ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

                                           Date: July 02, 1997
                                           File: A867-50.1
                                           CC File: 

   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     Project Coordinator and Project Manager EOCC/Area Wide Radio
             Project, on behalf the Chief Constable, and General Managers
             of Fire and Rescue Services, Engineering Services, and Parks
             and Recreation Services

   SUBJECT:  Emergency Operations and Communications Centre/Area Wide Radio
             - Status Report


   INFORMATION

        THAT Council receive the following report for INFORMATION.


   COUNCIL POLICY

   There is no Council policy specifically applicable to the EOCC/Wide Area
   Radio project.  The project supports Council's objectives for emergency
   preparedness and public safety.  Specific resolutions in support of the
   EOCC/Wide Area Radio project are described in the BACKGROUND section of
   this report.

   SUMMARY

   The Emergency Operations and Communications Centre (E-Comm Building) and
   Area Wide Radio projects which City Council initiated will offer very
   significant improvements in public safety throughout south western
   British Columbia on a daily basis and in a major emergency. The E-Comm
   building and radio system will be constructed to post disaster standards
   and will permit, for the first time, radio inter-operability across
   emergency services.

   The project components include:

       A new radio system covering the area bounded by Boston Bar,
        Pemberton, Sechelt and the US Border will provide service to all
        police agencies within the area, BC Ambulance, and to municipal
        services within the GVRD.  This system will replace existing
        systems which are aging and lack capacity and capabilities.  The
        system will allow emergency agencies to communicate with each
        other, will provide access to emergency services databases from the
        field, and will facilitate secure communications.

       A consolidated dispatch centre within the E-Comm Building will
        provide the capability for common 911 call taking for the area, and
        has the capacity to dispatch for all emergency services.  Computer
        aided dispatch services will be provided. The integrated call
        taking and dispatch offer significant economies and major
        operational benefits.  The dispatch centre will be the answering
        point for the coverage region under the proposed new provincial 911
        system.

       A Regional Emergency Coordination Centre in the E-Comm Building
        will provide a focus for communications in the event of a major
        emergency. Representatives from emergency response and related
        agencies will operate in the Centre to provide communications among
        municipalities, the GVRD, the Province (through the Provincial
        Emergency Program), utility companies, the RCMP, BC Ambulance,
        hospitals, BC Transit, Coast Guard, Municipal Affairs, and the
        Ports of Vancouver and Fraser Rivers.  All municipalities in the
        region except those on the north shore have confirmed their
        participation.  At this time, twenty out of twenty-five seats in
        the Centre have been committed.

       The Vancouver Emergency Operations Centre gives the City, for the
        first time in its history, a post disaster facility for emergency
        response.  The Vancouver Centre will accommodate representatives
        from all civic departments to direct and coordinate a major
        emergency response.  Redundant communications systems, video
        capability, an Emergency Management Information System, emergency
        response databases and computer messaging will greatly enhance
        disaster response in the City.

       The Provincial Emergency Program will relocate its regional office
        to the E-Comm Building. Through its participation in the Regional
        Emergency Coordination Centre, the Province will be able to
        coordinate emergency response to significant regional emergencies,
        or provide initial coordination in a regional disaster while a
        Provincial Field Response Center is established.

       The Port of Vancouver and Fraser Port will maintain a disaster
        recovery centre within the E-Comm Building.

       An offsite backup centre will be provided to maintain 911 call
        answering and critical communications in the unlikely event service
        in the communications centre is disrupted.

       A new 'alternative service delivery' agency will manage the
        building and the systems.  A British Columbia Corporation, tailored
        by provincial legislation, it will provide representation to all
        participating agencies.  A Board appointed by users will provide
        policy direction; emergency service users will provide operational
        direction to a professional civilian dispatch operation and
        technical support personnel. 

   The projects are proceeding well.  The major partners in the initiative
   - - the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Police Board, the RCMP, the
   Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry of Health  - - continue to
   provide strong support.  Legislation to enable the corporation has been
   tabled.  The Minister of Health has announced that the British Columbia
   Ambulance Service will participate. Most GVRD municipalities have
   endorsed the proposed radio system, the concept of the E-Comm Building,
   and the new governance agency to own and administer them. The GVRD Board
   has approved the release of radio channels currently allocated to
   municipalities through the Region.  Industry Canada, which manages the
   allocation of radio frequencies, has expressed strong support for the
   new radio system.

