Volume 19, issue 2 - Andrew John Publishing Inc

INDUSTRY NEWS | PRESIDENTS COUNCIL REPORT | MEET A FELLOW MEMBER
A Public Safety Communications Journal
APCO Canada
Visits EMRI
India
Basic Emergency
Management
Training Course
Volume 20, Issue 3 | June 2007 |
ISSN 1709-2574
APCO EDITORIAL
APCO Canada
Board of
Directors
NANCY BANKS – President
Breaking with Habit
Supervisor – Communications Training
Peel Regional Police
7750 Hurontario Street
Brampton, ON L6V 3W6
905-453-2121, ext. 4596
[email protected]
DONNA ANDERSON – Vice-President
Coordinator Training & Recruitment
Toronto Police Service
703 Don Mills Rd,
Toronto ON M3C 3N3
416-808-8854
[email protected]
MIKE SAMPSON – Director
Halifax Regional Emergency Services
21 Mount Hope Avenue
Dartmouth, NS B24 4R4
902-490-5020
[email protected]
TERRY OWEN – Director
Edmonton Emergency
Communications & Resources
10539 105 Street, 2nd Floor
Edmonton, AB T5H 2W8
780-496-3817
[email protected]
MAUREEN SCHMIDT - Director
Sask911 Manager
Corrections and Public Safety,
Public Safety and 911
101 - 1855 Victoria Ave.,
Outside-the-Box Thinking: Thinking that moves away in diverging directions so as to involve a variety of aspects and which
sometimes lead to novel ideas and solutions.
A
s we all know the issues facing public safety communications are many
and varied around the country, and indeed, around the world. The recent
APCO/NENA NG9-1-1 seminar in British Columbia again reflected the
interest in learning more about the issues, regardless of any partisan affiliation.
It was a well-attended information-sharing session that once again breached the
traditional custom of going it alone.
In the future we’ll be seeing more and more of this type of thing as new partnerships and relationships are formed. At the root of it all is recognizing the basic
reason that public safety organizations are around – keeping the public need at
the forefront of all that is done.
Examples abound at this time about the successes that can be realized by thinking outside the box: United Kingdom paramedics are being courted by the
Queensland government in Australia to meet an emerging personnel staffing
need; the Department of Transport in the United States is working alongside
public safety communications experts to establish a national NG9-1-1 architecture and transition plan which will enable the general public to access
emergency services through virtually any communications device; British APCO
is working directly with the EU government to establish an infrastructure that
will allow better public access; APCO Australasia has redefined the volunteer
board approach to bring in the best qualified people to serve the public; and in
India, a public-private enterprise is bringing emergency service systems to a public that never before had such access.
Puzzle:
Think outside
of the box
APCO Canada is pursuing the habit-breaking phenomena as well, by moving in the direction given
by the membership – establishing strategic partnerships that will enable a better understanding of
what the real and future needs are of Canadians.
Thinking outside the box can be brought into
focus with a try at a topographical puzzle. The
challenge is to connect the dots by drawing four
straight, continuous lines, and never lifting the
pencil from the paper. The solution can be found
on page 11.
Regina, SK S4P 3T2
306-798-3082
[email protected]
Ted Harris
Editor-in-Chief
DAVE RALPH – Past President
Toronto EMS CACC
4330 Dufferin St.
Toronto ON M3H 5R9
416-392-2197
[email protected]
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
3
4
Wavelength | June 2007
Volume 20, Issue 3 | June 2007
Editor-in-Chief
Ted Harris | [email protected]
Associate Regional Editors
Atlantic
Roger Shannon | [email protected]
Quebec
André Champagne | [email protected]
Ontario
Theresa Virgin | [email protected]
Prairies
Tyler Thomas | [email protected]
Australasia
John Marinis | [email protected]
India
Dr. Anil K. Jampala l [email protected]
USA
Tony Davidson | [email protected]
Contributors
Nancy Banks | Scott Bryant
Kevin Dyck | John Farley
Ted Harris | Susan Harrison
John Marinis | Sheryl McPhail
Jeff Perry | Dave Ralph
Theresa Virgin
Contents
D E PA RT M E N T S
F E AT U R E S
3
26 BASIC EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT TRAINING
COURSE
By Ted Harris
6
INVITATION FOR
BURSARY
SUBMISSIONS
7
MESSAGE FROM THE
PRESIDENT
Editorial Coordinator
Scott Bryant | [email protected]
Art Director/Design
Binda Fraser | [email protected]
EDITORIAL:
Breaking with Habit
By Nancy Banks
Advertising
John Birkby
Ph 905-628-4309 | jbirkby@andrewjohnpublishing .com
Sales & Circulation Coordinator
Brenda Robinson | [email protected]
By Nancy Banks
11 PENCIL IT IN:
Upcoming Events
Translators
Gladys St-Louis
13 CORPORATE
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Wavelength is published five times per year by Andrew John
Publishing Inc. with offices at 115 King St. W, Dundas ON,
Canada L9H 1V1. We welcome editorial submissions but cannot assume responsibility for commitment for unsolicited
material. Any editorial materials, including photographs, that
are accepted from an unsolicited contributor will become the
property of Andrew John Publishing Inc.
FEEDBACK: We welcome your views and comments. Please
send them to Andrew John Publishing Inc., 115 King St. W,
Dundas ON, Canada L9H 1V1. Copyright 2007 by Andrew John
Publishing. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or in part
is forbidden without express written consent from the publisher.
Publication Agreement Number 40025049 | ISSN 1709-2574
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
APCO Canada Associate Editor Theresa
Virgin recently took part in an interesting
and informative BEM training course put
on by Durham Emergency Measures
Office. The course included everything
from federal and provincial legislation
outlining responsibilities during an
emergency to an eye-opening table top
exercise.
10 PRESIDENTS
COUNCIL REPORT
Accounting
Susan McClung
Group Publisher
John D. Birkby | [email protected]
By Theresa Virgin
By Jeff Perry, Public Policy Manager,
OnStar Corporation
14 INDIA REPORT:
APCO Canada Visits
EMRI India
By Dave Ralph
16 MEET A FELLOW
MEMBER:
John Farley, Director of
Emergency 911 Centre,
Windsor Police Service
18 INDUSTRY NEWS
22 AUSTRALASIA
UPDATE:
Candian contribution
recognized at APCO
Australasia Conference
29
28 TRI SERVICES EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATORS OF YORK
REGION AWARDS CEREMONY
By Sheryl McPhail
Front line communicators in York Region
received some much deserved recognition
and were honoured at a well-organized
tribute on April 10 2007. This is the 9th
year that York Region has celebrated the
outstanding work of some of their police,
fire, and EMS 9-1-1 emergency
communicators.
24 INDUSTRY INSIDER:
Introducing…Westcan
Wireless
115 King St. W, Dundas ON, Canada L9H 1V1
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
5
L’ É D I T O R I A L D E L’ A P C O
I N V I TAT I O N
Changer ses habitudes
En dehors des sentiers battus : Forme de pensée qui s’écarte
de la pensée habituelle dans le but d’inclure une variété
d’aspects qui peuvent éventuellement mener à de nouvelles
idées ou solutions.
Nous savons déjà que les enjeux des communications en sécurité publique sont
nombreux et diversifiés au niveau national et international. La dernière
conférence APCO/NENA NG9-1-1 qui a eu lieu en Colombie-Britannique vient
prouver l’intérêt des participants à en connaître davantage sur les questions de
l’heure, quelle que soit l’affiliation politique. Ce fut une réunion informative et
très courue. Les membres, une fois de plus, n’ont pas respecté la coutume de
venir seuls.
Nous verrons de plus en plus de ce type de chose au fur et à mesure que se
forment de nouveaux partenariats et de nouvelles relations. À la base, il faut
reconnaître que la raison principale des organismes de sécurité publique c’est
d’assurer la sécurité.
