CEO Update: Oliver Grüter-Andrew

I’ve been thinking a lot these past few months about the first responders across British Columbia who have spent the spring and summer tackling extremely serious situations—from floods and fires, to opioids and gang activity.

Whether in southwest B.C., Vancouver Island or Bulkley-Nechako, those on the frontlines deserve our thanks. And right there with them are the staff of our organization and many others, all of whom are also helping to save lives and protect property.

As an organization that specializes in providing call taking, dispatch and mission-critical technology, we understand just how important a role we play in first responder safety and success. With that in mind, I’d like to share some of the collaborative activities underway in support of both.

Construction of the new 9-1-1/police dispatch centre for southern Vancouver Island is progressing extremely well and we expect we will be able to start outfitting the inside of the new post-disaster building in September. We remain on track to be operational starting in January. A new training facility in Metro Vancouver to support our growing operations is also on the horizon. It will also serve as a dedicated evacuation site for 9-1-1 and dispatch services. Consolidation efforts such as these increase our effectiveness and redundancy.

While we completed our move to the next generation radio system in Metro Vancouver earlier this year, the dismantling of the old system continues. Our talented wireless team will manage this important activity until the end of 2018. Implementing the new radio system is certainly a shining example of collaboration and one we’re very proud of.

Collaboration is also at the centre of our strategic planning process, which is now nearing completion. Our Board and executive team are creating a new roadmap for the organization with the input and support of our many stakeholders. It will guide us over the next 5-7 years as we ready ourselves for significant technology and operational changes. Our plan’s foundation will include strategic commitments to our staff, partners, owners and the public to ensure we continue to offer high-quality, reliable services and that we are innovative in advancing them into the future.  I believe the E-Comm model offers great value to the province and that our staff are committed to taking us to the next level. We are preparing to help them be the best they can be and to support them through focusing on their physical and mental health, their training and career opportunities.   

On that note, I’m pleased to welcome Kate Dickerson as our new Executive Director of Human Resources. Kate has more than 17 years experience in the public and private sectors leading strategic and employee-focused HR teams. I am confident she has all the skills and energy to help support our incredible teams.

I look forward to sharing our roadmap with all stakeholders in the first half of 2019. Thank you to the Board of Directors for its commitment to this process and to the more than 150 individuals within the public safety community, including our staff, for providing input on where we need to go.

As we near the end of the summer, I wish you and your families the best of all our province has to offer.