   The new initiative has generated renewed interest in enhancement to
   policing and justice information systems.  Where current police
   information systems in use in Vancouver are incompatible with others in
   the region, the Vancouver Police Department, RCMP, and Ministry of
   Attorney General are cooperating closely in the development of proposals
   for an integrated system.

   A Request for Proposals for the radio system was issued late last year,
   and bids are now being evaluated.  The E-Comm Building has been
   designed, a building permit application has been processed, and tenders
   for the construction of the building at Hastings and Rupert Streets have
   been received. A companion report in this package recommends award of
   the building tender.

   The legal framework for the new corporation to own and manage the system
   has been developed.  Provincial legislation to enable participation and
   structure the corporation appropriately has been tabled.  The new
   corporation, to be named E-Comm, Emergency Communications for Southwest
   British Columbia, will be incorporated when the legislation has been
   proclaimed.

   Financing for the building will be provided through a combination of
   borrowing by the new Corporation and existing funding authority from the
   City of Vancouver.  Costs of the radio system, along with radio-related
   building components, will be distributed to member organizations
   annually.  

   The bid for the building is within budget.  Radio network costs are
   higher than anticipated, but user equipment costs are generally lower.
   Based on updated financing costs and equipment amortization periods,
   annual cost estimates for the project are essentially unchanged from
   those provided previously to Council.

   PURPOSE

   This report is presented to update Council on the development of the
   E-Comm Building, the Area Wide Radio System, and the new governance
   organization.


   BACKGROUND

   Emergency communications systems and capabilities in Vancouver are
   inadequate to the task.  Fire, police, and engineering personnel cannot
   communicate effectively in the field, or with counterparts from other
   municipalities or with personnel from BC Ambulance.  Systems are at
   capacity. The radio system itself is twenty years old; while
   improvements and upgrades have been purchased, the system is not
   post-disaster, lacks capacity to support operations fully and the
   capability to support encrypted (secure) communications, and cannot
   provide adequate access to information from the field.

   Critical systems are currently housed in buildings which are subject to
   earthquake damage.  The 911 centre and Vancouver dispatch operations are
   located in vulnerable facilities.  Key systems lack redundancy - - a
   single failure could result in loss of communications capability.

   The Stanley Cup riots brought these limitations into stark perspective. 
   While staff had planned for a potential disturbance - - the Emergency
   Operations Centre had been activated and personnel from the RCMP were on
   standby - - when the event occurred communications were a limiting
   factor in the response.  Fire units provided through mutual aid from
   other municipalities were equipped with incompatible communications
   systems.  Vancouver Fire and Police units teamed with Ambulance units to
   respond, but had to maintain physical contact since radio communication
   was impossible across agencies.  RCMP units were unable to communicate
   on scene with Vancouver Police. It is a credit to our emergency response
   personnel that the incident was managed so successfully under these
   circumstances.

   City staff had been examining the question of a replacement radio system
   for the City for some time - - an initial study of replacement options
   was carried out for the Engineering Department in 1993.  However,
   limitations in the availability of radio spectrum and the difficulty of
   generating a coordinated effort to resolve cross agency issues precluded
   further progress at that time.

   The announcement of the Federal-Provincial Infrastructure Program in
   1994 prompted City staff to propose a submission for the development of
   a City of Vancouver Emergency Centre, which would provide dispatch and
   disaster response capability for the City. Council approved this
   submission.  At the time of the submission, the City noted the potential
   for this facility to serve as the core of a larger region-wide facility. 
   In May 1995 the Province approved a $6.6 million contribution to the
   costs of the Vancouver Emergency Operations Centre.  In announcing the
   contribution, then Premier Mike Harcourt expressed his desire that the
   centre indeed serve as a catalyst for development of a region wide
   capability.

   The Infrastructure grant generated intense planning activity.
   Preliminary estimates for the City Centre were confirmed, and Council
   provided the necessary funding authority for the project. The previous
   studies on the radio system were reviewed, and discussions were again
   initiated with the RCMP.  Like the City, RCMP communications facilities
   were badly in need of upgrading. The RCMP had initiated studies for a
   replacement radio system and consolidation of dispatch operations
   throughout "E" Division - - the area covered by the current proposal. 
   However, limitations in available spectrum and inter-agency issues had,
   as with the City s studies, precluded progress.