On peut mentionner plusieurs exemples d’innovations : le personnel
paramédical du Royaume-Uni est recherché par le gouvernement de
Queensland en Australie pour répondre à un manque de personnel éminent; le
département du transport aux États-Unis travaille avec des experts en
communications pour élaborer un programme national NG9-1-1 architectural
et de transition qui permettra au public d’obtenir des services en cas d’urgence
par l’entremise de presque tout appareil de communication; l’APCO de
l’Angleterre travaille directement avec l’Union européenne pour établir une
infrastructure qui permettra un meilleur accès public; l’APCO de l’Australasie a
redéfini l’approche du conseil de bénévoles pour se doter de personnes qualifiés
pour répondre au public; en Inde, une entreprise ayant une coopération entre
le secteur public et le secteur privé offre des systèmes de service d’urgence à un
public qui n’avait jamais eu un tel accès.
Puzzle:
Members are invited to
submit a John A. Smith
Bursary Award request
for the board’s consideration.
The John A. Smith Bursary shall be
awarded annually to a qualifying
individual who undertakes research
into, or makes a significant contribution to, the activities, planning,
operation, or function of public
safety communications in Canada.
Submissions should be made in
writing no later than August 31,
2007, to the president of APCO
Canada at [email protected] or
to our Ottawa office mailing
address: APCO CANADA, 440
Laurier Avenue West, Suite 200,
Ottawa, ON K1R 7X6.
Des membres sont invités à
soumettre une demande de
la bource John A. Smith
pour la considération du
conseil.
Think outside
of the box
APCO Canada continue dans la même veine et
souhaite de changer ses habitudes en établissant
des partenariats stratégiques qui lui permettront
de mieux comprendre les besoins réels et futurs
des Canadiens.
Sortir des sentiers battus peut être mis en
évidence en essayant de résoudre le jeu suivant.
Le défi consiste à relier les points en traçant
quatre lignes droites et continues sans jamais
lever votre crayon du papier. La solution se
trouve à la page 11.
Ted Harris
Rédacteur en chef
6
Wavelength | June 2007
Une des solutions
possibles :
La bource John A. Smith sera
attribuée annuellement à un
individu de qualification qui
s’engage à la recherche de, ou qui
fait une contribution significative
à, les activités, la planification,
l’opération, ou la fonction des
communications de la sécurité
publique au Canada.
Des soumissions devraient être
faites par écrit pas après le 31 août,
2007, au président de l’APCO
Canada à [email protected] ou
à notre adresse de bureau à
Ottawa: APCO CANADA, 440 Rue
Ouest Laurier, Suite 200, Ottawa,
ON K1R 7X6.
One of many
possible solutions
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
As I was putting the final touches on this column, the details of the tragic events at Virginia
Tech were being broadcast. We all watched in horror as more information came to light, and
the death toll continued to rise.
A
s usual, before the details can
be confirmed, the inevitable
happens; the armchair quarterbacks start. “Why didn’t they…?”
“They should have…” “Where were
they…?” As any of us who’ve worked
in a communications centre know,
situations change quickly, often
there are limited resources to handle
large scale incidents, and coordinating numerous resources from
multiple agencies can be very difficult. It’s more important that in
these situations we support our
brothers and sisters in those communications centers who are fielding
calls from victims, witnesses, frantic
parents, the media, and all those
others who are looking for information or who call in to give direction
and coordinate the response. Until
more information is confirmed
about the actions of all involved, we
should all remember that hindsight
is 20/20, and having to handle any
part of that event would be stressful
enough without having your every
action and decision scrutinized in
the media. This is one of the reasons
why we should recognize and appreciate our peers, not only during
Telecommunicator’s Week, but all
year long.
On a more positive note, I was honored to represent APCO Canada at
the York Region Tri Service Awards
Ceremony on April 10. This was an
impressive display of a well organized tribute honoring communicators from police, fire, and EMS.
They’ve been celebrating in this way
for nine years and there’s no doubt
that all the public safety agencies
involved, including all ranks in
attendance at the awards ceremony,
truly appreciated the work performed by their front line communicators.
Your board of directors met in
Calgary in March and were provided
with an update from the conference
committee as part of our meetings.
Plans are well underway for a great
conference to celebrate our 20th
Anniversary.
Mark
the
dates
September 30 to October 2 in your
calendar and plan to celebrate with
us. It’s a great opportunity to learn,
share information and ideas, make
new friends and contacts, and see
new technology demonstrated.
Although we hope you’ll support our
Canadian conference, we know
some of you will be heading to the
International
Conference
in
Baltimore. This year, to facilitate the
registration process a membership
number has been created which will
allow our Canadian members to register online. When you are prompted
for your membership number, enter
“CNDA7” and continue on with the
registration process. This will give
you access to the member rates for
the conference. Your Canadian
membership must be current to use
this registration number and will be
verified.
Did you know about our new
eBulletin? This method of quick and
direct communication will allow us
to keep our members more up-todate than we’ve been able to in the
past. However, not many of our
members have added their email
addresses on to the distribution. If
you’d like to be in the know, go to
the web page: www.apco.ca and find
the link at the bottom right of the
screen to add yourself in.
Earlier this year, I accepted the resignation of new board member
Director Robin Doull. According to
our bylaws the position may be filled
as an appointment by the president.
Many things were taken into consideration in my decision to leave the
position vacant until our next election in October. Not the least of
which is my belief that we all have
been elected by our membership to
hold office and to represent your
best interests. I believe our membership should continue to have board
members who they have duly elected. This position was supported by
the rest of the board of directors.
In closing, while it’s busy for all of us
on the board, it’s also a great opportunity to give something back to the
association and our industry. If
you’ve thought about becoming
more involved, either through committee involvement or running for a
vice president or director’s position,
speak to any of the current or past
member of the board.
Nancy Banks
President,
APCO Canada
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
7
MÉSSAGE DE LA PRÉSIDENTE
Comme je m’apprêtais à mettre la touche finale à cet article, on nous informait de
l’événement tragique à Virginia Tech. Nous avons tous suivi avec horreur les détails de
cet incident.
C
omme d’habitude, avant que
les détails ne soient confirmés,
l’inévitable se produit et les
questions abondent. « Pourquoi
n’ont-ils pas…? » « Ils auraient dû…
» « Où étaient-ils…? » Comme nous
tous, ceux et celles qui oeuvrent dans
un centre de communications, savent
que
les
situations
changent
rapidement,
que
souvent
les
ressources sont limitées pour venir à
bout d’incidents d’envergure et que la
coordination de ressources de
plusieurs agences peut être très
difficile. Il est plus important dans ces
situations d’offrir notre soutien à nos
collègues des centres de communications qui répondent aux appels des
victimes, des témoins et des parents
désespérés, des médias et de tous ceux
qui cherchent de l’information et
de ceux qui veulent diriger et
coordonner la réponse. Jusqu’à ce que
plus d’information soit confirmée au
sujet des actions de tous ceux qui sont
impliqués, nous devons nous rappeler
que le jugement après coup est 20/20
et que d’avoir un rôle à jouer dans cet
événement serait assez stressant sans
avoir chaque action et décision passer
sous le microscope par les médias.
C’est l’une des raisons pour lesquelles
nous devons reconnaître et apprécier
nos collègues, non seulement durant
la Semaine des télécommunications,
mais durant tout l’année.
Sur une note plus positive, j’ai eu
l’honneur de représenter APCO
Canada à la Cérémonie de remise des
médailles pour le Groupe interservices de la région de York le 10
avril dernier. Ce fut une cérémonie
impressionnante ayant pour but de
rendre hommage aux communicateurs des services de police,
d’incendie et d’urgence. Cette
8
Wavelength | June 2007
célébration en est à sa neuvième
année et il n’y a pas de doute que
toutes les agences de sécurité
publique qui y participent, ainsi que
tous les dignitaires qui y assistent
apprécient vraiment le travail des
communicateurs de première ligne.
