Day One - Feeling Good

Beautiful drive from PG through Jasper on Hwy 16.

McBride Burned Hillside

Tangle Creek Falls, AB

Snow - Hwy 93

Bow Lake

Ft Steele

Shannon made me take this picture of the ducks 🤷🏻‍♀️

Another pic Shannon made me take of a large speed bump 🤷🏻‍♀️

Creston - view from hotel

Grain Elevators on Northwest Blvd, Creston, BC

New Creston Fire Hall

0830

Visited Creston’s new Fire Hall

Met Fire Chief Jared Riel and Assistant Chief Laura Dodman

They have a beautiful new fire hall in the heart of the town. 30+ members.

They are very happy with the service we provide and said this was their first experience with a professional dispatch service.

Creston has a work experience program with firefighters from fire training schools across North America who live and work at the new hall for over a year.

Encouraged them to reach out anytime.

Dispatch Operator Christine Ollinger, AC Dodman, Chief Riel and AC Shannon Krause

Had an awesome visit with Fire Chief Shane Dye and 4 crew members. \240The Chief has been newly appointed in the last month. It was mentioned several times and greatly appreciated that dispatch checked on each and every one of them until they were all accounted for during or after a call.

The Chief toured us through much of the area and identified several landmarks such as:

The “Car Wash”

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CAMHBjZTuocBGRD3A?g_st=ic

“Kenny’s Hole”

https://maps.app.goo.gl/7gP7pLKSmi1jPss38?g_st=ic

Main Hwy is Hwy 95 (Crowsnest Hwy)

Yahk VFD

Drafting Area on the Moyie River

* There are no hydrants in the RDCK making the need to run tenders and draft for fires

Chief’s Rescue Truck (YHKR11)

Moyie River

Many sharp curves on Hwy 95

B.O.B is in Nelson not Yahk!

*If a caller says they are at a big orange bridge (there are many that are various shades of yellow/orange) don’t assume they are in Nelson 😬

Corner at the Car Wash

The Car Wash

Yahk Soap & Candle Gift Shop

Businesses in the area include this cute gift shop where goats climb on the grass covered roof. Other businesses include a gas station called 2 Pump Paul’s, an ice cream shop called 2 Scoop Steve’s and a soon to be opened 2 Toke Tim’s.

Drove from Yahk to Boswell via Hwy 95 to Curzon, Hwy 3 to Creston and north on Hwy 3A to Boswell

Met with Rod Stewart and Gary Hill.

Rod’s mom, who was a nurse, started this group back in the 1930’s.

They do not have a hall.

9 FR’s have a backpack with $9,000 worth of equipment in each pack, including an AED. The FR’s respond from home.

Most only have wifi cell calling/text. No coverage once leave the house.

Garry Hill & Rod Stewart with Christine

Rod is the President but is going to step down soon from that position. Garry is taking over from Rod but is not a FR.

View of Kootenay Lake at Boswell

Kootenay Lake just north of Boswell

Kootenay Lake just north of Boswell

Longest “FREE” ferry crossing

35 minute trip from Crawford Bay to Balfour

Kootenay Bay Ferry Terminal

On the deck of the Osprey ferry

Shannon & Christine still liking each others company

Benches on the ferry

Arriving at Balfour Ferry Terminal

Kaslo Fire Hall

New Command Post

Inside the Command Post

Where the Kaslo SAR Boat is Moored

Kaslo Marina

Kaslo Marina

Kaslo SAR Boat

The Kaslo SAR boat can transport 2 quads or snowmobiles in the front. \240They have also been called to transport ambulance to an emergency scene via Kootenay Lake when road access has become impassable due to snow,avalanche or mud slide.

Stefan Lettrari’s family Business, Kaslo Sourdough Pasta Company - Gift for everyone in dispatch!

Day 3 Still Feeling Pretty Good

Travelled from Kaslo and through New Denver on our way to Nakusp via Hwy 31A through to New Denver and then north on Hwy 6. New Denver is a cute little community. Cell service continues to be almost non existent.

New Denver is at the northern tip of Slocan Lake on the east side.

Grocery Store in New Denver on Hwy 31A (6th Ave)

Cute Coffee Shop Across from Grocery Store in New Denver on Hwy 31A (6th Ave)

We continued thru to Nakusp as we weren’t able to connect with New Denver Fire Chief, Derek Hicks.

New Denver Fire Hall

Travelled northwest on Hwy 6 from New Denver to Nakusp, BC.

4675 Hwy 6, Hills, BC

*This address sign is between New Denver and Nakusp on Hwy 6 in the community of Hills, BC

Once in Nakusp, we went straight to the fire hall and met Nakusp Fire Chief Terry Warren.

Nakusp sits on the east side of Arrow Lake.