   Sufficient channels were available for the development of a Vancouver
   system. However, that system would again be incompatible with those of
   other agencies and adjoining municipalities. A joint effort involving
   the City, the RCMP, and the Ministry of Attorney General was
   established.  This team quickly concluded that the only possible
   solution to the radio system issue lay in an area wide system using
   spectrum efficient technology.   Assembling sufficient spectrum,
   however, would require the cooperation of GVRD municipalities, which had
   wisely reserved a block of spectrum through the GVRD, and Industry
   Canada, which manages the allocation of radio spectrum.

   In 1995, Council authorized the retention of Teleconsult Limited (now
   Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group) to develop the plan to upgrade City
   communications systems and Architectura to plan the development of the
   Vancouver Emergency Centre.  Council also took a significant leadership
   decision at that time.  It authorized terms of reference which included
   examination of a regional centre and radio system despite recognizing
   that some City expenditures may not be recovered if a more broadly based
   system did not proceed.  Through this leadership, Council made the
   present initiative possible.

   Since the appointment of the consultants, the project has moved quickly. 
   A project team lead by Clyde Hosein from Facilities Development,
   Corporate Services was established.  Patti Marfleet, the City's Director
   of Risk and Emergency Management was named Project Coordinator. 
   Inspector Steve Foster from Vancouver Police Department and Division
   Chief Barry MacKenzie from Fire and Rescue Services were seconded to the
   team. (Subsequently, Inspector Larry Smith replaced Inspector Foster,
   who is on sick leave.)

   Teleconsult personnel, working with staff from the RCMP and other users,
   developed a conceptual design for the radio system, proving its
   feasibility and providing preliminary cost estimates. The project team
   and RCMP personnel developed the concept of consolidated dispatch
   further.  The architects worked with the team to develop the concept for
   the building.  A number of potential building sites were assessed, and a
   site at Hastings and Rupert was selected.

   Intensive inter-agency liaison was conducted over this period.  City,
   RCMP, and Ministry of Attorney General staff worked through the Regional
   Administrative Advisory Committee and Regional Finance Officers to
   develop the concepts for distribution of costs to users and a governance
   structure for the new facilities and cross agency operations.  The team
   made presentations on proposed project to every Council in the GVRD
   except Burnaby, to the GVRD Police Chiefs and Fire Chiefs, and to the
   GVRD Board.  Contacts were made with the Provincial Emergency Program
   and the BC Ambulance Service.

   All municipalities in the GVRD except the North Shore have approved
   participation in the Regional Emergency Coordination Centre, either
   individually or jointly with other municipalities. All municipalities
   except Surrey, (which is opposed), and Burnaby (which has yet to take a
   position), have endorsed the radio system and the release of municipal
   channels managed through the GVRD for the new system.  The GVRD Board
   has endorsed release of the radio channels.  

   As part of its capital plan preparation, City Council considered the
   question of funding for the Vancouver radio system.  Council authorized
   the City s participation in either a regional system or a City only
   system to an amount of $22.5 million, with funding to be arranged by the
   corporation or other arrangements not involving direct City borrowing. 
   If the regional system proceeds, greater capability will be provided as
   a result of cost efficiencies; if it does not, the current funding will
   provide for the system network and initial user equipment for
   Vancouver's fire and police services only. Engineering Services
   conversion to the new system would proceed as a second phase requiring
   additional capital plan funding. 

   Municipalities have not yet been requested to make a commitment to
   participation in the consolidated dispatch service.  However, the cost
   savings can be significant, and many municipalities have expressed
   strong interest.  Some have already made a decision.  Maple Ridge has
   endorsed participation in consolidated dispatch for its RCMP forces. 
   New Westminister Police Board has endorsed participation in consolidated
   dispatch.  Richmond City Council has recently endorsed participation by
   both its Fire Department and RCMP detachment in consolidated dispatch. 
   Presentations to all GVRD Councils have been scheduled before
   mid-September to seek a firm commitment to participate.

   After an initial decision not to participate, the BC Ambulance Service
   has conducted a further intensive review of participation within the
   last two months.  Simultaneously with the tabling of provincial
   legislation to enable the management corporation, the Minister of Health
   announced the participation of BC Ambulance in the radio system and
   dispatch operation.