Lors de la rencontre à Calgary en
mars, le Conseil d’administration
a obtenu une mise à jour du comité
d’organisation de la conférence.
La planification de la conférence
pour célébrer notre 20e anniversaire
semble aller bon train. Ne manquez
pas de réserver les dates du 30
septembre au 2 octobre dans votre
agenda pour venir célébrer avec
nous. C’est une occasion incroyable
d’apprendre, de partager l’information et d’échanger des idées, de
rencontrer de nouveaux amis et
d’assister à des présentations sur la
nouvelle technologie.
Bien que nous souhaitions que
vous assistiez à la Conférence
canadienne, nous savons que certains
participeront à la Conférence
internationale à Baltimore. Cette
année, dans le but de faciliter le
processus d’inscription, nous avons
créé un numéro de membre qui
permet à nos membres canadiens de
s’inscrire en ligne. Au message
d’attente et lorsqu’on vous demande
votre numéro de membre, veuillez
entrer « CNDA7 » et continuer avec
le processus d’inscription. Vous
obtiendrez ainsi le tarif pour
membres pour l’inscription à la
conférence. Votre statut de membre
doit être valable pour utiliser ce
numéro d’inscription, et il sera
vérifié.
Connaissez-vous notre nouveau
Bulletin électronique? Cette méthode
de communication rapide et directe
nous permet d’informer nos membres
plus rapidement. Toutefois, plusieurs
membres ne nous ont pas communiqué leur adresse électronique. Si
vous désirez le faire : il vous suffit de
visiter le site Web www.apco.ca et
trouver le lien dans le coin droit de
l’écran et d’ajouter vos coordonnées.
Au début de l’année, j’ai accepté la
démission d’un nouveau directeur
Robin Doull. Selon nos règlements, le
poste peut être comblé par une
personne nommée par le président.
Beaucoup de choses ont été prises en
considération avant de décider de
laisser ce poste vacant jusqu’à la
prochaine élection en octobre. Nous
sommes élus par nos membres et
nous devons les représenter du mieux
que nous pouvons. Je crois que les
membres doivent continuer de
choisir et d’élire les membres du
conseil. Le reste du Conseil
d’administration a appuyé cette
décision.
En terminant, bien que nous soyons
tous très occupés dans nos tâches, il
est toujours intéressant de jouer un
rôle plus actif dans l’association ou
notre industrie. Si vous y avez déjà
songé, que ce soit à titre de membre
de comité ou au poste de viceprésident ou directeur, veuillez en
discuter avec l’un des membres ou un
membre sortant du Conseil.
Nancy Banks
Présidente, APCO
Canada
PRESIDENTS COUNCIL REPORT
By Nancy Banks
In my last report I advised that the first meeting of the newly formed President’s Council
would be at the APCO Australasia Conference in February, and it was. All of the APCO associations were at the table and it was a very informative and productive meeting. It actually
stretched into two meetings to complete all the agenda items. Face-to-face meetings will
continue to be scheduled at each of the conferences. By the time this article is published, the
second meeting of the council will have taken place at the BAPCO Conference. Vice President
Donna Anderson will be attending on my behalf.
I
n appreciation for his years of
work on this initiative Ted Harris
was invited to the inaugural
meeting and was asked to moderate
it. Thanks Ted for seeing this project
through and providing direction to
the new council.
After the initial introductions were
made, we launched right into the
business at hand; determining what
direction to take now that the
Global Alliance has been signed.
While the designated representative
has the vote, this does not preclude
other board members from attending the meeting. Each association
reserves the right to identify their
representative according to their
board structure. APCO Canada has
opted for the president to be the representative, at the present time.
One of the most important tasks was
to identify the chair for the upcoming year. This responsibility will
rotate among the associations. A
proposal was tabled to have APCO
International chair for the first year
and perhaps into 2008 because we’re
already part way through 2007.
APCO International has agreed
pending approval of the APCO
International Executive Board.
The council reviewed the terms of
10
Wavelength | June 2007
the Global Alliance (which is available on our web page, in the
Members section, under News). It
was decided that the agreement
remain without alteration for a period of two years. All associations were
in agreement. In order to provide
additional clarity where needed,
documents in the form of policy
statements or MOU’s will be added
as addendums.
In order to move forward with any
global initiatives it was important to
clearly identify the geographical
responsibilities for each of the associations. APCO Canada, thanks to
the work of Past President Dave
Ralph, has been in discussion with a
member in India, and Canada has
been given approval to continue
that relationship in the possible
development of an APCO association in India. A document
identifying the geographic responsibilities will be created by the
council.
Each of the associations has different
terminology for their membership
categories. This created a need for an
additional policy statement to clearly identify “associate members,” as
identified in the agreement, ensuring that all members of each
association receive the benefits enti-
tled to them as part of the agreement.
The council also discussed the position paper which was developed out
of the APCO International Summit
in Vancouver in 2004. The council
will continue to develop international position statements on global
issues facing public safety communications. That document will be
reviewed and updated as required.
One area under review is the feasibility of a universal emergency number.
Some countries have already
deployed a technical solution that
will allow the conversion of a dialed
three digit emergency number to the
local three digit emergency number.
The goal would be to ensure the public have access to emergency services
where ever they travel to.
The Presidents Council will continue
to work towards the vision as
detailed in the Global Alliance document: “The vision of the alliance is
to promote and influence excellence
in the development and use of public safety communications and
information management systems
on a global scale and to proactively
encourage cooperation amongst the
participating organizations to make
the world a safer place in which to
live.”
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www.apco.ca | Wavelength
11
RAPPORT DU CONSEIL EXÉCUTIF
par Nancy Banks
Dans mon dernier rapport, je vous avais mentionné que la première rencontre du nouveau
Conseil exécutif aurait lieu à la Conférence australasienne en février et cette dernière a eu
lieu. Toutes les associations de l’APCO étaient représentées et la réunion a été très informative et productive. Nous avons dû faire deux réunions, car la liste des sujets à l’ordre du jour
était trop longue. D’autres rencontres continueront d’être planifiées à chacune des conférences. Au moment de la publication de cet article, une deuxième rencontre avec le Conseil
exécutif aura eu lieu à la Conférence BAPCO. La vice-présidente, Donna Anderson assistera à
cette conférence à ma place.
E
n guise d’appréciation pour ses
années de travail sur cette
initiative, Ted Harris a été invité
à la réunion inaugurale et on lui
a demandé s’il voulait être le
modérateur. Nous remercions Ted
d’avoir mener à bien ce projet et
d’avoir contribué à la formation du
nouveau conseil.
Une fois les présentations faites, nous
nous sommes mis à la tâche afin de
déterminer quelle direction nous
devons prendre maintenant que
l’Alliance internationale a été signée.
Même si le représentant désigné est
élu, cela n’empêche pas les autres
membres d’assister à la réunion.
Chaque association se réserve le droit
d’identifier leur représentant selon la
structure de leur conseil. Pour
l’instant, APCO Canada a choisi le
président comme représentant.
L’une des tâches les plus importantes
a été d’identifier le président pour
l’exercice suivant. Il y aura rotation
parmi les associations pour cette
responsabilité. Il a été proposé que le
président de l’APCO International
soit le président pour la première
année et peut-être pour 2008 puisque
la moitié de 2007 est presque finie.
APCO International a accepté mais
attend l’approbation du Conseil
exécutif de APCO International.
