County fire looking forward to new emergency call dispatch system

Firefighter Tim Jones, Chief Chad Brown and Deputy Chief Tim Kraemer examine the County’s fire mapping system ahead of the March 26 switch to a new fire dispatch service out of St. Catharines. – Sue Capon photos

By Sue Capon
County residents have come a long way from hearing air raid sirens blare from their community fire hall to summon firefighters into action.

Come Tuesday, March 26, Prince Edward County will join nearly 30 other municipalities that have moved their emergency call dispatch services to St. Catharines Fire Services (including Quinte West, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Hastings County, minus Belleville which moved to service from Peterborough).

The County’s move comes one year earlier than the mandated deadline by the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to move to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) technology. By 2025 the new system is to end Ontario’s 30-year-old 911 voice-based infrastructure.  

NG911 was designed to create safer, faster and more informed emergency response in one system that can be accessed by police, fire and paramedic emergency services simultaneously.

Soon, additional details through voice, photos, videos, text messages and eventually, location services, are expected to flow seamlessly from the public, through the 911 network, and eventually, directly to first responders.

The County’s Fire Chief Chad Brown and Deputy Fire Chief Tim Kraemer are looking forward to the new system – one they note is significantly expensive to install and monitor, which is the reason so many municipalities are looking to other larger areas such as St. Catharines that have invested in the service and can handle others’ needs as well.

Brown is pleased, however, that the cost of about $86,000 per year, is not only below what council has budgeted, but is also part of a 15-year contract in which costs will not rise.

“The costs to implement the technologies for the Next Gen 911 system based on the department’s call volumes (about 600 per year) would be neither practical, nor economical,” said Fire Chief Brown . “We are pleased to have this partnership in place, marking a significant milestone in the County’s ongoing mission to ensure the safety and well-being of residents.”

They note the transition will be seamless and those who call 911 won’t experience anything different and all of the County’s fire stations are to remain as they are.

However, they do advise residents who have automatic alarm systems to contact their alarm agency to ensure an update to the telephone number  is completed before March 26. Alarm companies and non-911 inquiries will be directed to call 1-833-757-7539.

Firefighter Tim Jones demonstrates a test call to firefighters from the dispatch desk at station one, 8 McDonald Drive, Picton.

“On-duty firefighters will now respond immediately to incidents without having to answer 911 and dispatch incidents,” explained Brown. “And that saves valuable minutes in response time.”

“It means that when the alarm sounds through the building, we can get into our trucks and go,” says
firefighter Tim Jones, who works many long shifts at the dispatch desk.

He’s thrilled he will no longer have to listen for the phone to ring and stay in place for continued communication as the alarms will be broadcast throughout the buildings, “on almost bullhorn speakers.”

Firefighter Tim Jones well known for building fire trucks specially designed to fight grass fires.

“It means I can work in the garage and not have to have one ear on the phone at all times.”
Jones is the County fire department’s celebrated creator and builder of necessary equipment at a fraction of the cost of buying new.

He is known for building the department’s trucks specially designed to fight grass fires and Monday showed a new device he’s created to dry out equipment efficiently.

Firefighter Tim Jones is looking forward to having more time for his many innovative, money-saving projects at the department, including the creation of this equipment dryer he created and built – saving the fire department thousands of dollars.

Deputy Fire Chief Tim Kraemer

Jones’ work on this dryer alone, notes Kraemer, saved the department thousands of dollars. He estimated the cost of the dryer built by Jones at $1,500 – instead of paying $10,000 for a new one that is practically identical.

Kraemer notes when new volunteers are hired they are always surprised about how much work goes on behind the scenes to manage and maintain the fire department – all done by every person on duty.

The fire department is currently working with 128 volunteers and 12 full-time staffers covering 10 stations throughout the County.

Brown says he’s thankful to the entire team for undertaking a “tremendous amount of work” to examine and create levels of mapping, street name and 911 number checks among other things to ensure trucks and responders get to where they need to go.

PEC Fire Chief Chad Brown is looking forward to the new system.

“It doesn’t look like a lot of work but it’s been a crazy amount of work, but worth doing. We are excited about the new system,” said Brown. “We look forward to working with St. Catharines and all of the neighbouring departments that have transferred dispatch there already” – including mutual aid members.

Kraemer will be taking a team of Division Commanders and full-time firefighters to St. Catharines this week to make sure the new system is in order and complete double checks.