   Late in 1996, the RCMP committed additional full time resources to the
   project team, and the team was relocated to Teleconsult s offices to
   bring it together on a full time basis.  An Executive Committee,
   consisting of Ken Dobell, City Manager, Vancouver; Deputy Chief
   Constable Paul Battershill, Vancouver Police; Superintendent Peter
   Martin, RCMP; Glen Maddess, General Manager, Fire and Rescue Services;
   Kevin Begg, Director of Police Services, Ministry of Attorney General;
   Johnny Carline, Regional Manager, GVRD, and Val Pattee, Executive
   Director of BC Ambulance Service was established to oversee the project. 
   This Committee meets monthly to review progress reports from the project
   team and to  make project decisions to ensure the needs of future
   participants continue to be met. 

   Considering the scale of this initiative, the significant costs
   involved, and the number of agencies whose participation is required,
   remarkable progress has been made.  The following sections will describe
   the current development of each element of the proposal and expected
   developments in future.

   DISCUSSION   The E-Comm Building 

   The design for the E-Comm Building is essentially complete.  The overall
   building contains some 60,000 square feet of space. Continued refinement
   of components of the building is ongoing, but a building permit
   application has been submitted and tenders have been received.

   The E-Comm building is designed and equipped to post disaster standards:

       high earthquake resistance
       backup emergency power generation systems
       positive pressure ventilation and air scrubbing system
       on site water storage
       on site refrigeration and ice storage to maintain cooling
       positive pressure ventilation / air scrubbing system
       card controlled security system
       direct connection to two telephone exchanges and to Rogers cable
        network
       high capacity internal cabling and communications systems
       video displays
       internal computer network and E-mail

   The estimated cost (hard and soft) of the building is approximately $24
   million.  

   The two story building provides a high quality environment for dispatch
   personnel on the upper floor, with extensive natural light and
   eighteen-foot high, sloped ceilings. The lower floor contains the
   Vancouver Emergency Operations Centre, the Regional Emergency
   Coordination Centre, the Provincial Emergency Program office, and the
   Port Recovery centre.  In addition to dispatch and operating personnel,
   it will accommodate managerial and support staff for the Corporation. 
   It contains a media briefing room.  The Centre has already received a
   national award for design excellence.

   The following sections provide a description of the components of the
   Centre. Floor plans are included as Appendix "A":

   Regional Emergency Coordination Centre

   As with the rest of the E-Comm Building, the Regional Emergency
   Coordination has now been designed.  It occupies approximately 2,200
   square feet. The Centre will provide twenty-five seats for participants,
   some of whom will represent more than one agency.  Each seat will be
   provided with the following services:

       a communications link to their own agency
       satellite communications for general use
       computer terminals for entry and management of data and access to
        the Emergency Management Information System
       E-mail communications
       video display capability
       large screen displays of emergency status information
       access to breakout rooms for working discussions
       access to Computer Aided dispatch status information for agencies
        participating in consolidated dispatch

   Emergency Planners for the agencies committed to the Centre have formed
   a committee to review the design and develop operating protocols.  The
   relationship between the Provincial Emergency Program and its response
   systems has been discussed in some detail, and the Province has agreed
   to facilitate the operation of the Regional Emergency Coordination
   Centre when it is activated.  The Regional Emergency Coordination Centre
   space is immediately adjacent to the Provincial Emergency Program
   regional office, which will allow for effective integration of
   operations in the two facilities in the event of a major emergency.  The
   agencies participating in the Regional Emergency Coordination Centre
   have depended until now on establishing independent links with each
   other and with the Provincial Emergency Program in the event of a large
   emergency.  The centralized communications which the Regional Emergency
   Coordination Centre provides, represents a significant enhancement to
   emergency planning, coordination and response.

   Committed participants to the Regional Emergency Coordination Centre
   include:

       all GVRD municipalities except the North Shore
       GVRD
       Port of Vancouver/Fraser Port
       BC Tel
       BC Hydro
       BC Gas
       BC Ambulance
       Coast Guard
       BC Transit
       Hospitals (through Vancouver Hospital)
       Railways (one seat)
       Provincial Emergency Program
       RCMP
       Ministry of Municipal Affairs

   The cost of this facility is $75,000 per seat, for a total of $1.875
   million.  The capital cost may be paid up front, or through an annual
   levy.  Operating costs will be assessed annually.