Le conseil a passé en revue les termes
12
Wavelength | June 2007
et conditions de l’Alliance internationale (disponible sur notre page
Web, dans la section Membres, sous
Nouvelles). Il a été décidé de ne rien
changer à l’entente pour une période
de deux ans. Toutes les associations se
sont entendues à cet effet. Afin de
fournir une certaine transparence là
où il est nécessaire, les documents
préparés sous forme d’énoncés de
politique ou de protocoles d’entente
seront ajoutés à titre d’annexes.
Afin d’aller de l’avant avec toutes les
initiatives globales, il était important
de délimiter clairement les responsabilités de chaque association. Grâce
au travail du président sortant Dave
Ralph, APCO Canada a été en mesure
d’établir la discussion avec un
membre en Inde, et Canada a reçu
l’approbation de poursuivre cette
discussion afin de former possiblement une association APCO en Inde.
Un document servant à identifier les
responsabilités géographiques sera
créé par le conseil.
Chaque association a une terminologie différente pour ses catégories
de membres. De là est né le besoin de
créer un énoncé de politique afin
d’identifier clairement ce que signifie
« membres associés » pour que tous
les membres de chaque association
retirent les avantages auxquels ils ont
droit tel que stipulé dans l’entente.
Le conseil a également abordé la
déclaration de principe qui avait été
élaborée au Sommet international
APCO à Vancouver en 2004. Le
conseil continuera de rédiger des
déclarations de principe sur des
questions mondiales qui concernent
les communications en sécurité
publique. Ce document sera revu et
mis à jour au besoin. La question de la
création d’un numéro d’urgence
universel est à l’étude. Plusieurs pays
ont déjà envisagé une solution
technique
qui
permettra
la
conversion d’un numéro d’urgence
de trois chiffres composé à un
numéro d’urgence de trois chiffres
local. Le but serait d’assurer que le
public a accès aux services d’urgence
partout il voyage.
Le Conseil exécutif continuera de
travailler à la vision telle qu’elle est
énoncée dans le document de
l’Alliance internationale : « La vision
de l’alliance est de promouvoir et
d’influencer l’excellence dans le
développement et l’utilisation des
communications en sécurité publique
et des systèmes de gestion de
l’information à l’échelle mondiale et
d’encourager de manière proactive la
coopération parmi les organisations
participantes pour faire du monde
une place plus sécuritaire où il fait
bon vivre. »
C O R P O R AT E A D V I S O RY
COUNCIL
OnStar
Corporation
P
ublic safety officials have a primary objective to protect the
general population, and private
sector safety organizations, such as
OnStar by GM, can help them facilitate this objective in a variety of ways.
For example, OnStar has recognized
the strong need to create a way for the
public safety community to continuously improve its ability to deliver
help more precisely. OnStar has made
it a priority to insure that public safety receives all essential information to
respond to emergencies whether they
involve OnStar subscribers or are
reported by OnStar subscribers acting
as Good Samaritans. To further help
public safety, OnStar employs the
largest mobile fleet of Good
Samaritans on the road to aid in
reporting information related to
AMBER Alerts.
OnStar has formed strategic alliances
with a number of third-party groups
to raise awareness within the emergency and medical communities, thus
connecting both private and public
safety sectors. More specifically,
OnStar has forged relationships with
the Association of Public Safety
Communications Officials (APCO),
National Emergency Number Association (NENA), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP),
International Association of Auto
Theft Investigators (IAATI), Toronto
EMS, and numerous other organizations across Canada and the United
States and continues to develop
alliances with other organizations
every day.
The intersection between private and
public safety creates a mutually beneficial relationship – help can be
deployed faster with more vital information, locations of accidents are
found more easily, and less time is
wasted tracking stolen vehicles, etc.
Communication is critical in any relationship, and that remains true
between the public and private safety
sectors in order to operate as efficiently as possible.
Jeff Perry
Public Policy Manger,
OnStar Corporation
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
13
INDIA REPORT
APCO Canada Visits
EMRI India
By Dave Ralph, Past President APCO Canada
This past February, I had the distinct pleasure of
representing APCO Canada, at the inaugural TEMcon 2007
(Transforming Emergency Management Conference) held at
the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.
T
his conference, organized by
EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute)
was the first of its kind in India. EMRI
is a public-private partnership formed
in early 2005 with funds from Satyam
Computers (www.satyam.com).
APCO Canada, as a partner in the
APCO Global Alliance for mutual
cooperation and development, was
invited to share in this conference by
making delegates aware of the broad-
APCO Canada Past President Dave Ralph visits EMRI in Hyderabad India.
Pictured left to right are: Dr. Sreeram, Dr. Ajaiya Kishoar, Dave Ralph,
Dr. Swarnalatha, Dr. Siri Karan, Vamshi Goud, Praveen Sebastian, and sitting,
Parvathi V.
14
Wavelength | June 2007
INDIA REPORT
APCO CANADA
September 30th –
October 3rd 2007
er scope of the professions inside the
public safety communications field.
APCO Canada proudly had a display
in the trade show area and many of
our past Wavelength magazines were
quickly picked up by delegates to
take home and share with colleagues.
This was not, per se, a public safety
communications conference, but a
conference to expand and explore
the available opportunities to
increase the scope of public safety as
a complete entity in India.
I also was asked to share with the
delegates several presentations about
priority-based dispatching, and how
emergency management is “managed” here in Canada. Experts from
around the globe attended including
public safety professionals from
England, Singapore, Australia, and
the United States. Medical professionals as well as 9-1-1 and fire
services experts were also in attendance.
In seven short months in 2005 EMRI
was formed, recruited and trained
staff, built a call centre and headquarters building, and proudly
commenced operation on the “1-08” emergency call centre. For the
first time in the history of India, citizens had one single three-digit
number to call for a coordinated
medical, police, or fire response.
From this beginning, on August 15,
2005, with a primary service area of
the city of Hyderabad (7.5 million
people) EMRI and 1-0-8 has continued to expand services into other
cities, towns, and villages with medical response by the 1-0-8 ambulance
service and a coordinated police and
fire dispatch services.
History will again be made in the
state of Andhra Pradesh on May 31
of this year when 1-0-8 and EMRI
with be able to provide emergency
call answer services and dispatch of
medical ambulances for the full state
(a population of 75,000,000 citizens).
The banner or tag line for EMRI is
simply stated as “EMRI, Your
Right to Safety” and the men
and women of EMRI, regardless of
their position in the organization,
do this very simply with a SENSE,
REACH, and CARE philosophy.
SENSE the type of emergency and the location
Communications officers collect all
the facts including the details of
emergency. Dispatch officers define
the problem, decide the required
help and instruct the nearest mobile
vehicle (ambulance/police patrol
van/fire engine) to attend the location.
REACH the victim with
appropriate personnel
and equipment, as
required
Emergency
response
vehicles
equipped with Automated Vehicle
Locating (AVL) devices are tracked in
real time at the response center
using the GIS maps. Further coordination/communication can be done
by a dispatch officer with assistance
of other personnel.
CARE for the victim, as
appropriate
Emergency medical technicians or
other personnel provide pre-hospital
care en route to the hospital.
This SENSE, REACH, CARE philosophy extends from the chief
executive officer of EMRI throughout the organization; from the
communications staff, to the EMTs
and pilots of the ambulances to
administrative and support staff of
EMRI.
APCO
2007
CONFERENCE
& TRADE SHOW
CONFERENCE
A C C O M M O D AT I O N S
HYATT
REGENCY
HOTEL
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calgary.com
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CONVENTION
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www.calgaryconvention.com
I encourage all members to visit the
EMRI web site at www.emri.in.
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
15
MEET A FELLOW MEMBER
John Farley
In conversation with
Scott Bryant
Director of Emergency 911 Centre,
Windsor Police Service, Windsor, Ontario.
I joined APCO Canada in the early 90s
after pulling the higher card between
another Emergency 911 Centre supervisor and myself to attend the Calgary
Conference. It was at that conference
that I found out what APCO was all
about and had the opportunity to
meet many great people involved in
public safety. I was hooked and
signed up for my APCO membership
right there at the conference.
