Counties okay fire dispatch specialist contract

It’s served well for many years but the existing fire dispatch communication system for Prescott-Russell is past its prime now.

Counties council approved authority for administration to hire a communications specialist to help design a new communications setup for fire dispatch service for the region.“The bottom line is we have to start from scratch,” said Stéphane Parisien, counties chief administrator. “The system we have is obsolete.”

Parisien presented an update on the fire dispatch program during the January 10 committee of the whole meeting of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR). He told council that the UCPR needs to hire a radio-frequency engineer as part of its plans to upgrade fire dispatch communications, to better serve the seven municipalities within Prescott-Russell which use it.

Much of the existing system uses analog communications gear rather than digital which has become standard now for modern fire dispatch, including the one for the City of Ottawa. Champlain Township mayor, Gary Barton, noted that Ottawa spent two years getting its digital system up and running and said he “is prepared now” to support the UCPR going ahead with preparations to upgrade its fire dispatch setup.

Hawkesbury mayor Jeanne Charlebois noted there are two radio towers already for the present regional fire dispatch: one in Hawkesbury and the other in Rockland. The City of Clarence-Rockland is part of the City of Ottawa’s fire dispatch system.

Charlebois said she wouldn’t speak for Les tours de radio municipales de Hawkesbury ont servi pendant de nombreuses années dans le cadre du système régional original de répartition des incendies. La mairesse Jeanne Charlebois veut s’assurer qu’elles feront partie du nouveau système et ainsi continuer d’épargner de l’argent pour la Ville.

Clarence-Rockland’s mayor about the future of the two towers. But she noted that Hawkesbury made a serious financial investment to build the tower when it provided regional fire dispatch.

“We own it, we intend to keep it,” Charlebois said. “It’s a source of revenue. As the owner of the tower I don’t think I should be paying for the services of my own tower.”

Parisien told council that his staff would

present a detailed report with recommendations on options for both upgrading the communications system to digital, and also its management. Mayor Charlebois offered to share the results of a past study her municipality did about a fire dispatch digital upgrade.

“I’m hoping a decision can be made by this council by the end of June,” Parisien said. “I want us to consider all options.”