   Vancouver Emergency Operations Centre

   The Vancouver Emergency Operations Centre will be the focus for
   Vancouver s emergency response in a major emergency.  Containing
   approximately 20,000 square feet, the Emergency Operations Centre will
   provide space for approximately eighty staff and volunteers.  All civic
   response departments will be represented; trained volunteers will
   provide volunteer radio communications and emergency social services.

   The Vancouver Emergency Operations Centre is organized into the Policy
   Section; Operations Section; Logistics and Acquisitions; Emergency
   Social Services Section; Plans and Intelligence Section; Emergency
   Public Information; and Finance and Administration section.  The Policy
   Section (Chief Constable, General Manager of Fire and Rescue Services,
   General Manager of Engineering Services, General Manager of Parks and
   Recreation Services, and City Manager) provides overall strategic
   direction to the response effort, and assesses and addresses longer term
   issues, twenty-four and forty-eight hours out.  

   The Operations Section, consisting of approximately twenty staff
   representing Fire, Police, Engineering, Parks, Health, Buildings, and
   Environmental Hazards, provides direction and support to field staff,
   coordinates operations across departments, and allocates resources. The
   time horizon for this group is more immediate.

   The Emergency Social Services Section consisting of approximately
   twenty-five staff and volunteers, manages the opening and staffing of
   reception centres and related volunteer services, and provision of food
   and supplies to individuals who have been relocated as a result of the
   emergency, as well as emergency workers.

   The Logistics and Acquisitions Section includes volunteer radio
   communications and City staff dedicated to obtaining required resources
   for City operations, and information management. The Emergency Public
   Information Section is responsible for providing warnings, directions,
   and information to the public about the emergency situation.  The
   Planning and Intelligence Section is responsible for gathering,
   analyzing, and disseminating technical information about the emergency
   internally and for making recommendations to the Policy Section about
   courses of action and options for response. Finance and Administration
   tracks damages and costs and issues payment for required work.

   Once again, there is a heavy emphasis on handling the huge volume of
   information generated in an emergency.  Personnel in the Vancouver
   Emergency Operations Centre will have access to information on the
   status of fire and police resources from the computer aided dispatch
   system.  There will be terminals to the City s Geographic Information
   System and other City systems.  Staff will be dedicated to obtaining
   necessary information from these systems for centre and operational
   personnel.  The Emergency Management Information System will provide
   information on the location and nature of particular hazards, as well as
   available resources.  E-mail will provide rapid communications
   throughout the centre.  Media and remote video will be available, and
   large screen status displays will be available.

   Remote broadcast will be possible in the event of the failure of local
   private radio stations. 

   The Consolidated Dispatch Centre

   The communications centre, containing the 911 call answering, call
   interrogation, and dispatch operations for emergency services, is the
   key day to day operational facility for emergency response. At 18,000
   square feet, the facility is capable of handling the dispatch operations
   for the RCMP and police agencies and BC Ambulance over the entire area,
   and Fire operations in the GVRD.

   Computer aided dispatch systems will support the call answering and
   interrogation and dispatch operations.  On receipt of a 911 call, the
   calling number and its location are displayed, the call taker identifies
   the services required, and the appropriate information is routed to the
   dispatcher handling the response units.  The dispatcher is provided
   information on the status and location of the units under his or her
   control, and selects a unit to be dispatched. Specialized or local
   information about the incident site (e.g., Presence of hazardous
   chemicals, previous incidents etc.) will be available to the dispatcher.

   Seconded uniformed personnel from police, fire, and ambulance will be
   present in the communications centre to provide support and advice to
   dispatchers.  In the event of a tactical situation requiring special
   management, one or more dispatchers may be moved into a breakout area to
   handle the high traffic volume related to that incident without
   distraction, and without interrupting the ongoing operation of the
   centre.

   The consolidation of dispatch operations in the centre provides a much
   better opportunity to coordinate multi-agency response.  If a major
   incident requires the dispatch of police, fire, and ambulance personnel,
   the dispatch centre will be able to manage and monitor the response as a
   single event.  If a major incident occurs just inside the border of a
   municipality, the dispatchers will be able to determine if a unit in the
   adjacent municipality is significantly closer, and depending on urgency,
   priority and operating policies, may dispatch that unit.

   In its initial configuration, the centre will contain a training area
   for call taking and dispatch staff.  As utilization of the centre
   increases and additional dispatch space is required, the training area
   may be moved offsite.