The key benefit for myself is the networking opportunities that are
available. To be able to make contacts
anywhere throughout the country
on issues that may affect you locally,
serves as an effective tool in working
towards a resolution. Further, the
education component that APCO
Canada offers is the most effective
means of informing and teaching all
members serving in the public safety
industry. Lastly, the trade shows at
the various conferences have served
me well in being able to review the
latest technologies and giving me
the opportunity to make the right
purchase selections for our PSAP.
I started my career as a dispatcher with
the Windsor Police Service in April of
1979. In September 1986, I was promoted to supervisor and since
February 1998, I have served as the
Check out our
NEW Website!
www.apco.ca
16
Wavelength | June 2007
Director of the Emergency 911
Centre, which adds up to 28 years of
service time. I have been an active
member of the Windsor Police Peer
Counselling Stress Management
Program for the past 16 years. I also
had the pleasure of serving on the
NENA Ontario Chapter Executive
Board and am the past-president of
that organization. I’ve had many
positive experiences over the years
in working with various conference
committees such as APCO Canada,
NENA
Ontario,
the
Police
Association of Ontario, and the
Chiefs of Police Association that will
never be forgotten.
Our biggest challenge today is the
issues surrounding VoIP calls. We
recently did a Public Awareness
Media Release on the issues surrounding the use of VoIP phones,
and it was surprising to find out how
many people that use this method of
telephone service, were not aware of
some of the technical limitations
when placing an emergency call to
9-1-1. The other big challenge is the
issue surrounding traffic and security, with Windsor being a border city.
In August of 2005 the 3-1-1 service
was implemented in the city of
Windsor, which has made a positive
impact in reducing 9-1-1 calls coming
into the Windsor Police Service PSAP.
In the late fall of 2007, the 2-1-1
service is going to be launched,
which again should further reduce
some of the 9-1-1 calls that we are
presently receiving. A consultant
was hired to look at moving to a
Project 25 digital radio-trunking system, GPS and AVL in the near future.
There are some further discussions
on-going to look at a new emergency
operations centre and a 9-1-1 backup facility that will probably include
other public safety partners within
the city of Windsor.
Having participated in the strategic
planning meeting held in Vancouver in
February of 2005, I believe APCO
Canada is doing an excellent job in following its Mission Statement. As the
president of the NENA Ontario
Chapter in 2005, it was a great
moment when APCO Canada [and
NENA Ontario] agreed to partner up
and put on a successful conference
in Toronto, Ontario in 2006. The cochairs of the conference Mr. David
Ralph and Mr. Mike Gottlieb clearly
showed that public safety partners
could work together. There is already
an agreement in place to partner-up
again for the 2008 conference that is
being held in Ottawa.
Visitez votre
site web
www.apco.ca
Visit our website
at www.msvlp.com/wave
Or give us a call
1-800-216-MSAT (6728)
INDUSTRY NEWS
DANIELS AND EFJOHNSON ANNOUNCE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Victoria, BC, Canada – March 26, 2007 –
Daniels Electronics Ltd., a leading supplier of high reliability radio base
stations and repeaters for remote public
safety
applications,
today
announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with EFJohnson; a
leading provider of two way radios
and communication systems for law
enforcement, firefighters, EMS, and
the military, to have EFJohnson distribute Daniels radios as part of
EFJohnson’s Project 25 compliant
solution for public safety, and covers
the entire Daniels product line for
applications
throughout
North
America.
“Offering Daniels low current Project
25 digital base stations and repeaters
in our system solution complements
our product portfolio” said Michael E.
Jalbert, chairman and chief executive
officer of EFJ, Inc. “Now we can offer
our customers a more complete solution when extremely low power,
transportable or ruggedized outdoor
installations are required. Daniels has
NAIT WANTS YOU
In the fall of 2006, the Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology (NAIT) unveiled its online Emergency
Management Diploma Program for emergency
management professionals. While the courses are distance-delivered
via
WebCT
technology,
two
requirements of the program involve on-site
practicums. As of this year, public and private sector
organizations are being recruited to become student
practicum hosts. If your organization has an identifiable
opportunity (i.e., if you have an existing emergency
program) for a practicum student, NAIT wants to hear
from you.
How can you benefit? Being a practicum host represents
an opportunity to engage a knowledgeable resource
who can provide a fresh perspective on the effectiveness
of your emergency management policies and procedures. Receive a timely review of your emergency
program or an exercise designed specifically to evaluate
your emergency plan. If preparedness is a priority in
your organization, opening your doors to a NAIT
practicum placement may be the best emergency management decision you make this year.
NAIT’s EM students come from diverse backgrounds
across Canada, with different levels of experience. All
are committed to the profession of emergency management and have a strong sense of responsibility for
public safety. With a broad base of emergency management knowledge, they are ready for the challenges of
rigorous practice in a complex workplace.
Help support future generations of emergency management professionals. If your organization is interested in
reaping the rewards of a practicum placement, please
contact NAIT’s EM Program Coordinator at 780-7099694, or e-mail [email protected].
18
Wavelength | June 2007
an excellent reputation in the industry and we are pleased to be teaming
with them in addressing our customer’s needs.” Jalbert added.
“EFJohnson has a well established
presence in the military sector and
their strength enables us to provide
our products into markets that we are
unable to address alone,” said Robert
Small, president and COO of Daniels
Electronics. “We are pleased to be
working with them and look forward
to many years of joint success.”
GETAC’S FIRST 10.4” CONVERTIBLE
RUGGED TABLET V100 UNVEILED:
MIL-STD 810F AND IP54 COMPLIANCE
Lake Forest, CA – GETAC Inc., a significant subsidiary company of
MiTAC Technology Corporation, is a rugged mobile computer manufacturer with extensive technological,
manufacturing and marketing experience. Today at FOSE,
Washington D.C., GETAC exhibits its first convertible tablet
PC V100, featuring a 10.4” LCD screen, light weight design
and 180° rotatable screen to transform from a notebook into
a tablet PC. V100’s convenience and rugged standards meets
the demands of the military, law enforcement, utility and
field service applications.
The V100 is housed in a magnesium alloy case and emphasizes on the fan-less design, removable hard drive and high
portability 2.2 kg weight along with the lower power consumption Intel Core Duo 1.2 GHz processor, 512 MB DRAM
and an 80 GB hard drive. As a member of the GETAC fully
rugged family, V100 also complies with the MIL-STD 810F
and IP54 standards. The hard drive, the most vulnerable
hardware in the system, is shielded by a protection mechanism to prevent damage during operation. All GETAC
products are waterproof to protect the computer from unexpected spills and sprays.
“V100 is GETAC’s first convertible tablet PC using state of
the art technology. It is one of the few computers in the same
category designed to be light and still maintaining the high
rugged standards. Different professional markets require different wireless capabilities; V100 supports 3G, WLAN, GPRS,
and Bluetooth. No matter if the user is in the office, on a
vehicle or outdoors, they can always stay connected without
any worries. It is an exceptional and valuable creation,” says
Jay Cheng, general manager of GETAC Inc.
IN MOTION TECHNOLOGY SELECTED AS WINNER
IN WIRELESS INNOVATION CONTEST (WIC’07)
Recognized for Wireless Solution that Improves Productivity and Saves Money for Public Sector
Vancouver, BC, March 27, 2007 – The
Wireless Innovation Network of BC
(WINBC), the producer of the
Wireless Innovation Contest 2007
(WIC’07), today announced In
Motion Technology, a leader in
vehicle area networks for public safety organizations, has been selected
as a winner in the Taking Care of
Business category for the Public
Sector. Award recipients are wireless
companies and technologies from
across North America proven to
enhance user experiences and operational processes. The winners were
announced at CTIA Wireless in
Orlando Florida.
