14 ~ Friday, November 28, 1997 — North Shore News

NVC wary on radi

History points
to possible
problems

Jolanda Waskito
Contributing Writer

NORTH Vancouver
City council is skeptical
of plans for an emer-
gency radio system, or
E-COMM, being
pushed by the City of
Vancouver to other
Lower Mainland
municipalities.

An E-COMM system, pro-
vided by the Lynchburg,
Virginia company Ericsson
Inc., would link all emergency
resources including ambu-
lance, police and the fire
department and allow them to
communicate on one system.

But there has been lots of
talk lately about how the sys-
tem has failed some commu-
nities.

Coun. Barbara Sharp has
obtained documents from the
City of Dallas, Texas stating
its motion to terminate the
agreemeny with Ericssan after
five years,

Documents including a
photocopy of a canceled
cheque also reveal that
Ericsson paid the City of
Dallas $500,000 “as reim-
bursement for certain expens-
es incurred by the city in con-
nection with the agreement.”

A City of Dallas memoran-
dum dated attcr che cancella-
tion of service instructs
municipal staff “not to make
any disparaging or defamatory
comments concerning
Ericsson, its management or
its goods and services.”

Sharp says all this adds up

COUN. Barbara Sharp
urged caution on emer-
gency linkage system.

to something fishy.

“Ive had people involved
with Ericsson phone me and
information was sent to me,”
she said.

“There is a lot of stuff

going on that may pur our
people in jeopardy.”

Coun. Darrell Mussatto, a
paramedic, said he too heard
through the media that the
Ericsson system has had prob-
lems in flat areas “and here we
are in the wer and hilly North
Shore.”

Coun. Bob Fearnley said
he’s heard “you can’t get a
signal if you’re inside a build-
ing.”

City administrator Ken
Tollstam told council that no
other municipality has bought
into the system vet because all
are waiting to sec what hap-
pens > those who do partici-

ate.

“The (West Vancouver)
district is waiting to sce what

will happen with the City of

North Vancouver,” ‘Tollstam
said.

Failure of the system in
one city wasn’t the only rea-
son council was skeptical.

The $186 million price
tag, to be shared between the
municipalities in the Greater
Vancouver Regional District
(GVRD), was another reason
to be worried.

“We're not talking peanuts
here,” Sharp said. “We may
already have the equipment
we need.”

She said cach municipality,
including North Vancouver
City, has its own emergency
communication system.

North and West Vancouver
Emergency Program coordi-
nator Ross Peterson was in
the audience at the council
meeting and was allowed to
speak.

He told council that the
City of Vancouver and the

“RCMP are now finding out

whether the Ericsson system is
feasible, but “we have not yet
been privy to those investiga-
tions.”

Peterson said the best
thing for council to do is ask
Vancouver its findings on the

. Ericsson system before mak-

ing any decisions.

He also said there are
other E-COMM © system
providers besides Ericsson.

City administrator
Tollstam said the biggest hur-
dle to trying to find out how
well other Ericsson radio sys-
tems have worked is that no
one clse uses the same radio
system.

And should the RCMP
deem the system a needed
resource, the federal or
provincial government can tell
the city to pay the money to
buy the system, Tollstam
added.

Council decided to unani-
mously pass a resolution sub-
mitted by Sharp to “investi-
gate the effectiveness of 800
megahertz trunked radio sys-
tems elsewhere, including the
level of confidence its users

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have in the system in provid-
ing day to day communica-
tions and emergency commu-
nications.”

Couneil also directed staff
to investigate the allegations
regarding the ineffectiveness
of the proposed provider,
Ericsson, and their current
systems. Stair will check user
opinion of the systems’ relia-
bility.

Council will send the
motion to the districts of
North and West Vancouver
for their support and partici-
pation in the investigations,
and to the three North Shore
MLAs for their information.

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