   The Province has announced a proposal for a province wide 911 system. 
   The project team has had discussions with Provincial staff, and have
   been advised that if the Provincial 911 initiative proceeds, the
   dispatch centre will be the logical answering point for its coverage
   area.

   The cost attributable to the dispatch centre will be distributed across
   radio system users.

   Provincial Emergency Program Regional Office

   The Provincial Emergency Program Regional Office will be located in the
   Centre.  This area - - about 2,100 square feet - - will house Program
   operations for the region.  The space, adjacent to the Regional
   Emergency Coordination Centre, will include work areas for staff from
   other Ministries brought in for response to a particular hazard.  The
   role of the Provincial Emergency Program is central - - in addition to
   its administrative role, this office will act as the initial Provincial
   response centre, and will coordinate the Provincial response with the
   operations of other agencies through the Regional Emergency Coordination
   Centre.

   Other E-Comm Building Facilities

   In addition to the facilities described above, the E-Comm Building will
   contain an area to monitor alarms from major public and high risk
   facilities, and a small emergency management and recovery area for the
   Port of Vancouver and Fraser Ports.

   Backup Facility

   The E-Comm Building is a post disaster, highly redundant facility, and
   will be substantially more secure than any existing emergency
   communications centre in the region.  However, there is some potential
   for interruption of its operations, most probably from short-term, local
   conditions in or around the building.  Given the role of the Centre as a
   focus for 911 call answering and emergency services dispatch, an
   alternate location for these operations is required.

   Alternate facilities could range from a duplicate centre of similar size
   with similar capabilities dispatching for a part of the region, to a
   basic facility providing minimal electronic support and using more human
   resources to take calls and dispatch services.

   Creation of a fully functional alternate facility would represent a
   significant capital cost. If such a facility provided dispatch services
   to a part of the region, it would also result in significant duplication
   of operating cost.  The project team has concluded that a basic backup
   facility near the existing centre to provide for quick transfer of
   operations would be the most appropriate and economic approach.

   Such a facility would best be located in another public building within
   ten to fifteen minutes driving time.  It may be possible to locate the
   facility in a fire hall in east Vancouver which is due to be replaced
   within a few years, or an alternative location within Burnaby would be
   viable if a suitable facility could be found.

   This question is under review by the project team and will be reported
   within the near future.

   Area Wide Radio

   The Area Wide Radio system will cover approximately 13,000 square miles,
   from Boston Bar to Pemberton to Sechelt to the US Border.  It will
   provide service to over half the population of British Columbia.  It
   will include features not present in existing radio systems, as well as
   provide a high degree of security through post disaster construction and
   redundancy.

   The central controller for the system will be located in the E-Comm
   Building.  The radio system will be managed from this location. However,
   the system will be divided into zones, each of which will function
   independently if the central controller is inoperable for any reason,
   providing 'fail soft' operation - - the system will degrade in
   operational capability, rather than collapsing. 

   The system will provide a number of operational capabilities necessary
   for emergency services which existing systems do not provide:

       Complete radio interoperability across emergency services,
        throughout the system coverage area.
       All communications can be encrypted with high security methods that
        are virtually impossible to break, eliminating the current criminal
        practice of monitoring police operations.
       The system will have the capability to locate personnel using
        radios geographically, making it possible to dispatch the nearest
        unit to a call for service, and to locate units which have
        indicated assistance is required.
       'Talk groups' can be established to allow intercommunication
        between groups of units within or across services.  In this way,
        units from different services responding to a common emergency will
        be able to communicate and coordinate in transit as well as at the
        emergency scene.
       A priority hierarchy for communications will be established, by
        call type, so that urgent traffic will not be delayed when the
        communications system is overloaded as a result of a major
        emergency.
       Radios can be controlled remotely, so that (for example) a radio
        can be switched off if it has been stolen.
       Enhanced data capabilities will be more widely distributed.  While
        some data transmission to and from the field takes place now, the
        new system will provide greater capacity and the ability to enter
        reports from the field and receive more information.

   The full radio system cost across the wide area to serve all potential
   users is estimated at $186 million (this amount includes the dispatch
   component of the E-Comm Building, the Computer Aided Dispatch System and
   a high level of user equipment).  This is an initial estimate based on
   an overview of bid prices -- the total cost depends substantially on the
   choice of user equipment, which is a decision for each agency.  It also
   includes a provision for future growth to 2002, and has the capability
   for further expansion at relatively modest cost.  

