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Insights from Canadian interoperability leaders: Shaping the future of public safety

Sept. 25, 2023, Canada – On Oct. 11, experts and professionals from the emergency services sector will converge to participate in InterOp Canada, a virtual event focusing on enhancing interoperability between agencies.

The free event will offer a platform for discussing key issues and exploring potential solutions for interoperability and incident response among police, fire, EMS, and emergency management.

“Both of us have been passionate about improving public safety interoperability for years, flowing from the various challenges we faced as serving first responders,” said Inspector (Ret.) Lance Valcour, Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group’s original executive director. “We’re excited to highlight our vision for the future of public safety and emergency management interoperability and information management in Canada.”

Valcour and founding leader Supt. (Ret.) Pascal Rodier helped lead the creation of Canada’s interoperability, strategy and action plan, and will share their insights on how far we’ve come, and where we go from here.

InterOp Canada is designed to encompass technology, communications, case studies, and best practices from Canada and beyond.

The keynote discussion will look at Canada’s interoperability strategy and action plan, which were published in the early 2010s, and identified ways to enhance governance, planning, technology, training and exercises to promote interoperable voice and data communications.

The end goal of the plan would be for all emergency responders to communicate as needed and as authorized across all disciplines and between all levels, on demand.

The first panel discussion will take a closer look at what interoperability looks like on a national scale. True national interoperability would see integrated SOPs, two-way standards-based sharing of voice and data, national and provincial training exercises, and daily use.

Speakers will explore what interoperability would look like for their operations, how we can advance it, and what challenges lie ahead.

The second panel will address the growing threat of heat emergencies in Canada. Panellists will talk about how heat emergencies are an increasing threat involving multi-agency response.

Fire Fighting in Canada, Avert, and Blue Line magazines are hosting and presenting the event, which will begin at 11:30 a.m. EST. Register here.