Thursday, May 07, 2009

Cheaper 911 service wanted

By Barb Brouwer - Salmon Arm Observer Published: May 05, 2009

Columbia Shuswap Regional District officials are shopping around for a better deal in fire dispatch services. Directors agreed to transfer $125,000 from reserve funding to purchase and install a fire emergency alerting back-up system at the April board meeting. Part of the CSRD’s 911 program includes fire emergency alerting, which is dispatched out of Firehall 3 in Salmon Arm. The current dispatch agreement between CSRD and the Salmon Arm Fire Department has been extended for one year to the end of 2009. In that time, the regional district is looking at other dispatch locations and options.

“The existing radio system is becoming obsolete and has no emergency backup system,” says Doug Dymond, CSRD works manager. “We’re improving the system, modernizing some of the radio components and computerization for back-up.” The equipment used by Salmon Arm dispatchers is owned by the regional district and it is up to the CSRD to maintain it – just as it is up to each fire department within the regional district to maintain their own radio equipment. “We hope to present options to the board shortly,” says Dymond, noting the regional district’s motive for looking for dispatch service elsewhere is a recent increase in costs. “It is important to note the work we will be doing will be portable in the event the CSRD does change its dispatch source.”

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