   This cost will be distributed to users based on a formula which
   considers the coverage area, population, number of radios served, and
   radio traffic volume.

   A request for proposals for the radio system was issued in the fall of
   1996.  In the first stage of the proposals, bidders submitted their
   proposed system configuration for review.  The second stage of the
   proposals, in which bidders submit prices, was completed by the
   beginning of June.  Evaluation of the bids will now proceed to a planned
   contract award by September.  To date, the bid process has confirmed the
   configurations developed by Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group in the
   conceptual design, and has proceeded well.

   The RCMP has participated intensively in the review of the radio system
   proposals, and is pleased with the results to date.  They are fully
   committed to the system.  The project was presented to the Commissioner
   of the RCMP and to the Deputy Solicitor General - both have indicated   strong support for the proposal.

   Governance Structure

   Users of the system will include municipalities, the RCMP, provincial
   agencies, and federal agencies.  There is no natural governance vehicle
   which will provide representation in policy and operational issues for
   such a diverse group.  Accordingly, a new 'alternative service delivery'
   governance model has been developed, which allows the organization to be
   tailored to the specific services it will deliver.  The model provides
   for appropriate representation for funding agencies on the Board of
   Directors, and for users on committees which are formally structured as
   part of the organization.

   The governance agency is a corporation created under the BC Company Act,
   tailored through provincial legislation for the specific role it will
   carry out.  The proposed legislation will modify the application of the
   Company Act to eliminate inappropriate provisions for a non profit,
   government corporation; authorize membership by the participating
   agencies; obligate the payment of financial levies; enable financing by
   the Municipal Finance Authority; limit the role of the Board to overall
   management; provide for the management of the labour issues in
   transition by the Labour Relations Board under successor provisions; and
   limit liability.  The Member Agreement (shareholder agreement) will
   provide the operational rules for the organization, including
   limitations on budget growth without member approval, and structure user
   committees which will provide direction to the corporation on
   operational matters.

   The corporation will be able to borrow in the market at or close to the
   rates paid by its members.  The scale of the project and the nature of
   the equipment being purchased provides the opportunity for creative
   financing techniques, which will provide the corporation with very low
   cost financing.  The corporation's borrowing will be 'off balance sheet'
   to the members.  Dominion Securities-RBC have provided advice to the
   project team, as has MFA staff.

   Moving to a corporate model, albeit one owned by governments, has the
   potential to create additional tax liabilities.  Both the federal and
   provincial governments have been supportive and co-operative in finding
   solutions to maintain tax neutrality.  The Federal GST Interpretations
   Directorate has advised that they are prepared to accept the corporation
   as a 'para-municipal agency', which will maintain the current status of
   all agencies with respect to GST.  The Province will exempt the
   corporation from the telecommunications provision of the taxation
   legislation, avoiding PST on corporation billings to users, and will
   provide a one-time rebate of PST on purchases by the corporation for PST
   exempt users.

   All costs to users will be billed on an quarterly basis.  Where many
   agencies now find equipment replacement a major issue, the proposed
   model will convert these capital obligations to an annual stream,
   ensuring that the corporation and its members have the capability to
   keep equipment current and capable.  This will avoid in future the
   situation that exists now, where key services are working with
   obsolescent technology.

   Computer Aided Dispatch and Information Systems

   Computer aided dispatch is a key component of the new proposals.  It is
   essential for effective utilization of emergency resources and
   management of the flow of information.  It is also a key component of
   police, fire, and ambulance information systems, which serve both to
   inform personnel in the field and provide essential information for
   effective operational resource management.

   The project has encountered a number of significant issues in the
   development of proposals for the computer aided dispatch.  Some agencies
   have existing systems; some have none.  In particular, the RCMP has been
   implementing a high capability system for its police operations, and now
   has in-field laptop computers operating to display and update
   information from police records.  The City of Vancouver was among the
   first to install a data system, which it still maintains; it lacks some
   of the capabilities of the RCMP system, but has advantages in some
   areas.

   A number of fire departments operate CAD systems, of varying
   capabilities.  BC Ambulance does not yet have CAD capability, but its
   acquisition is a high priority for them.  Ambulance and Fire
   requirements differ to some degree from police requirements.

