Kamloops Fire and Rescue Station 1 in Sahali. (Photo via Kamloops Fire and Rescue)

Kamloops Fire and Rescue is still working on a bylaw to improve radio communications inside new or renovated high-rise buildings through the City.

Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc says the goal is to make it easier for first responders to effectively communicate while on a call, without adding too many costs on to developers.

“We’re not trying to be prescriptive with this. We want to make sure that the developers and builders can work with their engineers to put in the system that will work right in their style of building and what they are doing,” he said.

“We just want to make sure that those minimum requirements of coverage will be in place for us when we have to respond.”

Using the RIH Patient Care Tower as an example, Deputy Chief Ryan Cail said last August that modern construction techniques to increase energy-efficiency were making it difficult for first responders to effectively communicate while on a call.

“If we are there in an emergent situation we don’t have any communications so we are forced to be creative with somebody outside, somebody in the foyer, somebody on the floor or we try to use cellphones if we can,” he said, noting

Cail also noted that communications are further complicated by limitations in radio infrastructure, Kamloops’ “challenging topography”, and increased signal loss as these new, taller structures block the path of signals.

Uzeloc says KFR has met with the City’s building department and the Home Builders’ Association to gather feedback on its proposed bylaw.

“There are a number of options that range in a variety of things such as running coaxial cable through the whole building to put in these amplifiers or repeater systems in the building,” Uzeloc told NL News, noting KFR is also doing it bit to improve communications.

“We’ve [also] just signed a contract and we’ll be taking delivery of brand new radio systems but unfortunately there is still a part for the builders because the best radio systems in the world are still having problems based on the construction materials.”

Uzeloc expects to have the draft bylaw – which would apply to all new high-rises or as part of renovations to existing buildings in Kamloops – ready for council’s consideration once it has been reviewed by lawyers once they’re done putting what KFR has drafted “into legalese.”

“We also agreed to work with a developer who asked if we could do some testing in one of their existing buildings,” Uzeloc said. “We’ll do the work with the developer and follow up with them and we’ll report back to council with a draft of what we think will work.”