Park pole to boost emergency radios

An emergency communications pole is planned for Esquimalt’s Highrock Park in an attempt to reduce radio signal failures that have long frustrated first responders.

It’s part of the first phase of $24.5 million in upgrades that CREST, Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications, hopes will eliminate gaps in radio coverage and improve reception for police and firefighters.

Victoria police have complained of inadequate coverage in some areas. In the past, officers have patrolled in pairs because of fears they might not be able to call for backup. In 2014, then-chief Jamie Graham called the radio system “dangerous” and a “catastrophe.”

The situation has improved enough that officers have largely gone back to single-person units, said acting Insp. Jason Laidman, who heads the Victoria police west division. But officers still encounter zones in Esquimalt where their radios fail to connect.

“Basically, you have to move to find a spot for coverage, and that’s terribly frustrating,” Laidman said.

The department has a list of “bad coverage areas” so if an officer knows he or she is going into that spot they can double up or let dispatch know they won’t have coverage.

CREST hopes the 26-metre monopole in Highrock Park will improve radio coverage for police, firefighters and Department of National Defence staff at CFB Esquimalt.

Highrock Park, a rocky knoll of Garry oak and Douglas fir trees popular with dog walkers, was selected because it’s the highest point of land in Esquimalt.

“We’re adding six [transmission] sites in the urban core, and Highrock was our biggest priority because we know there are some challenges mostly on the portable mobiles and in the vehicles,” Horth said.

CREST hosted a walk-through with the community and a town hall meeting so residents could ask questions and express concerns about the new communications pole.

The monopole, which is one metre in diameter, will be set into a concrete pad amongst Douglas fir trees. Horth said a monopole is more “esthetically pleasing” than a typical cellphone tower, given that it’s about the height and width of a Douglas fir.

Approximately 122 metres of electrical cable will be laid underground alongside the stairs off Highrock Avenue, connecting to an existing power supply point in the cul de sac.

Horth said some people are concerned about electromagnetic transmissions. The monopole complies with Industry Canada standards and emits lower transmissions than radio communications or cellphone towers, he said.

Construction of the monopole’s base and supporting structure will take place over several weeks in October and November. The monopole will be lowered in by helicopter which will require the park to close for one day.

CREST is spending $14 million on network upgrades, part of the $24.5-million budget approved by the CREST board of directors. It has given a $25,000 amenity contribution to the Town of Esquimalt for improvements to the park.

The monopole is one of 20 new transmission sites across the region, which CREST hopes will improve communications coverage. Upgrades in the core will be completed by 2017, followed by the Saanich Peninsula and the West Shore and then final upgrades will take place on the Gulf Islands in 2018.

In urban centres with tall buildings, the installations will go on rooftops. In rural areas and on the Gulf Islands, installations and system upgrades are taking place largely on mountaintops and in high-elevation parks.

Created in 2003 at a cost of $17 million, CREST connects about 50 agencies — including police, fire and ambulance — in Greater Victoria.