   The objective of the project team is to prepare the corporation to work
   toward a single integrated CAD system for all users.  For the initial
   implementation, the RCMP has advised that it must maintain the CIIDS
   system which it uses nationally, and which it has recently installed in
   the lower mainland, for its operations. Vancouver Police and Fire staff
   and Ambulance staff are working together to identify the most
   appropriate computer aided dispatch solution for other users of dispatch
   operation.  A Request for Proposals for this purpose has been issued. 
   It will provide the opportunity for non-RCMP users to select a
   commercial CAD system or a modification of the current RCMP (CIIDS)
   system. The systems which will be implemented will meet the needs of all
   user agencies.

   In this development process, the Ministry of Attorney General has
   strongly urged the development of compatible police information systems. 
   At the moment, most agencies operate on the RCMP system, while Vancouver
   does not.  While information from the major national police information
   system (CPIC) is available to all agencies, certain information which
   should be available to all police agencies is not.  The RFP has
   requested provision of an interface to the RCMP system, which will
   eliminate this problem so far as Vancouver information is concerned. 
   Further, the RCMP is proposing an initiative to update its present
   system - - the Attorney General's Ministry, the Vancouver Police
   Department, and the RCMP are working jointly to ensure that any new
   system will be adopted widely and will meet the needs of all agencies. 
   This is a significant step forward. 


   SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

   The E-Comm Building and Area Wide Radio will provide significant public
   safety benefits, on a day to day basis and in a major emergency. 
   Improved communications for emergency services agencies are central to
   their operations, and provide the opportunity both to enhance service
   and increase efficiency.  In a major emergency, the capability of the
   communications system and the components of the E-Comm Building will
   significantly enhance coordination between responding agencies and the
   effectiveness of the response.


   PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

   The creation of the new governance agency will result in the transfer of
   dispatch and communications related functions from the Vancouver Police
   Board and the City to the new agency.  While the new corporation will in
   the long term operate with fewer personnel than presently employed in
   the various agencies, the transition will involve significant training
   and staff needs.  It is anticipated that the new corporation will be
   able to employ all existing permanent full time dispatch employees who
   wish to move to it and who meet training and security requirements.
   Existing city radio maintenance staff may or may not be required for the
   regional radio system depending on the model chosen for provision of the
   service. Three to six long term employees could become redundant.
   Efforts will be made to find opportunities for these employees with the
   service provider chosen.  Existing levels of casual staffing and normal
   turnover through attrition will assist in the effective management of
   the transition.


   FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

   The E-Comm Building and the Area Wide Radio will involve additional
   costs to the City and other user agencies.  In the case of the City,
   these costs have been funded through the Infrastructure grant and the
   provision of capital funds for the remainder of the City's portion of
   the Center itself, and through Council s approval of additional annual
   costs for the radio system.

   The additional costs for the Centre are clearly justified by the need to
   improve the City's emergency response capability and harden our system
   against earthquakes.  The radio system costs are replacement costs,
   which must be incurred -- the proposed Area Wide Radio will provide
   lower costs for the required capabilities through the partnership with
   other agencies.  There will also be significant offsets through the
   release of Police personnel from existing communications duties.


   IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

   Implementation will take place beginning with approval of contracts for
   the E-Comm Building and Area Wide Radio system.  Construction will take
   place through 1997 and 1998, with the E-Comm Building operational in
   September, 1998, the Vancouver radio system operational at the end of
   1998, the GVRD in the second half of 1999, and the remaining phases of
   the radio system in 2000.

   The corporation will be created by the September of this year.  The
   present team will continue implementation management, on behalf of the
   corporation, for the initial phases. It is anticipated that the
   corporation itself, with continuing consultant support and seconded
   staff, will take over implementation as system expansion continues.


   CONCLUSIONS

   The E-Comm Building and the Area Wide Radio system will provide a
   significant upgrade in emergency communications and response in its
   service area on a daily basis, and in a major emergency.  And, they
   represent a change in the way we do business, from an agency focused
   base to a service focused base.  The corporation is designed to deliver
   its services on a cross agency, cross government basis, based on the
   needs of the people served. 

   The cross agency, cross jurisdiction nature of the project and its high
   cost make its development a challenge.  Many obstacles -- legal,
   structural, and attitudinal -- have had to be overcome. City Council and
   its partners in the RCMP and the Ministry of Attorney General have
   played a major leadership role through their commitment to the project,
   which is now in a position where it can be implemented.

                           *     *     *     *     *