The Taking Care of Business category
for the Public Sector award is given
to companies that provide a wireless
solution that showcases new
processes or models, improves productivity and/or saves money in the
public sector – utilities, health, government, fire, or police services.
In Motion Technology provides cognitive wireless systems enabling
public safety organizations to communicate life-critical information
while in motion. For example, In
Motion’s vehicle-area networks
dynamically sense and select the
best network enabling an emergency
medical response professional to
send a patient’s electronic health
record from an ambulance to a hospital while en route, a police officer
to access video or driver records from
a patrol car, a firefighter to access
building blueprints at the scene of a
fire, and a municipality IT director to
provide the communications infra-
structure to support these types of
applications.
“We are honored to be recognized
for technology that improves operational processes, user experiences
and life-saving services to the public,” said Kirk Moir, president and
CEO, In Motion Technology. “This
further validates the need for our
technology that helps people better
communicate while in motion.”
The winners were selected by an
impressive panel of judges, including Tom Nyberg (Nokia Multimedia),
Chris Langdon (TELUS), Ray Gilbert
(Alcatel-Lucent),
Oliver
Starr
(Guidewire Group), Madeline Duva
(3rd Eye Consulting), Joseph
Averkamp (Sprint-Nextel) and Ken
Blakeslee (WebMobility Ventures).
TYCO ELECTRONICS M/A-COM INTRODUCES P25IP
RAPID DEPLOYMENT SATELLITE SYSTEM
M/A-COM is the first LMR provider to offer both P25 voice and data communication via satellite,
deployable within an hour, to expand the reliability and range of critical communications during a
disaster or in remote areas
IWCE, Las Vegas – March 28, 2007 – Tyco
Electronics’ M/A-COM business, a
worldwide leader of critical radio
communications systems, today
introduced the P25IP (P25 to the
power of Internet Protocol) Rapid
Deployment Satellite System, an LMR
industry first that enables users in
remote locations and disaster areas to
establish, coordinate and maintain
interoperable mission critical voice
and data communications. The system was developed with the
company’s partner, 3Di Technologies, headquartered in Annapolis,
MD. Deployed when normal landline, cellular, and public safety
communications are logistically
unavailable or have been disrupted,
the
M/A-COM
P25IP
Rapid
Deployment Satellite System is available in single-channel conventional
or up to eight channels in trunked
configuration. Either version provides high-quality, IP-based digital
voice and data transmission and
reception with local interoperability
to other P25 systems and radios.
“As a result of this landmark offering,
our military, federal and local public
safety personnel will no longer be
isolated when communications infrastructure is damaged or non-existent.
Whether it’s a Marine platoon stationed in a remote Middle Eastern
outpost or a policeman responding
to a life or death emergency during a
Category 5 hurricane they will have
access to the mission critical voice
and data communications that they
require,” said Blake Nylund, director,
Network Products, Tyco Electronics
M/A-COM. “Because of the P25IP
Rapid Deployment Satellite System,
military, federal and public safety
users who must have radio communications no matter what the
environment will be able to institute
or re-establish, manage and sustain
their critical communications. This
will allow for the collaboration and
coordination of multiple resources,
during what is often a chaotic situation, which is essential to the
missions of military, federal and public safety first responders.”
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
19
INDUSTRY NEWS
GE MDS RANKED A LEADING GLOBAL SUPPLIER
OF WIRELESS NETWORKING PRODUCTS
CANADIAN UTILITY TELECOM CONFERENCE 2007, TORONTO (March 29, 2007) – GE
MDS, formerly Microwave Data Systems, a world leader in industrial,
wireless networking solutions with applications in the public safety,
supervisory control, and data acquisition (SCADA), automation, and
telecommunications markets, announced that an independent technology market research firm has listed GE MDS as one of the largest global
suppliers of wireless networking infrastructure products.
According to research recently completed by Massachusetts-based
Venture Development Corporation (VDC), GE MDS was the third-largest
global supplier of wireless networking infrastructure products for use in
industrial applications in 2006.
VDC asked users to identify their most important product selection criteria for wireline and wireless network infrastructure products. For access
points/networking components the study states, “large shares of users
identified quality/reliability, compatibility with existing systems (hardware and software) and durability as their primary selection criteria.”
“Users’ views on the relative cost of wireless versus wireline networking
have changed in recent years,” the study continues. “More users now
view the costs of wireless networks as less than or equal to wireline, a significant shift from VDC’s previous studies. These comparisons most often
centered on installation and maintenance costs.”
WA N T E D
APCO Canada Members to
take on a leadership role in
our association
A message from immediate Past
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20
Wavelength | June 2007
President Dave Ralph
APCO Canada would like to hear
from members who are interested in
taking on a leadership role in our
association.
Our bylaws call for the election of
four directors and a vice president at
our annual fall conference.
If you are interested in an executive
position on the board of directors, or
know a member that you believe can
take a leadership role within our association, please contact me for additional information. If you are making a
referral for a colleague, I would be
happy to contact them on behalf of the
association.
The director and vice president
roles and responsibilities are on our
website (www.apco.ca).
AV I S D E
RECHERCHE
Membres d’APCO Canada
désireux d’assumer
un rôle de leadership dans
notre association
Un message du
Président sortant Dave Ralph
APCO Canada aimerait rencontrer les
membres qui sont intéressés à assumer un
rôle de leadership dans notre association.
Selon les statuts, nous devons élire quatre directeurs et un vice-président au
cours de notre conférence annuelle à l’automne.
Si vous êtes intéressé à un poste de
direction au Conseil d’administration ou si
vous connaissez un membre qui, selon
vous, pourrait jouer un rôle de chef de file
au sein de notre association, veuillez communiquer avec moi pour plus de détails. Si
vous recommandez un collègue, il me fera
plaisir de communiquer avec ce dernier au
nom de l’association.
La description du rôle et des responsabilités des directeurs et du vice-président
se trouve sur notre site web
(www.apco.ca).
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A U S T R A L A S I A U P D AT E
Canadian Presence
Appreciated Down Under
By John Marinis, APCO Australasia
H
ello Canadians, you proud
fellow members of the glorious Commonwealth. While
most of you guys were still shovelling up the snow from your
driveways we here in Australia were
soaking up the sun, surf, and sand
on our beautiful beaches. The only
downside to this is the fact that we
have a hole in the ozone layer bigger
than Calgary itself.
To date 2007 has gone great guns for
APCO Australasia. In February we
hosted our 4th Annual Conference
and Exhibition. This years’ event
was held in the Australian state of
Queensland more specifically on the
Gold Coast – one of the most pristine parts of Australia boasting the
best beaches in the world and over
300 days of sunshine each year.
The event was an absolute success
with a significant increase in the
number of exhibition booths and
attendees when compared to our
2006 Conference. Once again there
was a noticeable contingent of vendors from Canada. Thanks xwave
and all the other vendors who travelled so far. We value your support.
The day prior to the conference and
exhibition saw the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Global
Alliance. The meeting, which was
moderated by Ted Harris of APCO
Canada, included representatives
from all the APCO families who met
over coffee and cake to discuss issues
such as the introduction of a universal emergency number. Another
issue of significance was raised by
President Nancy Banks of APCO
22
Wavelength | June 2007
Canada. Nancy championed the
cause of members of other APCO
families having the ability to access
such things as members discounted
rates for training courses and the
like.
The conference and exhibition formalities kicked off on the Monday
night with the official welcome
reception. This event went off
smashingly with hundreds of people
mingling around the exhibition
booths and enjoying the entertainment which included a roving
comic/magician who mesmerized
the crowds and made a few watches
disappear.
The conference itself boasted an
array of great speakers from all areas
of public safety including customs,
health, the emergency services, and
even a member of the Australian
military who spoke about his experiences during his tour of duty in Iraq.
