June 10, 2014 - Minutes

Date:

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Derek Dang, Chair
Councillor Linda McPhail
Councillor Ken Johnston
Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt
Councillor Bill McNulty
Mayor Malcolm Brodie (entered at 4:22 p.m.)

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

Tuesday, July 15, 2014, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room

DELEGATION

1.

With the aid of a PowerPoint Presentation (on file, City Clerk’s Office) Dave Guscott, President and CEO, E-Comm, accompanied by Doug Watson, Vice-President, 9-1-1 Operations, E-Comm, provided an update on E-Comm’s 2013/2014 activities.

Mr. Guscott commented on Vision 2020 – E-Comm’s strategic plan – highlighting two key areas: (i) service excellence and collaborative partnerships, and (ii) service expansion.  Additionally, Mr. Guscott provided an update on the following activities:

§   

tender submissions related to the infrastructure for the Next Generation Radio Program are currently being received and that a further tender for the individual apparatus component of the Program will take place in the fall;

§   

specialized 9-1-1 text service for members of the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Speech Impaired community was launched in March 2014;

§   

Fraser McCraig, the newly appointed the Director, Police Services, E-Comm, was introduced to Committee;

§   

Richmond’s Diversity Services Committee toured E-Comm and expressed particular interested in the multilingual capacity of E-Comm; and

§   

a public educational video to address accidental 9-1-1 calls was released through social media in March 2014 to bring awareness to the burden accidental calls place on public safety resources.

In response to queries from Committee, Mr. Guscott provided the following information:

§   

social media has been an important tool for providing information to the general public;

§   

Cell-broadcasting technology, which allows emergency services to publicly broadcast emergency information to cell phones, will require federal legislation prior to any implementation by industry providers; and

Mayor Brodie entered the meeting (4:22 p.m.).

§   

E-Comm’s operational model has generated significant interest; however, the model has been not developed as rapidly in other jurisdictions as in the Lower Mainland.

LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT

2.

Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report – April 2014
(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No. 4229185 v.5)

Ed Warzel, Manager, Community Bylaws, advised that neighbourhood canvassing with regard to dog licensing has commenced and will continue over the next few weeks.

Committee expressed appreciation for the efforts of Community Bylaws in improving the situation on Saba Road.  In reply to queries from Committee, Mr. Warzel provided the following information:

§   

in terms of the absence of a licence for dogs from other municipalities, violation tickets are rarely issued; however, dangerous dogs, particularly when not muzzled, are taken seriously and violation tickets may be issued in such cases; and

§   

there has been discussion regarding the possibility of incorporating the collection of unpaid municipal parking tickets into the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (I.C.B.C.) licence renewal process; however, any initiative would likely be brought forward through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report – April 2014, dated May 12, 2014, from the General Manager, Law & Community Safety, be received for information.

CARRIED

3.

RCMP's Monthly Report – April Activities
(File Ref. No. 09-5000-01) (REDMS No. 4229250 v.2)

Inspector Sean Maloney, Richmond RCMP, reviewed RCMP activities for April 2014 and commented on the following:

§   

the shooting and sexual assault incidents are actively being investigated;

§   

commercial and residential break and enter statistics are comparative with figures of other Lower Mainland municipalities;

§   

a public education campaign will be undertaken concerning the increase in thefts from motor vehicles, particularly with regard to garage door openers within sight in a vehicle; and

§   

staff is currently reviewing the upcoming Dolphin Classic Basketball Tournament and the Nations Cup Soccer Tournament with regard to the associated beer gardens for the events.

In response to a query from Committee, Insp. Maloney advised that the RCMP conduct internet safety programs for youth.

Committee requested that the McDonald Beach area be regularly patrolled on weekends in an effort to deter vehicular break-ins.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled RCMP’s Monthly Report – April 2014 Activities dated May 26, 2014, from the Officer in Charge, Richmond RCMP be received for information.

CARRIED

4.

Richmond Fire-Rescue – April 2014 Activity Report
(File Ref. No. 09-5000-01) (REDMS No. 4232169 v.2)

John McGowan, Fire Chief, Richmond Fire-Rescue (RFR), stated that the estimated building loss for April 2014 was primarily attributed to an arson and to smouldering material.  He stated that RFR will be addressing the storage of bark mulch material in agricultural landscaping areas in the near future.