Arrow Lakes SAR (borders with Kaslo SAR) and BCAS also responds from the fire hall building.

Enroute to Slocan from Nakusp back thru New Denver via Hwy 6.

Met Fire Chief Devin Lindsay. Slocan is south of New Denver on the east side of Slocan Lake.

Chief lindsay took us for a drive through the town showing us the sights and giving us a tour and history lesson on Slocan.

Slocan (and Brandon) developed in 1890’s around the gold rush

Today there’s approximately 1,500 people in the Slocan fire protection area

The Rail Trail - Once the old rail line came from Nakusp down to Rosbery and then by barge to Slocan and then back onto the tracks to Nelson.

1950’s to 1990’s Slocan once had a robust sawmill at the south end of Slocan Lake. It closed and was torn down.

Most of Slocan’s calls are FR calls. The last structure fire was in 2016

ACCO Krause & Chief Lindsay

Slocan Tender 461

Chief’s Rescue Truck

Slocan E461

Park in Slocan at South end of Slocan Lake

Winlaw VFD

Unable to make contact with Winlaw

Passmore

Passmore Fire Hall

Passmore’s “Gate Breaker”

*Another example of the practically zero cell service in this area. We arrived at Passmore fire hall and no one answered the door. \240We had to drive south on Hwy 6 for 10 minutes before getting cell service at the Crescent Valley Hall where we were able to get one bar, \240contacted Passmore Fire Chief and doubled back.

Beasley Fire Hall

1800 to 1950

After Passmore we headed back to Nelson and then to the Beasley Fire Hall via Hwy 3A

Beasley invited us in for their practice night. They were so welcoming and we had a very positive and productive back and forth Q & A. They were happy with fire dispatch and were eager to help make things better.

We reviewed with Beasley, and all depts on the visit, why it is important for all of us to request to talk.

Nelson Fire Hall

Featured in the Movie Roxanne with Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah

Day Four with Shannon

Elk on Winter Rd by Passcreek Hall

Pass Creek is very happy with our service!!

First FR in RDCK

First engine of its kind in western canada

Lots of family history and generations of fire fighters

No cell service in the area. People use wifi to contact each other. Once enroute to call no cell!

1,800 people in area

Automatic and Mutual Aid with many depts including Robson, Slocan & Tarrys. Reason being that at a given time people are working and need the manpower from other halls.

New Member, Retired Member, Shannon & Fire Chief Aaron Bebelman

Landscaping at Back of Hall - All Done by Volunteers

Ootischenia Fire Department

Chief Len Coates & Capt Veronica

We met with Chief Len Coates & Capt Veronica

20 members

If a members call an apparatus “bush” it’s rescue

1/2 of the area is new residential structure. Less structure fires with new homes.

Trying to educate older residents who are used to burning off grass.

Population increasing in the area.

Work with many other surrounding departments.

Aging population - medicals increasing

Extrication - castlegar can be 10 to 15 min but OVFD trying to get certification as they would have a quicker response time to many areas

SK Electronics used in the area to work on radios

The area is growing rapidly

Selkirk College has 1000 students

Largest propane bulk tank - Can Gas.

Airport has tanker station - 2 tankers

Pulp mill in Castlegar

Teck Smelter plant

Rescue Truck 421

Bombi Pass/Summit

****Landmark - Bombi Pass - know it!****

Hwy 3/Crowsnest Hwy between Ootischenia and Hwy 3B : \240Lots of MVI’s in this area

Link to google maps for Bombi Pass:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/B8yMeSAtxJYq7Ax2A?g_st=ic

Met Fire Chief David Hearn

Liked when dispatched themselves

Salmo’s Rescue truck goes to 60% of Salmo’s calls

**Bombi pass mentioned again:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/B8yMeSAtxJYq7Ax2A?g_st=ic

****Watch cell phone ping addresses - several depts are reporting this. Watch \2403rd party calls from ambulance. May be directing dept to cell point where person got service not location of call! \240Also if taking call make sure investigate if caller is at the scene!!*****

RDCK and the village is pushing to get cell coverage for the kootenay pass

Salmo has boundaries with Fruitvale and Trail as well as Creston and Catlegar and Nelson

***No radio range up Kootenay pass (runs west/east on Hwy 3 between Hwy 6 turn off & Creston) or in Ymir

Salmo mentioned that dispatch has patched them with being requested to do so. As per procedure, don’t patch unless requested or letting depts know you’re patching.

Road rescue:

Over the bank rescue

Self sufficient - no one else to rely on. Ymir sometimes if staffed

20 active members

Salmo brush 541 has 250 gallons of water. 4x4. Rescue truck also

Salmo Engine

Salmo Tender at a secondary location

Major Yearly Event:

Shambhala

Event with 20,000 people

3 to 4km south of Salmo

Bring in own dr’s and nurses

Extra police

Gang members come in - drugs

There’s a “feel good tent” where there’s safe drugs to take.