Or as your neighbours in the United
States call it I-RACK.
One of the highlights of the conference was the live satellite link
interview with Deputy Chief Beck of
the Los Angeles Police Department.
Through some clever technical wizardry conference attendees in
Australia were able to converse in
real time with Deputy Chief Beck
The gala dinner was, as always, a
complete success. Attendees at the
conference and exhibition sat down
to a sumptuous meal and beverages
worthy of a five-star restaurant.
Again, our ever faithful dinner sponsor ComGroup came through with
the goods once again. Thanks
ComGroup Australia for your continued support.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the
gala dinner was the official award
presented to, your friend and mine,
Mr. Ted Harris of APCO Canada. His
name just keeps popping up.
Ted, who had no idea he was to
receive an award was invited on
stage at which point, in front of 286
persons he was officially awarded
with a commemorative glass plaque
from APCO Australasia.
The plaque was in recognition of
Ted’s tireless efforts in bringing
together BAPCO, APCO Canada,
APCO International, and APCO
Australasia in Toronto, in 2006, and
having them sign the Global
Alliance document at the top of the
CN Tower.
The Global Alliance negotiations
were long and tedious and fraught
with pot holes along the way but to
his credit Ted achieved the goal set
and got all the parties to sign up and
thus herald in a new era in global
cooperation.
In all the conference and exhibition
went off without a hitch and APCO
Australasia is already gearing up for
the 2008 Conference and Exhibition
which will be held from 18 February
to 20 February 2008 at the same
venue – Conrad Jupiter’s on the Gold
Coast. We hope to see an even bigger
Canadian presence next year.
Until then adios! I will see you in
Calgary in September/October 2007.
889 SBMF
Military Folding Knife
777 Lumina LED
Buck’s New Military Knife
with Battle-Proven Design
The new 889 SBMF military folding knife is the latest addition to the
growing family of tactical models from Buck Knives. This rugged folder
is based on the Strider knife issued to elite US military units.
With its battle-proven design by Strider Knives, the 889 has been tested in Iraq and Afghanistan. Engineered for hard use, it’s loaded with
features: an extra-thick, oversized blade; quad-hold TACCOM™ handle
with finger grooves for sure grip; thumb and handle grip-ridges; and
thumb-stud/hole for one-hand opening.
This versatile knife has a non-serrated 3-1/2 inch drop-point blade
made of 420HC stainless steel and is black-oxide coated. The 4-5/8
inch glass-reinforced nylon handle comes in three battle-ready colors:
black, olive drab, and coyote brown. Locked open, the 889 is 8-1/4
inches long and it weighs 4.9 oz.
The stainless steel belt clip has a non-reflective black-oxide coating,
is reversible, and comes with extra screws. Buck’s advanced
Edge2x™ technology makes the blade sharper out of the box, keeps
the blade sharp longer, and makes it easier to resharpen. The 889 is
backed by Buck’s respected 4-Ever Warranty and has an MSRP of $84.
Buck’s New Lumina LED Gives You Light
Right Where You Need It
The new 777 Lumina LED from Buck Knives is one of those ideas that
make you wonder why nobody thought of it before. This one-hand
open/close liner-lock has an integral, programmed 5-mm LED light that
provides great illumination right where you’re cutting.
In all settings, the long-lasting light has automatic shut-off after five minutes to conserve the two 3-volt lithium batteries. The LED light itself is
water resistant and has no moving parts, so it’s not prone to breakage.
Average lifetime is 100,000 hours, far more durable than flashlight bulbs,
which wear out and break. There are four programmed functions: high
beam, medium beam, low beam, and intermittent flash.
The light makes a great added feature to what is already a very solid knife.
It has a partially serrated 3-inch drop-point blade, made of 420HC stainless
steel. Finished with Buck’s Edge2x™ technology, the blade is sharper out of
the box, holds an edge longer, and is easier to resharpen.
The ergonomically shaped, molded nylon handle has large a lanyard hole,
and comes in three colors: red, blue, and smoke. Closed, the Lumina LED
is 4-3/8 inches long, and it weighs 3.6 oz. Like all Buck Knives, it carries
the century-old company’s respected Lifetime Warranty. MSRP, $60.
For more information about the 889, 777 or other Buck knives,
call Buck Knives toll-free at 800-326-2825, or visit their web site, www.buckknives.com
WANT TO WIN ONE OF
THESE GREAT PRODUCTS
FROM
?
Question: What is the new emergency
number recently introduced in India?
Just answer the skill testing
question to the left (the answer
is somewhere in this issue of
Wavelength) and mail it, along
with your name, address, phone
number to:
Buck Knives Contest
c/o Andrew John Publishing, Inc. 115
King Street West, Suite 220, Dundas
ON L9H 1V1
Contest entries must be received no
later than Friday, July 13, 2007
and the winner will be announced in
the next issue of Wavelength.
INDUSTRY INSIDER
Introducing…Westcan Wireless
W
estcan Wireless is a leader in the provision of
integrated wireless communications systems.
They specialize in providing turnkey solutions
for two-way radio communication, secure wireless broadband networks, and public safety and emergency
communications systems. Our mission is to be recognized as the premier design and installation provider of
critical wireless networks in Western Canada. In two-way
radio communications, Westcan is becoming synonymous with public safety and service excellence. In
wireless data solutions, Westcan is striving to be the most
sought-after VAR for the leading equipment manufacturers of wireless broadband technology.
Westcan’s products and services fall under three distinct
business groups:
1. Radio Solutions Group
2. Data Solutions Group
3. Services and Rental Group
Westcan’s Radio Solutions Group provides traditional two-way radio products and system solutions
including:
•
Motorola 2 way portable radios, in-vehicle
repeaters, antennas etc.
•
Trunked Radio Systems – private radio systems
including towers, wireless switches and consoles,
signal repeaters, and radios
•
Andrew Corporation Distributed Antenna Systems
– in-building network of signal repeaters and bi-
24
Wavelength | June 2007
directional amplifiers to enhance radio coverage
•
Zetron Radio System Consoles – dispatch and
control consoles that manage entire trunked radio
systems
The Data Solutions Group provides private wireless
network data links for the transport of mission critical
data, high speed broadband services, and backhaul services to tie together remote sites such as well sites. Some
of the products include:
•
Spread spectrum and licensed data radio systems
for SCADA
•
Microwave high speed point to point broadband
data links
•
Mobile Wi-Fi and WiMax network systems
Westcan’s Services and Rental Group provides products and services to both our radio and data customers
including:
•
Path studies – a service to determine radio
frequency coverage
•
Installation services – for system equipment addons and installations of vehicle GPS equipment or
mobile radios
•
Maintenance agreements – scheduled and nonscheduled maintenance and repair of radio systems, and subscriber equipment
•
Rental services – rental of two-way radios for special events, construction sites, or temporary usage
such as conventions
APCO CANADA WEBSITE
www.apco.ca
> NEW
Westcan Wireless has two stateof-the-art sales and service
centers in Alberta – an 11,000 sq
ft facility in Calgary, and a new
18,000 sq ft facility in Edmonton.
In each of the corporation’s facilities, they host a full service and
repair department, drive-in service bay, bench technicians, and
modern electronic test equipment. Both facilities have a full
rental department stocked with
rental inventory and accessories,
as well as a store room with fully
stocked service and repair parts.
In both Radio Solution systems
and Data Solutions equipment,
leading manufacturers are aligning themselves with Westcan to
take their product solutions to
market. It is clear that Westcan’s
technical services team has continued to evolve in pace with the
market, and, as such, Westcan
has fast become an attractive
avenue for OEM’s to get their
products to market.
Westcan is currently embarking
on a media campaign that will
promote products and services to
both the public safety and public
service market place, supported
by an award winning professional sales team.
Westcan plays to its strengths to
support its aggressive sales efforts.