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled Richmond Fire-Rescue – April 2014 Activity Report dated May 26, 2014 from the Fire Chief, Richmond Fire-Rescue be received for information.

CARRIED

5.

Richmond Fire-Rescue Business Plan Update 2013-2014
(File Ref. No.) (REDMS No. 4234853 v.4)

Fire Chief McGowan noted that RFR will be undertaking a review and update of the Business Plan for 2015-16.

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled Richmond Fire-Rescue Business Plan Update (2013-2014) dated May 26, 2014, from the Fire Chief, Richmond Fire-Rescue, be received for information.

CARRIED

6.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Railway
(File Ref. No. 09-5125-05-03) (REDMS No. 4229815 v.4)

Fire Chief McGowan, accompanied by Deborah Procter, Manager, Emergency Programs, commented that the Federal Minister of Transportation directed rail companies to share yearly aggregate information on the nature and amount of dangerous goods companies transport through municipalities.  It was noted that, while the railway companies have fulfilled their reporting requirements under Protective Direction 32 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (1992), from an emergency planning perspective, aggregate information does not indicate whether a train has a thousand litres or half a litre of a hazardous material product. 

Fire Chief McGowan acknowledged that such information is sensitive and as such, staff is bound by a confidentiality agreement from sharing said information for any purpose other than for emergency planning.

In reply to queries from Committee, Fire Chief McGowan provided the following information:

§   

in the event of a dangerous goods spill a request for information is submitted to the railway company and the information is provided immediately to the command centre; additionally, rail cars have placards that identify the material being transported; and

§   

generally, rail car movement within Richmond is limited to low speeds, which decreases the risk of derailment and of rupture in the event of a derailment.

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That a letter be sent to the Federal Minister of Transport requesting Protective Direction 32 be amended to require rail companies to report the nature, exact volume and frequency of dangerous goods transported through municipalities, so that an assessment of the risk to the municipality can be made; and

(2)

That Council submit a resolution to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, requesting that the federal government issues an amendment to Protective Direction 32 requiring rail companies to provide to municipalities the nature, exact volume and frequency of dangerous goods transported.

CARRIED

7.

FIRE CHIEF BRIEFING
(Verbal Report)

(i)

Firefighters Association Burn Fund

Fire Chief McGowan spoke of the Firefighters Association Burn Fund Camp Day Kick-Off event to be hosted at the South Arm Community Centre on Sunday, July 20, 2014.  He noted that, since 1984, the camp has provided young burn survivors with an opportunity to share experiences with their peers and increase their understanding of firefighter and police careers.

(ii)

Doors Open Richmond

Fire Chief McGowan noted that the Doors Open Richmond event held on May 7 and 8, 2014 was successful with over 1,600 people attending the Steveston Fire Hall No. 2.

8.

RCMP/OIC BRIEFING
(Verbal Report)

None.

9.

JOINT BRIEFING – RCMP, FIRE-RESCUE, AND EMERGENCY PROGRAMS
(Verbal Report)

(i)

Ships to Shore Steveston 2014

(ii)

Steveston Salmon Festival

Fire Chief McGowan, accompanied by Ms. Procter and Insp. Maloney, commented on the upcoming Ships to Shore Steveston 2014 event scheduled for June 29 and 30, 2014, and the following was noted:  (i) RFR crews will be on site to provide safety and educational information; (ii) the RCMP operation safety plan includes extra crews on duty around Bayview Street and an additional Battalion Chief posted at the Mobile Command Centre; and (iii) a fireworks display is scheduled for Canada Day.

In reply to a query from Committee, Deputy Fire Chief Kim Howell advised that display permits issued under Fireworks Regulation Bylaw No. 7917 requires the applicant to provide proof of Fireworks Supervisor or Pyrotechnician certification prior to a permit being issued by the Fire Chief.

Discussion ensued regarding the proposed fireworks display and issues related to crowd control.  As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That the proposed fireworks display in association with the Ships to Shore Steveston 2014 event be referred to staff in order to provide further information and report to the Monday, June 16, 2014, General Purposes Committee meeting.

CARRIED

10.

MANAGER’S REPORT

None.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:59 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, June 10, 2014.

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Councillor Derek Dang
Chair

Heather Howey
Committee Clerk