| Chief of Police Armand P. La Barge |
| York Regional Police |
| 17250 Yonge Street, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 4W5 1866-8POLICE TTY 1-800-668-0398 Fax 905-853-5810 www.yrp.ca |
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THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK POLICE SERVICES BOARD REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE 29 AUGUST 2007 __________________________________________ Re: Proposal to Share the Computer Aided Dispatch System with Fire Departments __________________________________________ RECOMMENDATIONS:
York Regional Police operates a police Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system which is capable of being upgraded for use as a Fire Department CAD. The Richmond Hill Fire Department has indicated a desire to implement a CAD system and has proposed that York Regional Police upgrade its version of CAD to one which is capable of providing both Police and Fire CAD capabilities. Such an upgrade would be at no cost to York Regional Police. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The provision of Fire CAD services would be based upon total cost recovery. The purchase of applicable software, hardware and communication services required for the implementation of the Fire CAD module would be made by York Regional Police, but would be fully financed by Richmond Hill Fire Department and its fire service partners at the time of implementation. Likewise, the cost of providing ongoing support would be calculated annually and paid directly to York Regional Police. The following examples of cost have been calculated which represent the total payable to York Regional Police and are inclusive of all taxes. Where more than one fire service is involved, the cost will be split between them, thereby considerably reducing the cost to each. 
The cost of Annual Support is based upon annual Versaterm software maintenance fees, hardware ever-greening and the effort of one York Regional Police full-time equivalent staff member for one fire service or the effort of one-and-a-half York Regional Police full-time equivalent staff members for more than one fire service. The above noted pricing is in 2007 dollars and will be adjusted annually for cost on wage inflation to ensure a full cost recovery methodology. BACKGROUND: York Regional Police operates a Police Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, manufactured by Versaterm, which is capable of being upgraded for use as a Fire Department CAD. The Richmond Hill Fire Department has indicated a desire to implement a CAD system and has proposed that York Regional Police upgrade its version of CAD to one which is capable of providing both Police and Fire CAD capabilities. Such an upgrade is considerably less expensive than purchasing a separate Fire CAD. It would permit the exchange of geographic and certain hazard data between York Regional Police and any fire service using it without jeopardizing the security of police information. A similar arrangement is already in place between the Ottawa Police Service and the Ottawa Fire Services Branch. At present, fire dispatching throughout York Region is provided by Richmond Hill Fire Department, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Services and Markham Fire and Emergency Services. Although Richmond Hill Fire Department was the first service to approach York Regional Police, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service has also indicated an interest in the initiative. The Fire CAD module, if implemented, is capable of supporting use by multiple fire dispatch centres, however, certain features of the system must be setup identically for each. It will be necessary for individual fire services wishing to use the Fire CAD module to agree amongst themselves to implement those common system parameters identically. Due to security requirements, the existing Police CAD servers would continue to be fully controlled and serviced by York Regional Police staff, but dispatch terminals would be supplied to fire services at fire service dispatch locations as required. These terminals would provide full access to only the proposed Fire CAD module and they would also be serviced by police staff. The implementation of Fire CAD would be subject to the successful negotiation of an agreement between the Board and the Town of Richmond Hill, and a system technical security approval by the RCMP. The advantages of hosting Fire CAD on the existing York Regional Police CAD servers include the provision of Fire CAD at a greatly reduced cost and enhanced safety through the sharing of street and certain hazard data between the police and fire services. The proposed implementation of Fire CAD would be on a full cost recovery basis for York Regional Police. It is recommended that the Board approve, in principle, the sharing of York Regional Police CAD infrastructure with municipal fire services within the Regional Municipality of York and that, upon the conclusion of successful negotiations with interested fire services, service level agreements be entered into between the Board and involved fire services. The implementation of such agreements would be revenue neutral to the Board. |
Respectfully submitted, Armand P. La Barge, Chief of Police. |