC Ambulance provides free 24/7 dispatch service.

-The department members know the system and it has worked very well for over 20 years.

-No new infrastructures (cost) is required to keep using the numeric pagers with Rogers or Radioworks.

Cons:

-The fire side of the system does not have a live person for people to call, just a message.

-Time is used up getting to and on the phone.

-The dispatcher can only call one person at a time.

911:

For any type of emergency you dial 911. You are connected to a live person who directs your call to fire, police or ambulance. (For us the medical calls would go to Victoria - the same place they go now. Fire would go to North Island 911. Police would Courtney RCMP.) Now you talk to the appropriate department and for fire or medical calls they page your emergency directly to the Lasqueti Fire Department by radio pager. All the department members receive a voice page that alerts them of the emergency. At this point they can start heading to the call with information of the nature of the call and the location. If more information is available the on-island dispatcher can radio it out to all the members. Once on the scene the members can still get updates if needed and can hear the other radio communications that are going on.

Pros:

-24/7 live dispatch.

-Easy to remember 911

-Better fire dispatch system then we have now.

-All members are linked by radio.

-This system can be linked to smart phones

Cons:

-Expensive set up cost.

-Uncertainties about future costs and demands on our island and volunteers.

-The need for house numbers (this does not really concern me personally).

I believe the PRRD's main concern is our fire dispatch system since for medical calls our system is like 911: we just call BC Ambulance direct. I'm personally on the fence about 911. I think it would improve communication for the fire department but I'm not sure it will improve the outcomes. For medical calls the system we have works very well. For the one to two fire calls we have per year, the system has done pretty good over the years. There is always room for improvement. Everyone taking a good look at their own system for fire protection would be a good place to start. More public education would be another. The bottom line is 911 or not (for the most part) you are the person who will save your house.

PS - get a smoke detector and keep your chimney clean.

Uwe