OTTAWA – Despite increasing call volumes, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) and the Ottawa Paramedic Service (OPS) continue to meet standards for response times, according to two annual reports received today by the city’s Community and Protective Services committee (CPS).

 OFS responded to 25,080 incidents in 2018, a four-per cent increase over the 2017 statistic. The service also inspected 4,060 properties, participated in 1,455 public education events and visited more than 13,000 homes to ensure residents have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

 The OPS responded to 144,309 calls in 2018, 3.4 per cent more than in 2017.

“To address increasing demand, the service continued to place response units in strategic locations across the city, transfer patients to off-load nurses in emergency rooms, pilot a neonatal transport team and conduct proactive home visits,” the committee released in a statement.

 The committee approved plans to make permanent,  22 temporary staff in By-law and Regulatory Services and the Public Policy and Development Branch.

“These positions would continue to be funded by revenue to help By-law and Regulatory Services manage the 14.5-per-cent increase experienced in requests for service since 2011,” the committee said.

 To ensure a broad range of smoke-free and vape-free places in Ottawa, the committee approved a consolidated Smoking and Vaping By-law, along with related amendments to the Transit By-law and the Right of Way Patio By-law.

“Smoking and vaping tobacco, cannabis and all other substances would be prohibited in all areas where smoking tobacco and using water pipes is currently prohibited,” staff said. 

The city’s five swans, four of which are descendants of swans gifted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, could soon be housed permanently at Parc Safari, south of Montreal.

Parc Safari has been housing and caring for the swans during winters since 2015, as their previous winter facility was no longer safe.

“Gifting the swans to Parc Safari would ensure the swans receive the best care possible, along with round-the-clock oversight of their health,” committee staff said.

 The committee also received Crime Prevention Ottawa’s annual report for 2018. Over the last four years, the Time for Change gang intervention program has supported 108 individuals. Crime Prevention Ottawa has supported professional development for youth and funded research about violent weapons crimes in Ottawa.

 Items from today’s (June 25) committee meeting that require city council approval will go to Council on Wednesday, June 26.