End of July Tuesday to following Wednesday

People are helicoptered in

**Telus brings in a portable cell tower this jams up Shaw service. Shaw users can’t get thru. Village employees on Shaw

4 Rcmp in Salmo but only one lives in the village. 3 others live 30 to 40 minutes away

Met Deputy Chief Geoff Gaudet

Automatic Aid / Mutual Aid

Make sure tell main dept who else is paged/coming

Spoke in length on the complexities of the area of Crescent Valley, Ootischenia, Pass Creek, Robson and Tarry’s

The area has automatic aid agreements. They need to make some adjustments with the RDCK to make some efficiencies

**Cell phone service at Crescent Valley VFD Hall. Gets better south toward Tarry’s or Castlegar but one ft north out of the hall toward Passmore there’s zero service

Crescent Valley VFD Hall

Met with Deputy Chief Joe Hicks

Described the challenges of the dept boundaries

Robson VFD

Automatic aid set up to make sure there’s enough manpower and apparatus depending on time of day. VFD have more or less staffing depending on time of day.

No Cell!

We witnessed a challenge with road names and boundaries in the Robson area, as well as the very limited cellular coverage.

Brilliant Dam - Hwy 3A

Brilliant Dam is on Hwy 3A, north of Ootischenia’s response and south of Tarrys Response in Kamloops Fire Dispatch area.

Met Chief Greg Patterson and several members of their dept. They were very hospitable and friendly. Chief Greg Patterson has a great sense of humour.

Had a tour of the Tarrys Hall. Very clean, professional and organized.

Be careful of Hwy 3A - Duplicate addressing for hwy 3A in North Shore and Hwy 3A in Tarrys

Had a Q & A session at the hall. Very responsive and welcoming. Happy with service and working relationship. Discussed responder safety as first priority. Updated Tarrys on the crash recovery program. Discussed this with many dept’s. Dispatchers may find possible increase in these requests.

Left Tarrys at 2045

Kalesnikoff Lumber Mill - directly Across Hwy 3A from Tarry’s Fire Hall

Day Five with Shannon

Emergency Operations Building - RDCK Regional Fire Office

We visited the RDCK Chiefs office

Met the Central Kootenay Fire Chief Nora Hannon, Deputy Chief’s Tristan Fehst & Grant Hume, as well as the RDCK Regional Training Officers Dan and Dan.

Discussed some of the trends we have noticed with cell phone coverage and addressing issues.

After the meeting, Shannon and I drove to Kamloops.

Flower Garden in Creston

Items of Note:

The RDCK has exceptionally bad cell coverage.

- They rely on wifi calling and their radios to communicate when out of cell phone range.

- This may be why the RDCK has extra radio chatter. They need to use their radios to strategize and organize their response while enroute to the hall. Talk around doesn’t always provide best comms. Primary may be required.

- A lack of understanding about this lack of cell coverage could be why 3rd party incidents are pinned at cell towers or at the callers location.

Responder safety checks were noticed and appreciated. Checking on RTH status’ and lone responders.

Crash Recovery information provided to departments. You may have an increased request for this.

Patching - it was mentioned that sometimes a radio patch has been created without the attending departments knowledge or request

Automatic Mutual Aid - Make sure you advise departments who you’ve paged also.

Motorcycle Haven - During the summer months the hwy’s in this area attract riders from around the world. Increased motorcycle MVI’s in this area.

BCAS - see previous entry

BCAS Sation - Location of Dispatch

BCAS Dispatch Coverage Areas

Before headed home Shannon and I visited BC Ambulance Dispatch.

60% of their staff are new.

The heat dome of the summer of 2021 forced BCAS to change their dispatch practices. Each BCAS dispatch centre used to call take and dispatch for a fixed area. Now, each BCAS dispatch centre answers and call takes all 911 calls for ambulance provincially, however they continue to only dispatch in their fixed area. \240Each station is either for call taking or dispatching, but not both.

For call taking, when BCAS receives a 911 call from E-Comm, their system will force send the call to the least busy call taker in the province. There are no audible ringers. The call takers hear a beep in their headset.

We discussed with ambulance some of the challenges we’ve had with ambulance calls such as location information from gateway calls and timely updates such as “wait for police” and cancellations. \240They recognized these challenges. \240More investigation is needed into finding out what might be the cause(s) as it could be technological. Some possibilities they did provide was:

- Inexperienced staff

- Inconsistent policies as to who is responsible for updating partner agencies - the call taker or dispatcher

- Inconsistent Fire Dept CAD systems and how they interact with their system. Some fire CAD’s accept gps and some do not. \240The BCAS call taker has to input the location differently depending on which fire dispatch area it is.