Foothills 911 has found a new home in Okotoks.
The Foothills Regional Emergency Services Commission (FRESC) is relocating from Oilfields Hospital to a location in Okotoks this October.
“We’ve outgrown our space at Oilfields Hospital in Black Diamond,” said FRESC chair Suzanne Oel. “We have this opportunity to expand to a larger space and upgrade technology to provide a better service to residents.”
FRESC has been located at the hospital for 23 years, setting up its operation in 1994. It suited 911 operations over the years, but the time has come to move and make necessary upgrades, she said.
Being part of the emergency services infrastructure in Okotoks will provide access to things like fibre optics and the chance to use the Alberta First Responder Radio Communication System (AFRRCS), the new province-wide system designed to help agencies communicate with one another. The system was first tested by Okotoks Municipal Enforcement in July 2016 and is now being incorporated by municipalities and emergency services units across Alberta.
Oel said moving FRESC to a new location has been in the works for some time, but there is still a lot of work to do in order to relocate. For the next two months new equipment will be ordered and installed at the new location, she said.
It’s all about increasing the level of service the commission can provide to the region, she said. The commission currently serves 26 municipalities and 32 fire stations – approximately 130,000 residents altogether.
“We’re hoping to just add to service,” said Oel. “Upgrading to new technology and expanding the size of our space is all part of that.”
One of the upgrades will be upgrading technology to use Next Generation 911, which will allow residents to text or email emergency services and include photos or video clips that may help first responders, she said.
Having more space will also allow FRESC to expand some of its operations, such as monitoring community peace officers and municipal enforcement in addition to answering 911 calls for emergency services. That includes work-alone monitoring, which allows officers to check-in while on shift, she said.
The Black Diamond location will be kept in-tact as a back-up operations facility, she said.
“We always have back-ups for eventualities,” said Oel. “So, if there’s an overflow of calls we can do that, if there’s a situation where we have to move out of the building, then we have a back-up situation where we can operate out of our secondary location.”
FRESC has been saving funds to finance the move for some time, she said. Some of the upgrades will also be paid for through provincial 911 grant funding, she said.
Okotoks protective services director Scott Roberts said the town of Okotoks was pleased to be able to find space within its emergency services environment to house FRESC. The location cannot be disclosed due to security of 911 operations, which is considered critical infrastructure, he said.
It won’t change how 911 operates within the community, but will allow the organization to improve its services, he said.
“From a technology perspective, this will give them cutting-edge technology,” said Roberts. “They’re going to be in the most advanced position they can be in terms of technology. From a community perspective it doesn’t really change anything but it will certainly bring us closer together as far as our partnership goes.”
