SUMMERSIDE — The Summerside police and firefighters’ union, along with the P.E.I. Police Association, are meeting today with the director of the Office of Public Safety over the government’s request for information for service providers of a central 911dispatch system.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1174, representing Summerside police and fire services, and PEIPA unionized position may in jeopardy under the proposal.
Aaron Campbell, director of the Office of Public Safety, said when the 911 system was established 10 years ago there were three central dispatch locations: Summerside police, Charlottetown police and the RCMP. The province is now looking to see if a single, centralized dispatch system would meet the needs of Islanders.
CUPE national representative Bill McKinnon said the union wants some clarification as to just what the province is looking for in its request.
“The only part of the 911 dispatch system the government’s RFI was supposed to be looking to centralize was what is called the Call answer/Transfer component,” McKinnon said. “This is the piece of the 911 system that a citizen will make first contact with and from where the call is transferred to the specific emergency service, fire police or EMS required by the called.”
McKinnon said a quick look at the introduction to RFI itself reveals it is seeking additional information from service providers regarding their ability to incorporate the dispatch services for volunteer fire departments and to include the capability to incorporate police dispatch functions.
“This work is presently done in Summerside by our members of CUPE Local 1174,” McKinnon said.
In an earlier interview, Aaron Campbell, director of the Office of Public safety for the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, said the province has no intention of eliminating union positions with the Island’s two city municipal police departments.
“The Province only has jurisdiction for the answering and transferring of the 911 calls to the appropriate agency,” he said. “The Province does not have jurisdiction over police, fire or EMS dispatch. The only part of the system government is looking to centralize is the 911 call answer/transfer service.”
Campbell said the initiative to explore options to incorporate fire, police and EMS into a centralized 911-call answer and transfer system isn’t being driven by government. He said it is in response to continued concerns brought forward by the agencies.
“The Office of public safety has been working with representatives of these agencies for the past three years to look at options to improve the current system,” he said. “The general consensus was that centralizing 911 call answer/transfer with some, or a portion of, emergency services dispatch would provide greater enhanced service to the public.”