Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee. Thank you for inviting the RCMP to speak to you about motion 124 regarding AEDs.
I am joined today by my colleagues Bruce Christianson, from occupational health and safety, and Nathalie Guilbault, from our materiel and assets management section. We are here to provide you with information and to answer your questions to help inform your deliberations on this motion.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, approximately 40,000 Canadians suffer from sudden cardiac arrest each year, of which 80% occur outside of hospital settings. This is one reason that all RCMP officers are required to be trained and recertified in CPR and first aid, which includes the use of AEDs. The RCMP is committed to our communities, with CPR and first aid training for our officers being one demonstrable enhancement to our public safety role as first responders.
Currently in most Canadian communities, more than half of all cardiac arrest patients do not receive CPR prior to the arrival of paramedics and first responders. All police are committed to community safety and well-being. Fortunately, public access to AEDs has increased significantly in recent years across Canada, and we are encouraged by the installation of AEDs in public spaces, including public rinks, arenas and recreation centres across Canada.
We are aware that motion 124 calls for the equipping of all RCMP vehicles with AEDs to support greater public access to these life-saving devices. We are here today to provide the committee with information and to highlight for the committee's deliberations considerations related to the motion.
I will briefly outline to the committee the current use and policies for AEDs within the RCMP.
The RCMP has adopted a limited AED program, which is guided by the RCMP's national occupational safety manual. AEDs have been approved for installation and use in the following RCMP operational areas: emergency medical response teams, the divisional fitness and lifestyles program, some protective policing details, and in those instances where provincial policing standards require that an AED be available. Furthermore, the standard first aid curriculum in which all RCMP members are required to be recertified every three years includes the use of AEDs.
In addressing costs, several operational rollout and financial considerations must be assessed. We undertook a preliminary scope analysis that sought to highlight some of the RCMP's specific challenges and to provide you with some variables for financial order-of-magnitude figures.
As an example, to support the G7 summit in June 2018, the RCMP undertook a procurement exercise to purchase a limited number of AEDs specifically for this event. These devices cost approximately $1,700 per unit, which aligns with the range of costs that was reported to the committee in June. Additionally, compact AEDs, which were purchased for our emergency response team in 2016, cost approximately $4,500 per unit.
As of September 2018, the RCMP has approximately 12,200 vehicles in its fleet, of which close to 5,000 are marked police vehicles. The remainder are unmarked, operational, administrative and special purpose vehicles.
It is important to consider the additional costs required for ongoing maintenance and replacement of these devices. Furthermore, there are a number of other considerations that could result in higher costs or difficulties in rolling out AEDs to the RCMP fleet.
While the RCMP has procured a limited number of AEDs, these devices have been purchased for use primarily within RCMP facilities or for short-term events such as the recent G7. To determine what devices or series of devices would be required for use nationally in RCMP vehicles, an in-depth analysis would be necessary to evaluate operational parameters, including climate, temperature, durability and interoperability with existing equipment. The analysis would provide information to ensure that any device purchased would operate to a known standard, regardless of weather, temperature or location in Canada.
The RCMP takes a number of factors into consideration when determining whether to purchase or roll out new police equipment.
Given the unique contract policing role the RCMP plays in Canada, decisions taken by provincial, territorial and municipal governments play a significant part in how the RCMP purchases, trains, maintains and equips front-line members with new equipment. However, from a Canada Labour Code perspective, for officer safety reasons the RCMP does set minimum standards. Currently, the RCMP provides contract policing services to all provinces and territories, with the exception of Ontario and Quebec, as well as some 150 municipalities. These services are provided through police service agreements, which see the cost for RCMP services shared by provincial or municipal governments and with the federal government.
In consultation with the RCMP, the provinces, territories and municipalities establish the level of resources, the budget and policing priorities in their respective jurisdictions. It is through these consultations and decisions by the government of local jurisdictions that the RCMP is allotted funding for the purchase of new equipment.
To implement M-124, the RCMP would need to first determine the range of device options that would be appropriate for use nationally. An analysis would need to be undertaken to determine how and where these devices could be housed in a vehicle, being mindful of the multitude of other equipment our officers require for their daily duties, specifically in the north. Additionally, consultation with contract partners would be required to determine the extent to which these devices could be deployed.
The RCMP is committed to the safety of its employees and the citizens it serves. While our primary mandate is for the provision of law enforcement, we often get called upon to support the broader first responder role. We will continue to work with our partner stakeholders, including provinces, territories and municipalities, to establish policing priorities in their respective jurisdictions.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. We look forward to answering your questions.