These strengths are its technical
services department, which leads
the market in trained RF technicians and presales engineering.
Secondly the corporation owns a
well placed 14-tower network. On
this network Westcan will position itself with wholesale clients
and partnership opportunities
with subscriber-based services
such as Wimax, or AVL.
The Westcan Wireless management team brings together a
strong combination of sound
business management, dynamic
sales management, and a customer-driven technical services
management that is unparalleled
in the wireless communications
industry.
For more information you can
visit Westcan Wireless on the
Web at: www.westcanwireless.com.
Career
Section
Post your position to a
targeted audience of
executives, managers
and professionals in
the public safety
communications field
• minimum 30 days posted
on site
• APCO Canada website
over 30,000 hits per month
• cost-effective means of
marketing the position
C O N TA C T
for more information
P: 905-628-4309 | F: 905-628-6847
E: [email protected]
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
25
Basic
Emergency
Management
Training
Course
(BEM)
By Theresa Virgin
Photos by Susan Harrison
In keeping with the “Emergency Management” theme this year, I would like to
provide some insight into a course I attended in March.
B
asic Emergency Management is provincially
recognized core training for mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and
recovery in municipal emergencies. The course
encompassed several speakers, modules, and a half
day training exercise. It was delightfully presented
by Durham Emergency Measures Office members
Dan Salter and Line Millette and was open to emergency service providers, Region of Durham
employees, as well as employees of the eight
municipalities with Durham Region.
Our class was extremely diverse and brought
together many different thoughts and ideas outside the scope of emergency services. Being a
hardened “Police” communicator, these thoughts
and views really opened my mind and reminded
me that there are other resources and departments
affected by a major event – not just the emergency
services.
One of the subjects covered dealt with the federal
and provincial acts that govern and outline the
responsibilities in emergency events.
26
Wavelength | June 2007
FEDERAL
The Emergencies Act (1985) includes;
•
public welfare emergencies,
•
public order emergencies,
•
international emergencies, and
•
war.
The Emergency Preparedness Act (1985) covers;
•
the responsibilities of the minister and other
ministries;
•
as well as federal/provincial responsibilities,
including financial and other assistance.
PROVINCIAL
Provincial legislation includes;
•
The Emergency Management and Civil Protection
Act, R.S.O. 1990
•
Regulation 380/04 which sets out emergency management standards for the province and municipalities.
BASIC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
TRAINING COURSE (BEM)
Does your Area follow the
Emergency Management Act?
One of the other modules reviewed
was IMS (Incident Management
System) which is based on the NIMS
module as taught in the APCO Basic
Telecommunicator Course.
Another interesting module was the
Critical Incident Stress Management
component, and how many agencies
are involved in this very crucial component.
The last part of the program was a
table top exercise. As we had our
choice of which department we were
responsible for, and I specifically did
not want to take on the police persona, so I broadened my horizons
and for the period of the exercise, I
became the Region of Durham Chief
Administration Officer. What an eye
opener! It was very clear, that in
“Emergency Services” we live in
somewhat of a bubble, and during a
major incident, although the three
services are major players, there are
other major players, including public works, the district school boards,
public utilities and transit.
All in all, the program was extremely informative, enabled me to
partner with some members from
other regional departments, and
allowed me for three hours, to be the
person in charge of the entire Region
of Durham – and of course I didn’t
let that go to my head – much!
The Aim of Ontario’s Emergency Management
Program is:
Theresa Virgin, is the
Communications/9-1-1 Technical
Services Manager, Durham Regional
Police and an Associate Editor of
Wavelength magazine.
“To protect public safety, promote disaster resilient communities, and
create public confidence in the ability to manage a major emergency.”
The Emergency Management Act (Ontario) states, in part, that the
emergency management program shall consist of:
•
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA);
•
An emergency response plan;
•
Annual training and exercise programs;
•
Identification of critical infrastructure;
•
Public education and public awareness programs.
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
27
TRI -SE RVI C E S E M E R G E N C Y C O MMU NIC ATO RS O F YO RK REGION
By Sheryl McPhail, York Regional Police Service
On Tuesday, April 10, 2007, the Tri-Service Emergency Communicators Committee
hosted the 9th Annual Tri-Service Emergency Communicators of York Region Awards
Night to honour 9-1-1 emergency communicators from police, fire, and ambulance.
E
ach year the Tri-Service Committee sends out a nomination form to all Tri-Service Communication members to
fill out and submit. A date is set for the submissions and
three judges from outside emergency service agencies, independent of our Tri-Service agencies in York Region, are asked to
participate in selecting the winners.
Criteria for Call Taker of the Year
and Dispatcher of the Year
•
Consistent superior level of
performance and has handled
at least one life threatening or
extraordinary incident.
•
A positive attitude toward their
peers and the public.
•
A willingness to train peers
while displaying a good work
ethic and a positive manner.
Criteria for Supervisor of the Year
•
Superior performance in 2006.
•
A good work ethic and role
model for members of their
platoon.
•
A willingness to go over and
above what is required of them
in their position.
Criteria for Platoon of the Year
•
•
28
A platoon who was exemplary
in carrying out their duties
while handling a critical incident under unusual circumstances in 2006.
The platoon exhibited excellent communication skills and
uncommon initiative and/or
Wavelength | June 2007
creativity in dealing with the
incident.
Criteria for Junior 9-1-1 Award
•
The youth should be 12 years
old or younger.
•
The phone call should be an
example of a youth who
worked well in an emergency
situation.
The evening began at 1700 hours in
the Council Chambers of the
Regional Municipality of York building, followed by refreshments
provided by the Region of York.
Over a 140 family members, friends,
fellow employees and local politicians attended, showing their
support for those who work so tirelessly in the field of emergency
services.
This year York Regional Police Chief
Armand La Barge was our Master of
Ceremonies and he also presented
the Junior 9-1-1 Award to six-yearold Jason Singh Samara who was
commended for his quick thinking
and brave actions in calling 9-1-1
when his father had fallen and
required medical attention.
Our committee starts meeting in
September for the following year’s
award night. To raise funds to support the event, we sell 9-1-1 T-shirts,
golf shirts and sweatshirts. Each
agency from fire, ambulance, and
police approach their individual
associations for funding as well.
These donations fund the actual
awards/trophies that are presented
to the individual winners, and the
certificates and pins we give to every
emergency service communicator.
We greatly appreciate the funding we
receive from the Region of York for
the catered reception following the
awards presentation. Our committee
also invites outside agencies to attend
the awards night, hoping to encourage their organizations to follow up
with an awards/appreciation night
for their own members. All who have
attended have stated how fabulous
the catered reception is. My favorite is
the chocolate fountain!
Recognition for any emergency service communicator is of the utmost
importance to promote morale and
to motivate our employees. An event
like this also promotes public awareness of the excellent job our
communicators do and how important the proper use of 9-1-1 is!
Sheryl MacPhail, BA, is the
Technology Training Co-ordinator for
York Regional Police (22 years), the
NENA Ontario Chapter Vice
President, and a member of the York
Region C.I.S.M. team (10 years).
...continues on page 30
www.apco.ca | Wavelength
29
T R I - S E R V I C E S E M E R G E N C Y C O M M U N I C A T O R S O F Y O R K R E G I O N AWA R D S C E R E M O N Y
Some of this years’ award winners are:
Call Taker of the Year Kelly Ouellette, Georgian CACC.
Dispatcher of the Year Neil Webb, Markham Fire
Department.
Junior 911 Award winner Jason Singh Samra.
Police Platoon of the Year.
Other award winners were:
Police Call Taker of the Year – Lori Magoffin
Police Dispatcher of the Year – Robin Coombs
30
Wavelength | June 2007
Volume 20, issue 1
56
1/17/07
2:55 PM
Page 56
Wavelength | January 2007