Minister Toews Confirms the Allocation of 10 MHz of the 700 MHz Bandwidth to Public Safety
On May 3 in Vancouver at a local event, the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, commented on the allocation of 10 MHz of the 700 MHz bandwidth for the use of emergency responders including police, firefighters and medical personnel. "Our Government has recently allocated a portion of 700 MHz broadband spectrum for public safety use," said Minister Toews. "This lays the foundation for a national mobile broadband communications network that will help protect communities and save lives by improving emergency response across Canada."
Also at the event were representatives from the EMSCC, CACF and CACP, including Vancouver Police Department Chief Constable Jim Chu who also released a statement. In Quebec, Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais, on behalf of the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, also made an announcement related to emergency management. Official statements include:
Northeast Ontario CITIG Regional Forum Presentations Now Available
By all accounts, the Northeast Ontario Regional Forum held in Sudbury on May 1 was a great day for all. The event was co-sponsored by the Greater Sudbury Police Service, North Bay Police Service, City of Greater Sudbury Emergency Services (including Fire Services and Emergency Medical Services) and CITIG. In addition to presentations by Industry Canada, Emergency Management Ontario, and a the Tri-Services Committee on 700 MHz Broadband for Mission Critical Data, an afternoon workshop gave participants a “hands-on” chance to improve interoperability in the region. Thanks to our hosts and the 50 or so registered for the event! The day’s presentations can be found under the “Past Meetings” tab on the Member portion of the site.
Directory Provides Links to Needed Public Safety Broadband Information
The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) is compiling the Public Safety Broadband Directory. This U.S. initiative is in response to the much anticipated U.S. nationwide public safety broadband network that is moving closer to reality with the passage of legislation giving public safety both the spectrum and funding needed to build the network.
Please visit www.npstc.org/broadbandDirectory.jsp to review the directory and contribute. The Public Safety Broadband Directory has links to a wide range of current information on the nationwide efforts to bring broadband to public safety, including policy, governance, advocacy, standards, etc.
Tri-Services Issue News Release on Spectrum for Public Safety
On March 28, 2012, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) and Emergency Medical Services Chiefs of Canada (EMSCC) joined together to express their support for the Government of Canada’s designation of spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety broadband use by issuing a press release (download English or French).
The announcement follows a meeting between tri-services representatives and Industry Canada officials on March 28 to clarify certain elements of Industry Minister Paradis March 14th announcement that 10 MHz (known in the U.S. as the PSST Block) was being allocated in Canada for “public safety use.” While responders in Canada welcomed the news, there was concern over what the term “public safety use” meant (i.e., could it be licenced to others and then sold, as a service, to first responders in Canada). Industry Canada has addressed the tri-services’ concern.
Canadian public safety agencies are now fighting for a second 10 MHz block in the critical band of 700 MHz spectrum known as the D Block. The Government of Canada’s commitment to designate 10 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety broadband use is an important first step. But in order to implement a nationwide network that can support mission-critical communications for our first responders, we need Industry Canada to take the second step. Canada's first responders need ubiquitous access to 20 MHz of spectrum.
Updated documents (including a generic presentation and briefing notes) can be found on the Web site of the Tri-Services Special Purpose Committee on 700 MHz Broadband for Mission Critical Public Safety Data at www.action700.ca.
2012 CACP Motorola Award for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness
The 2012 Motorola Award nominations process is now open. Nomination forms may be found at: http://www.cacp.ca/motorolaaward/MotorolaAward2.html. The award is open to all public safety agencies with the exception of private corporations in a stand-alone capacity. Individuals, teams, or groups such as agencies, divisions, sections, and detachments are eligible. Partnerships between police services, fire, and emergency medical agencies are eligible and encouraged. Cross border teams and those consisting of public/private partnerships are also encouraged. Applications must be received by the CACP by May 15, 2012.
Lack of Common Radio Channel and Lack of Situational Awareness Factored into Texas Wildfire Line of Duty Death
A recent report out of Texas pointed to lack of situational awareness, common radio frequency, communication of a safety zone, and an escape route as contributing factors in the death of a Texas wild land firefighter. Click here for the full report. Sadly, reports like this remain too common...
Spring 2012 Edition of HazNet now Available!
CITIG is pleased to spread the word that the latest issue of the Canadian Risk & Hazards Network quarterly newsletter is now available for download (also at www.crhnet.ca). Of particular interst to interoperability practitioners may be stories titled:
- Tools for Managing Interdependencies among Critical Infrastructures in Planning Major or Large-Scale Events
- Public Safety Canada’s CBRNE Team
- Canada’s Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System – Sharing Made Simpler
Also of note, the 9th CRHNet Symposium will be held in the heart of downtown Vancouver at the Sutton Place Hotel on October 24 to 26, 2012. Visit www.crhnet.ca/annualsymposium for details on the Symposium and Call for Abstracts.
Pre-Hospital Care &700 MHz Broadband for Mission Critical Public Safety Data - From Calling Rampart to Communicating with the Enterprise
Please visit the following link to read an insightful story to 9-1-1 magazine by Superintendent Pascal Rodier of BC Ambulance: http://www.9-1-1magazine.com/Rodier-700MHz-for-EMS. Pascal is a long-time member of CITIG, and is also currently the EMSCC Representative and Co-Chair on the Tri-Services Special Purpose Committee on 700 MHz Broadband for Mission Critical Public Safety Data.
New U.S. Report Provides Overview of the Economic Benefits of New Spectrum for Wireless Broadband
A U.S. report detailing the substantial economic value of nearly doubling the amount of spectrum available for wireless broadband over ten years and deploying a nationwide interoperable wireless network for public safety is now available. Get your copy of The Economic Benefits of New Spectrum for Wireless Broadband.
Fifth Annual Vendor Outreach Forum Announced!
The Fifth Annual Vendor Outreach Forum takes place October 16 and 17, 2012 in Ottawa and it’s certain to again sell-out. Once again, CITIG is partnering with CATA to bring you this unique opportunity. More details to follow soon. For those interested in the proceedings of the Fourth Annual Forum in Vancouver Forum, presentations as provided by speakers including Les Fisher, Chief Operating Officer, British Columbia Ambulance Service, Chief Jim Chu, Vancouver Police Department, Bill Schrier, Chief Technology Officer, City of Seattle and Karen Fry, Deputy Chief, City of Surrey Fire Services, among many others, are now available for download. Click here for more information: http://www.cata.ca/Media_and_Events/Press_Releases/cata_pr12201101.html.
36th Annual LEIM Conference & Technology Exposition
Planning is well underway for the 36th Annual Law Enforcement Information Management (LEIM) Training Conference & Technology Exposition. The 2012 LEIM Conference is being hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 21 to 23, 2012. To register, visit www.theiacp.org and select the Technology tab. To submit a proposal for a workshop presentation, please complete the 2012 LEIM Call for Presentations form. Workshop proposals will be accepted through January 15.
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